WhatsApp Guidelines

• Respect each other at all times. Every member of the group is a member of the community and at no times will discrimination or bullying against any person be tolerated.
• Respect the purpose and objective of each group. Do not share irrelevant messages about other topics or use it as a platform for one on one chats.
• Respect data privacy and copyright protection. Content shared one these groups is for the benefit of members of the groups and may be shared with people outside of the group(s). Please ensure you never post anything that is restricted from sharing or would constitute a violation or infringement should someone share your post.
• Do not share content, information or “news” that HASN’T been verified. Repeating or posting content whose authenticity has not been proven can be very dangerous. If you are in doubt (as a minimum) indicate that the authenticity is unverified; confirm with reliable sources before posting or refrain from posting entirely.
• Do not spam the group. Please try to be aware of content posted by other users and do not repeat the same posts / shares.
• Do not be offended if others leave. Not everyone wants the same information.
• Feel free to “mute” the notifications (or leave the group) at any time.  There are times when the message posts may be considered distracting or annoying and you are welcome to mute the group to reduce the notifications.
• Post your message in one single chunk of text. Don’t post every word or sentence in a new message.
• Do not have one-on-one conversations in the group. Switch to private messages or request the creation / sharing of additional groups with a particular focus if required.
• Don’t get angry if someone doesn’t respond to your messages in a group. No one is obliged to do so. Better send him/her a direct message.
• Use the “reply” function when replying to a specific comment. This will avoid confusion and provide people with context to your replies, especially if it is an active conversation thread.
• Use short sentences that cant be misinterpreted. Lengthy sentences could result your words being interpreted in multiple ways.
• Bear in mind that tone and meaning can also be misinterpreted in a text. 
• Avoid sending videos or files that are very large. Nobody wants to have the memory or storage of their smartphone or the data plans consumed unnecessarily.  Rather share a link to the file stored on a globally accessible platform.
• Don’t abuse emojis. There are some (😂 or 😭) that don’t require explanation, but others could can be interpreted in different ways and generate confusion.
• Try to avoid posting between 22:00 and 06:00 unless it is urgent or highly important. 
• Crime-related information must be considered sensitive. Please do not share any sensitive information, but please do report suspicious behaviour and concerns around security.
• These groups do not replace your armed or medical response services, but if in an emergency, urgent help or assistance can be requested.
• If someone asks a question and you don’t know the answer don’t respond with “I don’t know”. Just wait for someone who has an answer to reply.
• Do not send individual “thank you” messages to the group. If you feel gratitude and wish to respond, either do so to the collective group in a single message or through private messaging.
• The group is not a political or religious platform.
• No arguing, no heated opinions, no fear mongering, no hyped up drama, no fake news. Check your sources before you share.
• Never berate someone else or air grievances. If you have an issue, address it one on one with the relevant person or raise it with an administrator.
• Respect your peers and ensure that your posts are not offensive or inclined to provocation.

Some guidelines you can ask yourself before posting anything : 

• Is this relevant ?
• Is this necessary ?
• Has this been verified ?
• Is this a good time to post ?