Chat Guidelines

Dear ADC Chat Guests and Fellowship:

The ADC chat forums offer our guests both open chat forums and classroom-style chats, to help provide universal spiritual teachings from qualified teachers, for body/mind/spirit studies. ADC also offers chat forums for bereavement peer support, such as #BereavedParents, #ParentLoss, and #Widow/ers, as well as a several chat rooms for general discussion regarding life beyond physical death, etc.  All of the ADC staffers are volunteers and are to be treated with utmost respect by our guests, please.

The ADC Chat forums does not allow discussion of mediums or psychics in their 24/7 open-discussion rooms, nor allows 'readings,' either privately or publicly, by mediums, intuitives, psychics, or well-meaning guests. This decision was made for our guests' safety and to encourage the ADC chat forums to focus on After-Death Communications. ADCs are defined as spontaneous and direct communications from deceased loved ones, without the use of a psychic, medium, ritual, or device. 

In short, ADC offers our guests 'self-empowering' chat discussions, classrooms, and events, to be supportive of your personal growth, as well as learning and developing more self-sufficient spiritual awareness and skills. Thank you for your support of ADC's ongoing commitment to bringing you, our honored guest, safe, well-staffed, and managed chat forums. Also, above all, please do not discuss others while a guest at ADC chats.  Thank you and enjoy!

Blessings and gratitude for your understanding........Your volunteer ADC Administrative Operators:

Judith Guggenheim
Will Guggenheim
Vicki Graham (Nixie)
Janie Lundquist

General Chat Guidelines:

Welcome to chatting at ADC! We intend to keep the chat atmosphere at ADC safe and welcoming for all concerned. In fact, ADC is perhaps one of the safest and well-managed chat services on the Internet.  Here are some Guidelines from our chat Technical Support, "Nurse" Nixie:

Chatting online is very much like walking into any social event. You may never know who's going to be there or what the topic may be, but that's part of the excitement. Live chat is just like most things in life: unpredictable, sometimes stimulating, and always interesting, with new people to meet every day. ADC is a place where VERY special people gather, lasting friendships are made, and a loving, kind and sharing atmosphere is most important. If you are new to ADC, please accept our heartfelt "Welcome." Don't hesitate to ask for help. There are many kind and wonderful people, especially our volunteer staffers, that will be glad to assist you. Now, a few things you will need to know before starting:

1. Many of our honored guests are bereaved.  Be kind and ALWAYS treat others as you yourself would like to be treated. Remember that people of many different ages and cultures are and will continue to be interacting at ADC, since grief has no boundaries. Be respectful of others and be careful not to offend or offer 'unsolicited' advice, perhaps because of a hasty comment that has not been thought through. Think before you type, and think some more before you send or post anything.
   
   
2. A channel "Op" is someone who is given that little @ sign in front of their nickname. It allows that person to help maintain order and peace in that specific chat room. Channel/Room Operators are people that have been appointed by the Administration of ADC and yet are entirely volunteers. They have been given the authority to warn and, if necessary, Kick/Ban anyone that exhibits offensive, vulgar, disruptive, or any other behavior that is deemed inappropriate in the ADC chat rooms and our honored guests. If you have any problems or questions, don't hesitate to ask one of the Ops; they are there to help.
   
   
3. Vulgar, offensive, and inappropriate behavior will NOT be tolerated at ADC. This includes profanity, inappropriate files (sounds, pictures, etc.), as well as offensive URLs and Nicknames. Please be aware of what you are sending to the room/guests and use discretion. If you encounter such behavior by one of the guests, please notify a "ROOM OPERATOR" and/or "ADMINISTRATOR" immediately. Failure by individuals to comply with warnings will result in being kicked and/or banned from the site.
   
   
4. DO NOT use flirtatious comments, sexual innuendoes, or other types of "suggestive" messages. This applies to all public chat rooms as well as private chats.  The ADC chats are here to provide bereavement and spiritual support, and should NOT be used as a "singles' bar." ADC takes pride in providing a safe environment for all visitors. If you encounter such behavior by one of the guests, please notify a "ROOM OPERATOR" and/or "ADMINISTRATOR."  Failure by individuals to comply with warnings will result in being kicked and/or banned from the site.
   
   
5. Discussion of illegal drugs or prescription medications or the use thereof is in no way condoned nor will be tolerated.
   
   
6. Any on-line readings (mediumship, psychic, etc.) are strictly prohibited. This applies to public chat rooms as well as private chats.   Please do not offer nor request a reading of any kind. If one is offered, please report immediately to an ADC chat staffer.
   
   
7. Use your own consistent "Nick" (nickname). Do not pretend to be someone you are not.
   
   
8. DO NOT gossip or talk about another guest, present or not present, or request personal information about others in the chat. This is considered rude and inappropriate behavior.
   
   
9. Just as we tend to raise our voices in real life, it's possible to do that online by typing in all "CAPS" (capital letters). Typing in all caps is interpreted as shouting, which is considered rude in the chat rooms. If you accidentally have your caps lock key on, just a simple "oops" or "I'm sorry" will help keep others from asking you not to shout.
   
   
10. Use common sense when posting a message to the room, sending a private message to someone or participating in any live discussion. Always exercise common courtesy. When entering a room in which a "scheduled event" or "meeting/class" is taking place, please read the greeting messages and/or guidelines for that specific chat. Wait for a few minutes before posting to that room, as the event may already be in progress and posting to the room may cause untimely interruption. If the chat has a topic or theme, please stay on subject.
    
    
11. Do not bother anyone with excessive private messages, especially staff members, or by continually sending them files that they may not want. Always be courteous and ask before you send anything.
    
    
12. Do not flood (send one after another) the room with sounds or large popup graphics, making it nearly impossible for people to talk. It can result in your being kicked from the server for excessive 'flooding.' It also makes it impossible to speak with guests that may be entering the room and looking for directions. Popups and sounds are not allowed in the scheduled "events/classes," since they are too distracting and take away from the chat's progress.
    
    
13. Please be aware that new guests are entering our chat rooms every day and throughout a chat session. Stop what you're doing and take a few moments to "WELCOME" them and answer any questions that they may have. Remember your own "first time" in the chats?
    
    
14. The key to chatting is to simply be "POLITE." If you disagree with something a person says, discuss the issue tactfully or take it to a private room. Do not flame (verbally attack) the person. This can create a very unpleasant experience for everyone in the chat room and should be avoided.
    
    
15. Last but not least, chat acronyms are abbreviations for common phrases that will help get your actions or feelings across to others in the chat room, with minimal typing. Here is a short list of the ones that you will encounter, with their meanings to give you a little head start!