WriterLink Community Rules

Rules for all WriterLink members

Local rules – with particular reference to COVID-19

When using the WriterLink platform to connect either virtually or in person, all members and organizers must adhere to local laws, rules, and regulations. Please ensure you follow all local rules regarding COVID-19 when event in your community.

Code of conduct for community behaviour

Be Honest. All members should be open about who they are, their intentions, and their affiliations. All group and event descriptions should be accurate, so members can make informed decisions about their participation.

Be Yourself. Your profile should represent who you really are and not mislead other members. Creating fake accounts, malicious accounts, or accounts meant to impersonate another person are prohibited at WriterLink and may result in the suspension or termination of access privileges.

Be Respectful. Please be respectful in interactions with people and in content posted on the WriterLink platform. We will restrict any behaviours that are dishonest, undermine the integrity of the WriterLink platform, violate personal boundaries, or serve to intentionally upset people.

Don’t Spam. Please message other WriterLink members responsibly. Content sent to a member that is irrelevant, impersonal, unsolicited, promotional, or repetitive is spam. WriterLink reserves the right to suspend or altogether terminate access to the platform.

Our Terms and Conditions state, ‘We reserve the right to terminate your access to our Website and our services if you breach the terms of our Code of Conduct.’ We hope such situations are rare, but please act responsibly and consider the feelings of other WriterLink members.

Criminal activity

WriterLink may have cause to remove members if we become aware that the member has been convicted of a violent, fraudulent, or dangerous crime. WriterLink is a platform that encourages events between writers, and safety and trust are important. For such reasons we reserve the right to remove a member based on any verifiable criminal record. Members with concerns about criminal or illegal activity are strongly encouraged to inform WriterLink as well as report such allegations to local authorities.

Deceased Member Policy

If a member or organizer dies, WriterLink cannot provide access to their account, even to family members or people acting on the behalf of the estate. WriterLink will work with families and honor their wishes if they choose to close accounts or groups or transfer them to another member.

Intellectual Property

We respect the intellectual property rights of others. Posting content that violates another party's intellectual property rights is prohibited. If provided with clear proof of a violation of rights, then WriterLink will remove material that infringes intellectual property rights, notify the infringing account, and remove accounts of those who may be repeat infringers.

WriterLink reserves the right to suspend or remove any account, or limit access to certain features of the platform, for any reason, at our sole discretion.

Rules for WriterLink managers, hosts, and group organisers

Groups should be for the good of the community

We expect WriterLink members to set up groups responsibly, for the good of our community and to help other writers. If a group is created that appears to offer no real benefit to our members, we reserve the right to remove it.

Groups should be transparent

Writing group organizers must always be honest with members so that everyone knows what is expected at the group’s events. Group and event names and descriptions should accurately convey information to allow members to make informed decisions about their participation. This includes being clear about:

  • The nature of the group's activities
  • The group’s membership requirements
  • Fees (if charged)
  • The group’s affiliation, if the group is associated with a business or any other third party

If WriterLink receives reports that a group is not accurately disclosing information, we may remove the group or event.

Responsibilities as a group owner or manager

We ask group managers to consider the good of their members. Including the following considerations:

  • Set appropriate expectations and rules for groups and events. The intentions of the group should not change unnecessarily but should remain consistent with the group description. Events should reflect intentions expressed in the description.
  • Content posted to the group should not cause offence to members. Publicly shared photos must be appropriate for general audiences. Nude or sexual photos are not allowed, and violent content is prohibited. We do not allow content posted to upset, shock, or disturb WriterLink members.
  • Group organizers should always be careful to maintain member’s privacy and use discretion when sharing any content that belongs to other members. For example, by maintaining privacy around phone numbers, addresses, and financial information.
  • Group organizers should encourage a group to remain a friendly place. Bullying and harassment have no place at WriterLink. A group leader should moderate group content and try to ensure friendly relationships are maintained among group members. If moderating a group wall is proving time consuming, consider appointing other group managers to help or switch off the chat wall feature.
  • Organisers should message members respectfully. Content sent to a member that is irrelevant, impersonal, promotional, unsolicited, or repetitive is spam, and organizers may be blocked for spamming members.
  • To provide a quality experience on our site, titles of groups and events should be relevant, useful, and easy to understand. Gimmicky use of punctuation, symbols, or repetition, to grab attention for a group or event, will need to be edited.
  • Organisers should not use offensive language. Using profanity in a way intended to offend people is prohibited in group and event titles, descriptions, or any other area that is publicly promoted or viewable on the WriterLink platform.

We expect group owners and managers to moderate group content, but if action is not taken and it is deemed necessary, WriterLink admin may remove offensive or harmful content.

Management of group members

Group organisers can set rules, check and moderate group posts and submissions, add and remove group members, and promote members to help manage a group. We appreciate group organisers acting responsibly when they moderate content posted to a group. Organisers and group managers can remove posts or withdraw membership from individuals, and these sanctions should be used where appropriate to maintain a friendly and happy community in your group. We recommend setting clear rules for members so that everyone understands what is expected of them.

Payments to maintain a WriterLink group

Only Premium or Professional members of WriterLink can set up a group and maintain overall control of decisions about the group’s future. If the owner of a group stops paying the monthly subscription, or deletes their account, our preference is always to find a new organizer to keep the group active. To facilitate this the following steps will occur:

  1. If the owner of a group deletes their account or defaults on payment the group is suspended. A suspended group will have no active functions, so will not be able to accept new members or host events. A message appears so group members know that the group is suspended.
  2. A group owner can ask for a group to be deleted, or a group member might ask to become the new group owner. If they are a basic member a new owner will need to upgrade to Premium membership before taking ownership of a group.
  3. If a member wants to take over ownership of the group, we will seek the former owner’s consent where possible. If this is not possible we will try to act in the best interests of group members to keep a community group going.
  4. When a new owner is in place, or an owner resumes payment, then the group will become active again.

Choosing to close a group

A group owner can choose to delete a group. If there are active members we hope you will inform them of your plans and consider asking another member to take over ownership of the group. If you contact WriterLink we will explain the steps to hand over ownership to another member.

Rules for WriterLink events

Event rules – with particular reference to COVID-19

When using the WriterLink platform to create events please follow all local guidance and rules regarding COVID-19 in your local area. WriterLink may cancel events if they promote activities that do not comply with local guidance and rules.

Member safety

All organizers and members should take ownership of their personal safety and meet, where possible, in public places. We expect all organizers and members to be mindful of safety when engaging with their groups.

Event fees

WriterLink charges members to promote their groups and writing businesses using our platform, while some groups and businesses will charge fees for their events or services. Please note that WriterLink is not responsible for payments made to businesses outside the platform e.g. fees paid for a writing service, or a booking fee paid for a writing course. Such payments will be covered by the terms and conditions of the writing business involved, and terms should be reviewed carefully by any writer before purchase. WriterLink will not be held responsible for any activity outside the remit of the platform.

Third party providers

When using the WriterLink platform to host an online event, you and your event attendees must comply with any terms and conditions set by the third-party provider of the event or video conference services used. WriterLink does not provide event or video conference services, is not a party to your agreement with the third-party provider, and will not be liable or responsible for your use of the third-party services.

Suspended groups

A group will be listed as 'suspended' if the owner of the group stops paying for Premium membership or deletes their WriterLink account. A suspended group will not have active functions, so group settings cannot be changed, new members cannot join, and group events cannot be created.

If you own a suspended group and want it to continue please visit your account settings and check your payment details are up to date. If your Premium membership has lapsed, perhaps due to an expired card, you may need to add a new payment method. A suspended group will be restored as soon as your Premium membership is renewed.

WriterLink prefers that active groups continue. So, if a previous owner no longer wants to continue with a group, we will support group members to find a new owner to reinstate the suspended group.

We suggest group members discuss who is best placed to take over leadership of the group.

Anyone wishing to become the new group owner should take the following steps.

  1. If you are not already paying for WriterLink membership then please upgrade your account to 'Premium'. Only Premium members can own writing groups.
  2. Write to support@writerlink.org from the email address associated with your WriterLink account. State the name of the suspended group you would like to control.
  3. The WriterLink team will review the request, and if it appears to be in the best interest of the group we will transfer ownership and let you know. Please allow up to 48 hours for the transfer to be processed.

The transfer of WriterLink groups to new ownership is always at our discretion. We would be unlikely to approve a transfer to someone who is not a member of the group, or to someone who appears not to be in good standing with other group members.

If you have any questions about group suspension please get in touch and we will do our best to help.