Facebook group rules

Our Facebook group rules indicate which way members should proceed

The following rules have been set for the Hertfordshire Walker Facebook group in order to try to ensure that all contributions are related to walking in the Hertfordshire countryside. They are copied here so that members of our Facebook group can revisit them when needed.

1 - Posts about walking in Hertfordshire welcome
This Hertfordshire Walker Facebook group is for sharing walking experiences, photographs and tips about walking in the Hertfordshire countryside. Please don't post about walking elsewhere or share photos of places or activities outside Hertfordshire. And please don't share photos you have not taken or posts by others from outside the group.

2 - A friendly and helpful group
We want everyone who joins this Hertfordshire Walker Facebook group to feel welcome, valued, and safe. Negative comments, whether they are about race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender, or disability are not allowed and will be removed, as will posts which border on offending in terms of taste and decency or are critical of others. This group is about friendly collaboration with fellow-walkers who enjoyed sharing their experiences of walking in the Hertfordshire countryside.

3 - No commercial promotions or buying and selling
Mentions of businesses to do with walking in the Hertfordshire countryside - such as cafes and pubs visited along the way - are welcome, but individual promotions from those outlets are not. If a discussion develops over the best walking kit to buy, that's fine, but promoting other businesses is not allowed. Please don't post about selling items you no longer need. This is not the place to buy or sell. Any such posts will be removed.

4 - No politics or religion
This group is about sharing our love of walking in the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside. It's not the place for promoting political or religious events or debate. There are other groups far better suited for such conversations. However discussions are welcome regarding policies and planning issues to do with preserving our public rights of way, our right to roam, and protecting the green belt.

5 - Lost pets and lost property
If you lose your dog while out on a walk please feel free to post its picture, the number and name of the walk, and the location where the dog went missing. If you can add a What3Words reference all the better because it will help people see where the pet was lost. The same with lost property. Hopefully, a fellow walker reading the post might have some information. But please don't forward general lost pet appeals from other Facebook groups. They are best posted in local community groups

6 - No personal sponsorship appeals
We are happy for charities to post about sponsored walks to raise money for worthy causes, and we applaud anyone who takes part in such activities. All the advertising space on Hertfordshire Walker is donated to charities. However we don't allow appeals for personal or group sponsorships for those taking part in such events or for general sponsorships appeals.

7 - No text graphics or stickers please
When you post a message in the Hertfordshire Walker Facebook group please use plain text rather than the colourful large text graphics option that Facebook includes. We don't want simple text messages such as "Hi, I am new to the group" amplified with graphics. Also please don't use the large cheesy sticker avatars. Both detract from the lovely photos shared by group members. Thanks

8 - Please don't post personal walking invitations
This group is ideal for organised walking groups that welcome new members to invite others to join their groups, and for those wanting to walk with others to connect. However this is not the place for individuals to post invitations inviting others to join them on a walk. And the group's personal messaging system should not be used for this purpose either unless you already know the person and have mutual trust. This is for safeguarding issues.

9 - Short videos only
Members of the group are welcome to post videos from their walks as long as they are no longer than three minutes. This is because I have a responsibility to check all content uploaded to the group for safeguarding and taste and decency reasons and I just don't have the time to check videos that are any longer.

10 - Trespass and traffic
Please don't post details of any walks that you have created or discovered that involve trespass or walking along busy roads that could be dangerous. All walks on Hertfordshire Walker follow public rights of way (ROW) or permissive paths, and we take care to avoid busy sections of road which could put walkers in danger. Many walkers visit our Facebook group looking for walking suggestions; we don't want the group to be a platform for walks that use unauthorised paths or involve personal risk.

Thanks to all our Hertfordshire Walker Facebook group members for abiding by these rules.

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