I HEART MILTON FACEBOOK GROUP RULES

GENERAL EXPECTATIONS

  • Be Excellent to One Another: Be respectful and courteous. (see also the Golden Rule).

  • Be Informative: The I Heart Milton Facebook group has a specific purpose: the exchange of information and help. The group is not for posting your random thoughts/posts or general negativity. Your own Facebook page is perfect for those things.

  • Add a Member: How to add a member.

  • Helpful Hints: Loads of local recommendations can be found in the local resources section of the I Heart Milton site.

  • Internet Muscles: No public shaming. Posts that serve the sole purpose to incite or inflame will not be tolerated. Trollers and those who make personal attacks, threats, or otherwise use hateful speech will be removed immediately and will be blocked from the group. No exceptions. Do not expect to be warned.

  • Membership Courtesy: This is a privately-run group. Membership is a privilege. If you disparage the admins, moderators, or the group in general in Milton Neighbors, on other local Facebook groups, etc., you risk removal from Milton Neighbors.

  • Blocking: If you block any admins or moderators, we will remove you from the I Heart Milton Facebook group. There is no way to warn you because you have us blocked. We need to be able to contact and/or tag members of the group. We cannot do this if we are blocked. Information about Facebook blocking.

  • Complaints about local businesses: If you have a bad experience at a business, please contact that business to resolve the issue rather than complaining about them in this group.

  • Not a resident or taxpayer in the Town of Milton? We are happy to have former Miltonians as well as people who work in town or reside in surrounding communities, in the group, but please keep in mind that current town issues are for people who currently live in town to discuss. What we often see is former residents and non-residents getting riled up about current issues that do not presently affect them, were not problems when they lived here, or cannot otherwise be fully recognized. This causes a lot of problems in the group. If non-residents repeatedly cause such problems, they will be removed.

  • Over-posting and taking over posts: This group is for community discussion. We realize that our members might be passionate about a variety of topics. This means in a perfect Facebook universe, no single person’s name should dominate the discussion on the board, especially in the form of independent posts, but also in taking over other members’ posts. An example of over-posting is posting independent posts three or more times per day. An example of over-commenting is commenting on 25% or more of all new posts in I Heart Milton. An example of taking over another member’s post is turning it into a discussion solely about your own opinion. Please do not over-post or over-comment in I Heart Milton. Repeat offenders will be temporarily “muted” and risk being removed.

  • Keep it Legal: See questionable activity in town? Please report it to the Milton Police____ and Santa Rosa County Sheriffs Office____.

  • Photos & Personal Information: Do not post photos of people or their personal information without permission.

  • Bad Driving and other Violations: Do not post photos/actual numbers of license plates (unless wanted by the police/state institution). If you would like to report traffic or other violations, please contact the Milton Police at their non-emergency number ____, contact a specific member of MPD, or send a message to their Facebook page. (More information on how to report poor driving.)


PROMOTING BUSINESSES AND ADVERTISING

  • Free advertising for your business is NOT permitted. Any post that benefits your business or organization constitutes free advertising.

  • Advertising: We offer many reasonably-priced advertising options.

  • If somebody asks for a recommendation, and your business applies, you may respond accordingly within the appropriate thread.

  • If you advertise your business, we will give you one warning, and you may be prohibited from posting in I Heart Milton for a 24 hour period. Repeat unapproved advertisers will be removed from the group.

  • Business job postings are advertisements. Inquire here to advertise your business’s job.

  • Posts from business customers or friends who repeatedly promote the same business in I Heart Milton willl be removed. It’s one thing if a plug for a business is freely given by a customer — it’s another if it’s asked for explicitly by the business.

  • Monthly Advertising Thread: On the first of every month, we give all members the opportunity to post their business information in the POST YOUR BIZ thread for FREE. The thread is open from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST on the first of the month only. Your ad must be within the thread, not as a separate post, which will be removed. Advertising on the I Heart Milton website is also available for increased business exposure.

  • Email us at info@iheartmilton.com for more information.


PROMOTING REAL ESTATE

  • All real estate listings with a broker are paid-only advertisements. No real estate soliciting from agents or brokers permitted unless via paid advertisement.

  • For Sale By Owner (FSBO) home or rental listings are permitted one time on I Heart Milton website, and also available via paid advertisement for increased exposure. Real estate paid listings appear on the I Heart Milton and are also cross-posted on I Heart Milton Facebook group, the I Heart Milton Facebook page, and I Heart Milton on Twitter. These ads typically receive nearly 1,500 views within a two week period.

  • Inquire here to advertise real estate.


POSTING EVENTS & ADVERTISEMENTS FOR EVENTS

  • Charity events, Milton Public School events, and fundraising events such as Girl Scout cookie sales, Boy Scout Holiday wreaths, etc. may be posted in the I Heart Milton website events calendar or Facebook group ONE TIME per event. If you or someone from your organization has also submitted your event to the I Heart Milton Facebook page or website, please do not also post it on I Heart Milton Facebook group.

  • Non-profits such as local schools, museums, charities, etc. are not permitted to post their own events or stories in the I Heart Milton group. They must go through the I Heart Milton website. Click here to view the non-profit event policy and info on how to submit an event.

  • All other business posts of an advertising nature are not permitted unless advertising has been purchased or they are on the first of the month POST YOUR BIZ thread.

  • Additional Milton events are located on the I Heart Milton Events Calendar.


POLITICAL POSTS

  • Political posts, discussions or advertising are not permitted on all I Heart Milton Facebook groups, page and website.


HOW TO REPORT A FACEBOOK POST

See a post that is breaking the rules or is otherwise unsavory? You can easily report it and admins will be alerted immediately by Facebook:

  • Click the upper right arrow of the post.

  • Click Report to Admin.


GENERAL DISCLAIMER

Use common sense when providing your personal information. Purchases made and business recommendations used are done so at your own risk. Before messaging me regarding a personal gripe or other situation, please try to work it out. We only remove posts in extreme circumstances (for example, trolling, heavy duty swearing, name-calling, threats, etc.). We are not qualified to mediate or give legal advice and you post to the group at your own risk. Note that we cannot always reply to all personal messages. Please email us at info@iheartmilton.com, where messages are more likely to reach us. Rules subject to change without notice.

Enjoy!

Dana Lupo

Owner, I Heart Milton