The values of TuDiabetes

As we continue to grow, I thought it would be useful to share our values as a community, so that we can all refer to them whenever we participate. In the past, as a part of other groups and organizations, when in doubt, I've found it useful to know what the values were that I was supposed to abide by, especially in exceptional situations where I may not know how to respond.

Community support
We foster a positive environment where our members support and help each other. This doesn't mean it's all roses all the time, but it means that, overall, we strive for maintaining an encouraging and supportive space.

Health & Well-Being
We actively promote positive and proactive actions to stay healthy while living with diabetes. This results from the awareness programs we host as much as from the interactions taking place every day in the community.

Communication & Information
We encourage the exchange of information and storytelling about diabetes. We believe the community as a whole will have access to far more information and resource than any particular individual and we want to learn about it.

Diversity and Respect
We value diverse points of view. All people touched by diabetes are welcome. You may find opinions and positions that are not similar to yours and it's OK to disagree. It's just not OK to do so in a disrespectful manner. If you are unsure about whether something may be disrespectful to others, try to put yourself in the shoes of the other person and consider how you would feel if you were on the receiving end of the comments/contribution you are making.

Creative Expression
We see creativity as a catalyst for emotional healing and raising diabetes awareness. This means you may choose to participate writing, posting videos, photos, drawings, music, etc. to express yourself.

Transparency
We embrace openness and authenticity, as long as it doesn’t conflict with the other values.


At the end of the day, if you are still unsure as to whether something you are about to contribute to the community is appropriate or not, consider this: we have members as young as age 13. So always keep your contributions appropriate for PG-13 audiences.


Two more things:
1) The contents of TuDiabetes is ONLY MEANT for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, including without limitation diabetes. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the TuDiabetes.

2) It is NOT OK by any means, to promote a commercial product or service without the explicit consent of the Administration. Doing so can result in getting banned from the community.

You can read our Terms of Use, if you want to see the details that were fleshed out based on our values.