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Milton Neighbors Social Media Group Description and Rules

The Milton Neighbors Social Media group is for the residents and fans of Milton, Massachusetts, for the purpose of referrals, school info, town info, helpful hints, etc. It is the conversational extension of The Milton Scene news and resource site. Not a member? Join Milton Neighbors (note: membership can take up to a month for approval; questions must be answered.)

Scan code below to join Milton Neighbors:

General Expectations

Be Excellent to One Another: Be respectful and courteous. (see also, the Golden Rule).
Be Informative: The Milton Neighbors group has a specific purpose: the exchange of information and help. The group is not for posting your random thoughts, musings, or general negativity. Your own social media pages are 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 Milton Scene site.
Shaming and Trolling: No public shaming. Naming and shaming of businesses and individuals, as well as one-sided vents are not welcome in the group. We may choose make an exception for productive discussion of public officials. Please bring complaints to individuals, individual businesses, and bosses, not to Milton Neighbors. 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. 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 social media groups, IRL, etc., you risk removal from Milton Neighbors.
Posting screenshots from Milton Neighbors: Milton Neighbors is a private group. Do not post screenshots from Milton Neighbors into other groups or on your own page. Members who are found to be doing this will be removed without warning.
Blocking: If you block any admins or moderators, we will remove you from Milton Neighbors. 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, employees, etc.: 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.
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 social media 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 Milton Neighbors. 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 Milton Neighbors. 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: 617-698-3800.
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 617-698-3800, contact a specific member of MPD, or send a message to their Facebook page. (More information on how to report poor driving.)
No Soliciting: Group members found to be targeting/soliciting other group members for their business will be removed.
No video: Currently we do not permit video in the group.
Real names required: New for 2019, Milton Neighbors members who do not use at least their real first name on their Facebook profile will not be permitted in the group. Facebook profiles that use businesses, fake names, or other handles/monikers will not be permitted entry to the Milton Neighbors group.

Promoting Businesses and Advertising

Free advertising for your business is NOT permitted. Any promotional post that benefits your business or organization constitutes free advertising.
Advertising: We offer many reasonably-priced advertising options.
Only Group Experts or previous/current customers can comment in response to recommendation requests. Other businesses, their staff, & family/friends are not permitted to advertise their service on posts that request business recommendations.
1. If somebody asks for a recommendation, and your business applies, you can private message the original poster.
2. To become a group expert sign up for our business membership at miltonscene.com/business-membership.
3. If you are tagged by a customer as a recommendation, you may reply as a sub-thread to the recommendation comment with your business or contact info, or send a private message.
4. You will be given one warning when you break this rule and then you will be muted. Your third offense results in removal from the group.
5. Group members who are suspected of being in the group only to recommend businesses or as a quid pro quo for recommending other businesses will be muted or removed.
Shout-outs from customers or friends are not permitted in Milton Neighbors as standalone posts.
If you advertise your business, we will give you one warning. After that, you will be removed from the group. It’s your responsibility to follow the rules.
Business job postings are paid advertisements only. Inquire here to advertise your business’s job.
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. EST 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 Milton Scene is also available for increased business exposure.
Send an email to [email protected] for more information.

Promoting Real Estate

All for sale, vacation rental, and apartment rental real estate listings are paid-only advertisements. This applies to all rentals and sales, whether or not by the owner or via an agent. No real estate soliciting from agents or brokers permitted unless via paid advertisement.
Click here for paid real estate advertisement info: Real estate listings appear on The Milton Scene, are shared to our nearly 4,000 person email list, and are cross-posted on Milton Neighbors, The Milton Scene Facebook page, and @miltonscene on Twitter. These ads typically receive 1,000+ views within a few days. Once a real estate ad is posted, we do not make modifications.

Snow Emergencies

During snow emergencies, snow removal services (shoveling, plowing, etc.) are permitted to post their services *once* during the 72 hour period surrounding a storm in the designated thread. Outside of snow emergencies, snow removal services can only post in the monthly advertising thread or in response to a request for snow removal within the thread asking for the request.

Selling Your Stuff

Items for sale or for free: Not permitted unless posted in response to a request. Please post them on one of the many Facebook yard sale or free items sites instead.
Tickets: Not permitted unless posted in response to a request. Please post them on one of the many Facebook yard sale, ticket resale, or free items sites instead
Yard Sales: Yard sale listings may be posted on Milton Neighbors once per event (one post per multi family yard sale/full street yard sale/charity yard sale events). Multiple posts will be deleted and you risk removal from the group.

Rehoming Animals

Group members are not permitted to use Milton Neighbors to post about re-homing any animals.

Posting Events & Advertisements for Events

Non-profit and public events hosted through schools, museums, libraries, charities, etc. are not permitted to post their own events or stories in the Milton Neighbors group. They must go through The Milton Scene. Click here to view the non-profit event policy and info on how to submit an event.
Impromptu fundraising events such as day-of Girl Scout cookie sales, day-of Boy Scout Holiday wreaths, etc. may be posted in the Milton Neighbors Facebook Group group ONE TIME per event. Alternatively, you may submit your event to The Milton Scene (send to [email protected] and it will post on the website, to our e-newsletter, in Milton Neighbors, on The Milton Scene Facebook page, and @miltonscene on Twitter.
If you or someone from your organization has also submitted your event to The Milton Scene, please do not also post it in the Milton Neighbors group.
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 Milton Scene Events Calendar.

Political Posts and Introductions

Political introductions or advertising is not permitted on Milton Neighbors.

Each candidate may submit his or her information and introduction via email to The Milton Scene, and it will be posted one time per election season by the administrator of Milton Neighbors.
Typically, political introductions are permitted up to two weeks prior to an election. Posting will take place on The Milton Scene, Milton Neighbors, The Milton Scene Facebook page, and Twitter.
Advertising for political candidates is also available.
Backhanded political posts or endorsements are not permitted and will be deleted without warning. Example of backhanded posts: “I think Bob Smith is awesome. You should vote for him!” or “I really don’t like Jane Doe’s signs.” Backhanded posts OR criticisms of a candidate will be removed without warning. If you make more than once, you will be removed from Milton Neighbors without warning.

Political Discussions:

Arguments: Please keep your general (liberal vs. conservative, for instance) political arguments, discussions, and opinions to yourself or on your own personal page. They do not belong in Milton Neighbors.
Political Organizing and Related Requests: Posting of Milton resident-organized peaceful events such as marches and rallies is permitted up to one time per event. Responses to political event organization should be kept polite and neighborly. Posting of individual candidates’ (ex: Selectmen candidate) campaign events is not permitted. These candidate announcements may be submitted to The Milton Scene using our process.
Milton-Specific Political Discussions: Discussions about town meeting articles, Town political issues, etc., are permitted as long as they remain respectful and courteous, and those initiating the discussions are not owners, investors, etc. of a related business. Look for Town Warrant article discussions in Milton Neighbors in dates leading up to Town Meetings.
Posts that serve the sole purpose to incite or inflame will not be tolerated.

Announcements and Pinned Posts

Some posts have designated threads for discussion. Please check out the announcements regularly, which are pinned to the top of the group.

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 [email protected], where messages are more likely to reach us. Rules subject to change without notice.

Enjoy!

Melissa Fassel Dunn
Founder, Milton Neighbors
Owner, The Milton Scene