IndyMoms.com was created as an information resource for local moms. It's a place where moms can connect, ask questions, share advice and discuss the topics that are relevant to their lives as moms and as women.

The site is moderated by the General Manager, Jennifer, and Editor, Epha. While we regularly monitor the site's content, IndyMoms.com is a community discussion site that is governed by its users. Community members are expected to show respect for one another and the opinions/views posted. It is up to the community members to ensure that the site discussions are positive, informative, supportive and entertaining.

While the site was created solely with moms in mind, the IndyMoms.com community as a whole accepts that non-moms may find its content useful. Anyone using the site who is not a mom is asked to respect the purpose and intent of the site. As a non-mom, if you choose to participate on this site, you are expected to conduct yourself appropriately and in full consideration of the moms in our community. Any men who choose to post on this site should limit their participation to discussions related directly to the parenting of children. Posts in any non-parenting-related discussions run the risk of being deleted at the discretion of the moderators.

As of August, we have more than 14,400 members. In its first nine months, there were more than 187,000 comments posted on IndyMoms.com on nearly 20,000 different topics and more than 8.9 million pages viewed. Moms of all types and varieties are encouraged to participate and find friendship on IndyMoms.com.

Discussions on IndyMoms.com can range from child-rearing, religion, sex and other topics that feature a variety of viewpoints. Not every discussion on the site will fall in line with the values/morals/lifestyles of every community member. We suggest you disregard the conversations that are not appropriate for you, and instead focus on the topics you can relate to.

Before you create a discussion, we encourage you to think about the purpose of your post and what you hope to learn or gain from the responses. When you seek input/opinions from other community members, be prepared to get all types of feedback. Debates can be enlightening, but should remain focused on the topic and not become personal. If a comment isn't something you would say face-to-face to women you just met, then it probably shouldn't be typed in our forum.

IndyMoms.com is intended for grown-ups, with adult subject matter and language. Vulgar, obscene and/or gratuitous comments will be removed immediately and the posters reprimanded or removed. FCC- accepted cusswords, while not encouraged or condoned, are tolerated. We're moms, and we hope our community members will speak to one another with kindness, respect and appropriate language.

The members of IndyMoms.com determine the tone and environment on the site. We encourage you to invest positive energy on IndyMoms.com to make it the supportive, informative and entertaining site it is intended to be.

Q: I thought I registered, but I haven't received my password.

A: Sometimes our automated password emails get blocked. Please contact the site administrators at indymoms@indystar.com. Tell them your user name, and they will reset your password and send it to you.

Q: How do I start a discussion?

A: Select the subject that best fits your comment/question either from the Mom to Mom pull-down menu at the top of the homepage. Click on the subject where you want to post your discussion. On the subject page, click on "start a new discussion" at the top of the page. Type your headline and copy, and then be sure to click "submit" at the bottom of the page. You should see your discussion pop up on the homepage.

Q: How do I change my password or other information in my profile?

A: Click on "My Account" on the homepage. This takes you to your user profile, where you click on "Edit My Account." Depending on the information you want to change, you can make changes on this page or click on "Personal Information" and make changes on that page.

Q: Can other users see my personal information in my profile?

A: No. Only you and site administrators (Jennifer and Epha) can see your personal information. (To check, click on Jennifer's or Epha's profile. The information listed is the same as what other users can see in your profile).

Q: What do the abbreviations, such as dh, ds and dd mean?

A: They stand for dear husband, dear son and dear daughter. You can learn more about common abbreviations in one of our previous discussions: http://www.indymoms.com/internet_language.

Q: How safe is the environment on IndyMoms.com?

A: While we do everything in our power to provide a safe environment, you have no way of truly knowing whom you are communicating with on a Web site. Please use caution in sharing any personal information (we strongly discourage the sharing of personal e-mail addresses, phone numbers, home addresses, etc.) with anyone you do not know and have not met. If you plan a playgroup meeting or other gathering, please meet in a public place where other people will be present. We also encourage you to be guarded in the amount of information you share about your children.

Q: What action should I take if I am verbally attacked or threatened, or spammed?

A: Immediately contact Jennifer and/or Epha via a Private Message. Personal attacks - in posts or PMs - will not be tolerated. If you think someone is phishing or spamming on the site, please alert the administrators right away.

Q: What happens when a comment is flagged?

A: You should flag a comment when it contains offensive language, is a personal attack or is in some other way inappropriate for the site. If a comment is flagged by more than 4 people, it is removed from the site. In this way, the comments are self-moderated by the users. Our Administrators reserve the right to revive flagged content though if they feel that the comment was flagged unjustly.

Q: What's the best way to handle a discussion that is becoming heated?

A: Walk away. When it becomes obvious that a poster is not willing to be open minded and accepting of others' opinions, it is pointless to continue the discussion. Walking away also gives you time to calm down and get your emotions in check, so that you do not post a comment that you'll later regret.

Q: How can I locate a discussion that was posted awhile back?

A: The best way is through the search tool. Enter a key word from the discussion, and you will get a list of discussions containing that word. If you know which channel it was posted in, you also can check the channel directory.

Q: Can I delete a post?

A: Yes. If it is a discussion that you started, then you can delete it at any time. Go to the discussion and then click "edit" under the IndyMoms.com logo at the top left of the page. Scroll to the bottom of the page and hit "delete." Then, confirm that you want to delete the post.

Q: How do I delete my account?

A: You can send an e-mail to IndyMoms@indystar.com or a PM to Jennifer and Epha, and we will delete your account for you. We prefer to handle these requests in private, rather than in the forums. If you post a discussion saying you are leaving the site and want to delete your account, then we consider that a written request and we will delete your account and the discussion immediately.

Q: What is a "PM"?

A: On IndyMoms.com, a PM is a private message. It provides the opportunity to privately email back and forth on the site with other Indy Moms. The conversations are private - between the two people engaging in the conversation - and the expectation is that the content of the conversations remains private. Posting the content of a PM in the site's discussion threads without the PM sender's permission is unacceptable and can result in the poster receiving a warning from the site's moderators and/or having her account deleted. If you receive a PM that is threatening, abusive, appears to be a scam or is in any other way offensive, you should immediately notify Jennifer and/or Epha.

Q: Who are paid staff members or paid contributors for IndyMoms.com?

A: Moms General Manager Jennifer Gombach and Editor Epha Riche are the only full-time staff members. We also employ two moms on a contract basis to delete improper ads from the forums, move posts to the correct categories when necessary, delete or lock discussions when necessary and send emails or make posts to remind people of forum guidelines. The usernames of the two moms are Jen and Jody. In addition to Jen and Jody, we employ four moms on a contract basis to monitor the talk forums and help lead discussions. They are LizC, Lovinmykids, TriciaK and Shannon.

Where to post

Q: I'm a daycare provider. Where do I post my childcare openings?

A: You must post in the free IndyMoms Classifieds. Any information posted as a discussion will be deleted. Please ask potential clients to contact you via PM.

Q: I'm looking for a babysitter for my child. Where's the best place to post?

A: You must post in the free IndyMoms Classifieds. Please ask potential providers to contact you via PM.

Q: I want to let moms know about my home-based business and ask if they want to buy my products or book parties. Where should I post?

A: You must post in the free IndyMoms Classifieds. We no longer allow this information to be posted in discussions. Any such information posted as a discussion will be deleted.

Q: Are garage/yard/community sale posts allowed?

A: Yes, but only in the free IndyMoms Classifieds. Any sale information posted as a discussion will be deleted.

Q: I have an item that I would like to give away/sell. Where can I post it?

A: You can list your item in the free IndyMoms Classifieds. Any items listed in discussions will be deleted.

Q: I am looking for gently used furniture, clothing, toys or other items. Where can I post my "want ad"?

A: You can list the item you are looking for in the free IndyMoms Classifieds. Please ask the moms to contact you via PM. Any items-wanted listed in discussions will be deleted.

Q: I am a member of a local moms group/support group and would like to share information about my group with Indy Moms. Where should I post this information?

A: You can post information about your group in Support Groups. Once your information is entered, it will be verified by Jennifer or Epha, and then pushed live on the site.