I realize that you don't want this to be a pick up place but quite frankly this seems rather ridiculous: "For Security Reasons, EC does not allow any off-site contact info to be shared in forums, profile posts, or anywhere public. This includes email, phone, Facebook, IM, Skype, gaming IDs, YouTube, Photobucket, Twitter, Tumblr, or any similar sites or blogs, and all chat sites. Anything anyone could use to contact you off-site is off limits in public areas of the site. If in doubt, ASK FIRST. Violators will be banned for a minimum of 30 days.... so please pay attention. Thank you!"
We aim to create a safe space with Empty Closets, where members can share experiences and thoughts that in many cases are deeply personal (such as someone who is still in the closet). We also have young (13+) and vulnerable members here, and that is also a very important point to consider when talking about the safety of people who use the forum. For this reason, anonymity is a core concept here. We can't moderate what goes on outside of Empty Closets. But here on EC, we can (and do) out best to guarantee that the forum is not being used for ill intentioned people. If we allow everyone to share personal information in public places of the forum, maintaining a safe space where everyone can share their thoughts without fear would be much, much harder. We understand that EC is much more strict in its policy than most sites and forums around the internet. However, considering our purpose, that is needed to ensure privacy and safety, as said above.
Desertcat, I am not sure if you have been on other LGBT forums before, but if you have, you have probably seen the predators lurking in the forums and chats. This really is one of the only safe LGBT forums where nobody knows you personally though any other communication platforms, which allows the EC mods to have much greater control over harassment, inappropriate solicitation, and protecting the young on this forum. I have recommended this forum to more than one person under the age of 16, which I could not morally do without the policies that they have implemented here.
