Community Guidelines
Welcome to Hello Middleton — your neighborhood hub built by neighbors, for neighbors. These guidelines help keep our space friendly, safe, and genuine. Read them once, then get out there and be a good neighbor.
How Trust Works
Every member has a Trust Score powered by community participation. Your score grows as you contribute — posting updates, commenting, connecting with neighbors, and completing your profile. Your trust level badge appears next to your name across the entire site, showing others you are an active, valued member of the community.
Earning Trust Points
| Activity | Points | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Logging in each day | +1 | Once per day |
| Posting a community update | +1 | 5 per day |
| Commenting on a post | +1 | 3 per day |
| Making a new friend/connection | +1 | 3 per day |
| Setting your display name | +2 | One-time bonus |
| Adding a profile photo | +2 | One-time bonus |
| Adding a cover photo | +2 | One-time bonus |
| Writing your bio | +2 | One-time bonus |
| Inviting a neighbor who signs up | +5 | Unlimited |
Complete your entire profile for a quick +8 trust points right away. Then share your invite link at /invite to earn +5 for each neighbor who joins.
Trust Levels
As your trust grows, you progress through these levels. Your badge is displayed next to your name site-wide.
New Neighbor
0 – 24 points
- Default badge for all new members
- Full access to Community Board, Classifieds, and all features
- Complete your profile and start posting to level up fast
Tip: Complete your profile (+8 pts) and invite one neighbor (+5 pts) to jump to Bronze in your first day!
Bronze
25 – 99 points
- Bronze trust badge next to your name
- Recognized as an active community contributor
- Your posts carry more weight in the community
You have shown up and contributed. Keep going — Silver is within reach.
Silver
100 – 249 points
- Silver trust badge — established community member
- Your input matters and neighbors recognize your commitment
- Eligible for community moderator consideration
Silver members are the backbone of Hello Middleton. Thank you for being here.
Gold
250+ points
- Gold trust badge — community pillar
- Highest trust level, earned through sustained contribution
- Priority consideration for moderator and leadership roles
Gold members have invested real time and energy into this community. You are what makes Hello Middleton work.
Community Rules
Simple, common-sense rules to keep Hello Middleton welcoming for all neighbors.
Please Do
- Be respectful — treat every neighbor the way you would face to face
- Share local content — news, events, recommendations, photos of the neighborhood
- Help newcomers — welcome new members and answer questions
- Report problems — flag spam, scams, or inappropriate content so moderators can act
- Use your real identity — first names or recognizable usernames build trust
- Keep it local — this is a neighborhood community, not a political debate forum
Please Avoid
- Spam and scams — no MLM pitches, crypto schemes, or door-to-door solicitation posts
- Harassment — personal attacks, bullying, or targeting individual neighbors
- Private information — do not post addresses, phone numbers, or photos of others without consent
- Misinformation — verify before sharing, especially during storms or emergencies
- Excessive self-promotion — use the Business Directory for your business, not the feed
- Illegal content — anything that violates local or federal laws
How Moderation Works
Hello Middleton uses a combination of automated filters and community moderators to keep things running smoothly:
- Automatic filtering — posts with common spam keywords are held for review before appearing
- Community reporting — any member can flag content for moderator review
- Trust consequences — spam results in -5 trust points; deleted content costs -1 point
- Repeat violations — may result in reduced trust, posting restrictions, or account suspension
If your post does not appear immediately, it may be in the moderation queue. We review flagged content as quickly as possible.