HIV POZ GAY MEN WELCOME TO POZQUEERS COMMUNITY www.pozqueers.org --- www.pozqueers.snappville.com A unique and different online social network for HIV poz men. Face photo and profiling is required. Read our Basic Terms below carefully.
This social network platform is feature rich. Internet Explorer has compatibility issues with some modern web standards which affect Web 2.0 applications. You can use Internet Explorer but you may experience slow or poor performance. Windows & MAC users please use Firefox 3 for BEST browsing results. Trouble seeing videos, widgets or images on this page? Disable the popup blocker on your browser or security software. Do not use an AOL browser. Keep your Java, Adobe and browser software updated.
Received an invite from us, a member or wish to be invited? Your access been blocked? Scroll down read our basic terms first.
This network is by invite only. You cannot join using the JOIN NOW links on the webpages. Use the join now link in the invitation sent to you. To be invited take a few minutes and read the terms on this page. Sorry to be so picky but spammers are creating a genuine problem. This is the only sensible way to deal with it. This process is strictly enforced because we are receiving too many requests from known spammers.
If you wish to join or request an invitation from us please read this carefully. Use the JOIN LINK that is within the invitation you receive from us or our members.
You must be 18 years of age or older to join this community. Some content within this community may offend.
This community is made up of varying colors and lifestyles. Everyone thinks differently sensitivities and communication skills vary greatly. Do not join if you are an easily offended person or offended by adult content.
Please do not upload nude photos including torso shots into your community albums or as your main profile image. Any inappropriate photos or sexually explicit videos within your profile and community photo albums can be removed at the discretion of the moderators.
Adult content is ONLY permitted within our private groups. You may upload and share a limited amount of adult content only within OUR private groups. You may not create new groups for adult content and sex hookups. Access to our mature content groups is granted once you complete your profiling.
After you have completed your basic profile we will enroll you into our main groups. Access to private groups & other shielded areas may be given to you as well. This is based upon your profiling inputs and done to help get you setup in our community.
DUNGEONMASTERS and JOIN (our help page) are site mascots keep them as your friends.
Feel free to invite others you may know after you have completed your profiling requirements.
Please keep your last name & email address private. This protects YOU and reduces spam. Share that info only with people you know.
"Share with the world" settings displays your photos, homepage & other info ONLY within POZQUEERS. You may choose to set your photo albums with the friends only setting if you wish.
Check out our community if you wish BUT take a few minutes to do the basic profiling if you wish to remain here. Access will be blocked if you fail to upload your profile face photo and not do the basic profiling.
The basic required profiling are the tick inputs. The text inputs are YOUR OPTION. Doing the optional text inputs usually gets others attention.
To get a general idea of how it all works check out our blogs, forums, members homepages and photo albums. Click on thumbnails, icons and keywords in profiles, & text links throughout our site to navigate. Best way to introduce yourself to others? Post comments on photos, blogs, send a friend request, private message, and get involved in discussions.
We do not allow anyone to join this community solely to promote sexual hookup, photo trading, IM chat sites and other adult networks. We link other HIV POZ gay men social networks who allow us to promote OUR community within theirs. To be listed on our links page your group or site must be spam free & should not be associated with known email harvesting enterprises. Contact us for more info to be listed on our links page. Doing business for yourself or others by using this site is TOTALLY FORBIDDEN. Any person who negatively mentions another member publicly will have his profile DELETED without warning.
Read our welcome letter. It contains some basic help tips. GLOBAL ALERTS to all members show up as a red exclamation mark. These messages contain important or helpful information. SNAPP Networks does not archive private & group messages in their communities. Messages are erased after 30 days.
Due to Internet escort, scammer and spammer schemes, POZQUEERS prohibits any member from making any homepage content private. Scammers and schemers are increasingly targeting all social networks. They will ask for your email address or cell phone number. Some will give you an email address or telephone number asking you to contact them directly outside of a social network. Typically they will start doing this immediately or soon after joining a network. Social networks provide private messaging features to protect your privacy and reduce spam activity on the Internet. If it does not seem right, it probably is not. Trust your instinct. Our moderators, the community owners and SNAPP will NEVER ASK you for your password, account info, money or donations. READ this article about phishing scams spyware and identity theft
We have ZERO TOLERANCE for racism, hate mongering, homophobia and ignorance of the basic terms outlined above. Other general terms and a LEGAL DISCLAIMER appear on the bottom of this page.
Thumbnail images of our members only display in the preview area. Please do not join if this bothers you. Homepages blogs photo albums groups and forums cannot be viewed by non members.
To
request an invitation you must send an email to pozville@gmail.com with the words INVITE ME in the subject line.
In the message area of that email please state YOUR FIRST NAME, AGE, and THE STATE YOU LIVE IN.
An invitation will be emailed to you after we receive and review your request.
Check your bulk mail folder for our invitation. Use the link in the invitation to join.
By requesting an
invitation or accepting an invite extended from us you acknowledge you have read the basic terms stated above.
When Dingo asked me to write about what is unique and different about this community for HIV poz gay men, I was caught off guard, because who would know better than the Dingo Man himself? But then, if we as users do not see it as unique and different, then maybe we are missing something. And by the way, he asked me to be objective and not write it as his partner, so I will. Of course, there are many technological reasons that make it unique, heaven knows it is probably the most complex to learn all of its features than other systems, but once we learn how to use it, the complex technology adds to its uniqueness. For example, how many places can you attach a video in PQ? On your profile page, you can add as many media boxes as you want. Comments, messages, forums, and blogs are other places one can use this feature. You can customize your own page with your own art work if you so desire, not encumbered by preset artwork choices and structure. I could go on, but you get the point. The most striking difference of uniqueness from other sites, is that it encourages individual expression. Because of the moderation, it is the norm to express your internal self, meaning we feel safe to talk about what we do, express our opinions, criticize others opinions, and give advice. Other sites that lack the moderation usually degenerate (in my opinion) to pictures and poses and sexual preferences mainly because it is what everyone does in search of a hook up. Don not get me wrong, I am guilty of a few hook ups in my past, and I like looking at the beauty of the male body in all of its parts, but if we are really serious about forming relationships and friendships, we have to see beyond or through the cock and ass to get there. At PQ, there are places for the C and A shots, but the profile is geared more to OUR uniqueness as individuals, not OUR sameness or differences of human form and sexual action. In other words, we are not different when it comes to the exterior other than size, but we are very different when it comes to our personalities and interests in terms of what we do with our time and our minds. Keith
How do you separate the HIV poz gay men who say they want a commitment from those who truly want one? For starters, there probably won't be anything strongly sexual mentioned in their profile. He may even go so far as to say friends first, relationship later to ward off the guys who are just looking for action. And since he's probably not spending his days sleeping off last night's outing, he'll probably list lots of hobbies or activities he enjoys. READ MORE HERE
POZQUEERS - AN ONLINE SOCIAL COMMUNITY
FOR HIV POZ GAY MEN HIV POZ BI
MEN
Loving Ourselves Loving Others Loving Life
Celebrating
& sharing our lives
with visual
audio text expressions
thru blogs, homepages, groups,
photos & forums.
LOOKING FOR CHANGE & SOMETHING NEW???
WELCOME TO POZQUEERS
!
A BIT MORE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY FOR HIV+ GAY MEN "queer: historically, the word "queer" has been used as a derogatory term, a word that demeaned and disrespected the GLBTQ community. More recently, GLBTQ academics and activists have sought to reclaim the word and "reoccupy" its meaning, turning it into a vehicle of pride, resistance, and coalition-building. So phrases like "queer studies," "queer community," and "queer theory" are common parlance. But "queer" hasn't entirely lost its derogatory power, so it should be used with care and sensitivity." Quoted from OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY GLBTQ DEFINITIONS.
The name pozqueers was reclaimed for our Pride. We refuse to be disempowered by those who continue to foster & harbor prejudice towards HIV poz gay men. There is no shame in being HIV poz.
The word We refers to our moderators and members, the word I refers to Jim Thurman aka the dingo. We are hiv poz gay men, who have a desire in wanting to make a difference, for other poz gay men who might be looking for change. We give our time and energy and do not ask anyone for money or solicit for donations. We do what we do because we enjoy doing it, and we have fun doing it.
I am indebted and grateful to many of our members who have contributed their efforts, energies, suggestions, including their patience support and understanding during the recent makeovers within areas of this site. And to those who stuck it out during the Snapp transition. I am currently revamping and retooling many areas of this site to make it easier to navigate and find things. Learning HTML CSS video editing skills sometimes is challenging as I live with health issues that have affected my multi tasking comprehension functions.
POZQUEERS continues to be improved upon and has evolved by fresh ideas based upon our members input and the interaction and participation we see happening throughout the site. The community opened October 2007 under the name POZQUEERS. We embrace all poz men, some prefer to identify as being gay, BI, fag, m4m or transgendered.
Snapp Networks, our host, provides the software and servers necessary to operate this community for HIV+ poz gay men. Snapp Networks is partnered with Google Ads and AMAZON.COM aka the Wish List, which keeps our community free for us to use. The only ads appearing within our pages are the Google banner ads, one on top and the other on the bottom of each webpage.
The Wish List items you see on our themed pages and within other areas of our community are placed by our moderators since they are often relevant to content we have created. We do this solely to show our appreciation to SNAPP because we sometimes use a lot of bandwidth. We acknowledge sources of content used whenever possible. This acknowledgment should not be construed as an endorsement in any way by us or our moderators.
If you shop AMAZON please consider using the Wish List since SNAPP currently does not charge subscription fees for use of their network. All Google and AMAZON commissioned revenue goes to Snapp Networks.
Our primary goal is to help HIV poz gay men make new friends, share information and maybe connect them with that special man they may be looking for. If you are an HIV NEG gay man who is not blinded by ignorance, been partnered or openly dated hiv poz men, or wish to have a better understanding of hiv poz gay men, you are welcomed into this community. It needs to be said that we do not allow bug chasing trollers who have nothing better to do than troll hiv poz gay men networks.
"The best part of any journey are the people we meet along the way." Our community is made up of varying colors and lifestyles. I come from the old guard, respecting others rights to their opinions, freedom of expression & beliefs providing they are causing no deliberate harm to others. Doing so I believe serves to bond and empower us, bringing us all to a better understanding and acceptance of others.
Our goals are to encourage everyone to express themselves freely within established guidelines and acceptable social behaviour. Those guidelines are simple and may not be perfect. Nothing ever is. Everyone thinks differently and our sensitivities vary greatly. Please be considerate of everyone. Think before you post.
We respect our users' responsibility for the content they choose to share. It is our belief that censoring content is contrary to our policy and one that bases itself on freedom of expression and speech.
In order to uphold these values, our moderators may occasionally need to curb abuses that threaten the freedom of expression we encourage or that violate our terms. The boundaries we've defined above serve to enhance our community as a whole.
The golden rule here is simple. While we may not always agree with each other, we should agree that it's OK to disagree. Within this community respect the rights of others to have their opinions freedom of expressions and beliefs. If something offends you just do not view it again.
COMMUNITY We are all longing to go home to some place we have never been, a place half remembered and half envisioned we can only catch glimpses of from time to time. Community. Somewhere, there are people to whom we can speak with passion without having the words catch in our throats. Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us, eyes will light up as we enter, voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our own power. Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free. --- Starhawke
There were several reasons I embarked upon starting a community for HIV poz gay men. At the top of the list were the proliferation of sites and groups cluttered with spamming, webcam live junkies, hot jocks, wanna hookup tonight, hot men now online, and site owners whose aim is solely to harvest email lists. There are a few good HIV+ gay men sites but most are limiting in features and scope. Some give you free access and others use the word free as a baiting tactic. Then suddenly you find your email box getting blasted with sales pitches spam and everything else you do not want.
POZQUEERS was also conceived as an alternative for those tired of seeing faceless & informationless profiles on other HIV+ gay men networks and groups. While we understand some have their reasons for not uploading a photo of themselves, we grew weary of wasting time looking at others who constantly hit us up but had nothing in their own profiles. The frustrations and downsides some have experienced also include rejection due to non conformity, speaking out, thinking differently than the mainstream, the DDF, healthy, - UB2s and other ugliness doled out towards hiv poz gay men, and being commercially exploited by email harvesters because of our HIV status. So I started this community for hiv+ gay men who wanted something different and who may need the empowerment from others.
Many of us have at some time in our Life needed that empowerment and received from it by what we learned or saw from others. And there still are HIV+ gay men who continue to isolate themselves for varying reasons. Those of us who have been there can relate.
The power of words, images, music and video we love to see and hear also does much for our spirits. They can be used as expressions of WHO we are, what we love.
Sharing of ourselves helps empower other HIV+ gay men living with HIV, and that sharing serves to empower us as well, possibly helping us understand ourselves and others. In doing so we may be able to make a positive difference helping other HIV+ gay men who either are still living in isolation or shame, or just may need a boost and new perspective on Life.
--- Why is it so hard to find someone in a group of so many men to get to know and maybe have a relationship with and get together. Seems like everyone does not have a good profile or something is wrong in their lives. I am looking and hoping someday. --- Taken from a posted comment on a Yahoo hiv poz gay men group. It is not the first time I have seen this question and comments like this posted on the Internet.
--- Something is wrong in their lives. --- Maybe so then again maybe not. We all need a place at times to vent and air our frustrations. If your expectations are genuine then those people who are not filling out their profiles or contacting you are not people you want contacting you anyway.
Many HIV+ gay men often find it frustrating when searching the Internet for a mate. Some HIV+ gay men don't always take advantage of the new technology that we now have before us. The interactive applications and features are tools that can work for you only if you use them and are willing to share of yourself. If you are looking for a partner, small hiv+ poz gay men social communities such as this one and others like it are good places to look. Going off the beaten path has advantages.
Regardless of where you look you have to put yourself out there by actively participating in local events and causes. On the Internet getting involved in discussions is a good start. Sharing your experiences, feelings, opinions and thoughts with others. Then those who have like interests or thoughts, and those who may disagree with you, will notice you. Either way a door opens to a potential possibility of a new friendship or intimate relationship.
Let's get back to knowing each other a bit more. For me this is what community is about. With this said we welcome you to check us out.
Loving and Living Life without fear Jim Thurman aka the dingo
POZQUEERS OTHER TERMS and LEGAL DISCLAIMER
By joining the " POZQUEERS" community for HIV+ poz gay men at SNAPPVILLE you'll agree to the following:
1) I am an adult at least 18 years of age and have the legal right to view, possess and receive what may be deemed in the location from which I am accessing this list site.
2) I am not accessing this list and /or site from a location where what may be deemed sexual material is forbidden by law. I understand the laws of the location from which I am accessing this site and I assume all liability if I violate such laws by entering this site.
3) I will not redistribute other members personal info and images (for profit, without their permission or to out and harm others) to anyone anywhere, including but not limited to minors.
4) I will not share material from this list or site with any person who is under the applicable legal age to view and possess what may be deemed sexual material, or any adult who may find this material personally offensive.
5) I am not accessing this list and /or site for the purpose of attempting to obtain evidence for the prosecution of any individual or legal entity or for the purpose of entrapment or use it in a manner against the site operator, list owner, list moderator, list members or anybody else.
6) I will not participate in what is deemed as racism or homophobia activities within POZQUEERS community. Basically this means users may not publish material that promotes hate toward groups based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, sexual orientation gender identity and direct threats of violence against any person or group of people. This includes engaging into any activity which is illegal by state and federal laws of the US and Canada, or the country in which you reside in.
7) I have read these terms as they are posted here, and additionally will abide by the terms of SnappVille who is the internet provider of this network. By joining the POZQUEERS COMMUNITY I agree that I fully understand these terms.
8) By logging on and subscribing to this service I release and discharge the providers, owners and creators and other members of this list from any and all liability, which might arise.
9) I fully understand that any ignorance or violation of POZQUEERS and the SNAPPVILLE terms of service may result in my account being permanently blocked from this community. Snappville Terms and Policy can be found by clicking on the link located in the footer of this page. POZQUEERS Terms and Guidelines are clearly outlined on this page. We reserve the right to remove anyone! If your access is blocked by us or you leave , any data image blogs photos you post are erased.
You can customize your profile with Music, Videos, Background Themes and Skins, Color, Different Fonts and many other Web 2 Applications. Create multiple photo albums, E cards, blogs and more. Click the first image to view the Pet Profile. You must be a member to see our Member Profiles.
CLICK ON THUMB IMAGES ICONS and TEXT LINKS throughout our community to see where they take you. Not all text links are underscored. Clicking on keywords within members profiles allows you to see who shares similar interests. Links to exterior websites appearing within our themed homepages and other site areas generated by our moderators have been checked by us using McAfee Internet Security Suite.
Please help promote this community by adding one of our links to your other online profiles or invite your friends. Doing so helps connect us with each other.