Principles and Frameworks

How Many Posts Do I Need to Access the Steroid Underground Subforum? This is one of the most common questions new members ask, and it is also one of the most misunderstood. An important clarification up front: all members have read only access to the Steroid Underground subforum. Threads and discussions are visible to everyone. Restrictions apply only to posting privileges, reaction privileges, and direct messaging privileges within the Steroid Underground. There is no fixed number of posts that automatically unlocks posting access to the Steroid Underground. Posting access is earned through the quality of participation and time on the forum, not by chasing a post count. Below is a clear explanation of how posting and participation...

A notice to new members regarding source-related discussion and private messages If you are new to MESO-Rx, it is understandable to want a direct answer to questions such as “Can someone recommend a good source?” or “What is the best source at the moment?” Most members asking these questions are acting in good faith and are trying to reduce risk, avoid scams, and avoid harmful products or practices. However, initiating source-related discussion immediately upon joining often increases risk instead of reducing it. New Members and accounts that are still new are the most frequently targeted by dishonest sources, source-adjacent members, and coordinated promotional accounts. When a member’s first activity focuses on sourcing, it signals...

How Sponsorship Is Constrained on MESO-Rx MESO-Rx accepts limited sponsorship to support the operation of the forum. Because sponsorship introduces structural risks that can undermine harm reduction if left unmanaged, it is deliberately constrained. These constraints exist so members can evaluate MESO-Rx by observable outcomes rather than assurances. MESO-Rx does not deny that sponsorship affects visibility. It acknowledges that it does and defines strict limits on what that influence is allowed to do. Sponsorship on MESO-Rx is treated as a liability to be managed, not a benefit to be leveraged. --- Sponsorship, Visibility, and Honest Disclosure MESO-Rx recognizes that paid sponsorship influences visibility. Banner advertising...

Posting Privileges and New Member Access Thanks for posting your introduction. That’s the most important first step, and you’re already on the right path. How posting privileges work 24 out of 25 subforums are open for posting and available to all members. The Steroid Underground is read-only for New Members. New Members must earn posting privileges before they may post in the Steroid Underground subforum. Posting privileges are earned through normal, constructive participation across the forum. What constructive participation looks like Spend time reading existing threads, especially pinned and long-running discussions. Use the search function and review multiple threads before asking questions. When asking a question, briefly...

Why New Members Are Required to Post an Introduction Posting a short introduction in the New Member Introductions subforum is the first step for all new members on MESO-Rx. This requirement is not a formality and it is not meant to create barriers. It exists to protect members, support harm reduction, and maintain the integrity of the community. MESO-Rx is an open discussion forum that deals with high-risk topics where misinformation, scams, and covert promotion are common. Because of this, the forum must be able to distinguish real participants from throwaway accounts, automated spam, coordinated promotional activity, and source-adjacent accounts attempting to blend in. Requiring an introduction is one of the simplest and most...

Help Keep MESO-Rx Honest: Reporting Suspected Alternate Accounts MESO-Rx relies on open discussion, transparency, and real member experiences to support harm reduction. That system only works when each account represents a real, independent person participating in good faith. Occasionally, individuals, most often sources or source-adjacent actors, attempt to manipulate discussion by operating undisclosed alternate accounts. These accounts may pose as regular members to promote products, defend a source, discredit competitors, or create the illusion of support. Community awareness is one of the most effective tools for preventing this behavior. If You Suspect an Alternate Account, Please Report It If something feels off...

MESO-Rx uses red box highlights as a targeted harm-reduction tool. Highlights are applied sparingly to bring visibility to real, first-hand customer issues arising from off-forum transactions between members and vendors, which may pose risk to others, particularly in underground markets where normal consumer protections do not exist. A red box highlight is not a punishment, accusation, or finding of wrongdoing. It is an early-visibility mechanism, not a verdict. Most posts are not highlighted. When a Post Can Be Highlighted A post may receive a red box highlight only when all of the following conditions are met: First-hand customer involvement You personally placed the order or paid for the service. A specific transaction is...

Public Notice on Source Thread Integrity and Harm Reduction MESO-Rx maintains source threads for a specific purpose: harm reduction through transparency, accountability, and clear access to relevant information. These threads exist so members can review documented experiences, laboratory testing, unresolved issues, and source responses without interference or distortion. Off-topic discussion that overwhelms or dilutes source threads undermines this purpose. When relevant information is pushed back by dozens or hundreds of posts, it becomes difficult for members to assess risks, identify patterns, or make informed decisions. There are more than twenty other subforums available for general discussion, social interaction, and unrelated...

Public Notice: Prohibited Use of Alternate Accounts for Self-Promotion MESO-Rx has identified and will continue to act against sources or vendors who create or use alternate accounts to pose as regular members for the purpose of secretly promoting their own products or services. This behavior is deceptive and directly undermines the forum’s harm-reduction mission. It distorts community feedback, misleads members, and creates false confidence in products or sources that have not earned trust through transparency and accountability. Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to: Posting praise or positive reviews of one’s own products under a separate account Defending or dismissing complaints about a source using...

Recent activity involving multiple newly created accounts upgrading memberships within a short period of time in order to post questions, praise, or discussion tied to a promotion has raised concerns about coordinated promotional behavior. MESO-Rx does not prohibit criticism, complaints, or open discussion. Members are encouraged to report problems, share negative experiences, and hold sources publicly accountable. Honest feedback, including negative feedback, is essential to harm reduction. However, there are clear limits on how promotion may occur. Sources are not permitted to use member or upgraded member accounts as a hidden way to advertise or increase visibility. When a source pushes or organizes customers to post praise or...

Why MESO-Rx Requires Full Disclosure for Compensated Source Reviews The MESO-Rx Forum is built on the foundation of harm reduction, transparency, and community trust. Unlike source forums, which often prioritize commercial interests and favoritism, MESO-Rx champions an open and unbiased environment that places the community’s safety and education first. To uphold these values, the forum has strict policies requiring full disclosure when Members receive any type of compensation for writing a source review. These rules ensure that reviews remain credible, objective, and beneficial for the community, rather than serving personal or commercial interests. The Importance of Full Disclosure When a Member writes a source review in exchange...

What is considered harassment or targeted trolling? Harassment and targeted trolling occur when a member repeatedly follows another user around the forum to provoke, mock, or discredit them. This includes: Posting sarcastic or insulting replies to everything they post. Attempting to bait them into arguments. Making personal remarks or name-calling. Starting threads or inserting off-topic comments intended to ridicule or undermine them. Coordinating with others to discredit or discourage participation from specific members. This pattern of behavior, even if disguised as “criticism” or “concern”, becomes harassment when it is repetitive, personal, and disruptive. Why does this violate MESO-Rx community standards? MESO-Rx exists to...

Participation Rules for Sources and Source Representatives Who Market Outside MESO-Rx Question: Can a source or source representative participate as a regular member on MESO-Rx if they do not market on MESO, but do market on other websites or forums? Answer: No. Whether directly or indirectly involved in marketing, any individual who operates as a source or source representative is subject to participation restrictions on MESO-Rx — even if their marketing or promotional activity occurs entirely outside of MESO. Policy Clarification: The purpose of MESO-Rx’s source policy is to preserve transparency, fairness, and harm reduction. This policy applies to anyone with a commercial interest in the sale or distribution of...

Transparency, Source Restrictions, and Harm Reduction in the MESO Forum MESO-Rx rigidly adheres to its founding principles of harm reduction, with equal application of its rules and guidelines to every participant regardless of popularity, influence, or status. This approach sets MESO-Rx apart from typical 'source forums' by ensuring a fair and unbiased environment where commercial interests and favoritism do not interfere with the forum's core mission. MESO-Rx operates on principle first and foremost. The MESO-Rx Forum has long been a cornerstone of education and harm reduction in the online communities of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). To uphold these principles, the forum requires complete...

Political discussion belongs in the "Political Discourse" subforum unless it is directly relevant to anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs e.g. new AAS legislation, anti-doping laws, etc. Political discussion includes, but is not limited to, off-topic political rants, as well as partisan attacks based on Member political orientation. Members who repeatedly disregard this guidance could be prohibited from participating in certain threads subject to the discretion of the Administration. https://thinksteroids.com/community/forums/political-discourse.16/