To clarify a few points mistakenly made in this introduction by a new member thread:

1. The age limit here is 13 or older.

2. We have no strict rule or anything that says that professionals must first contact me before becoming a member here. In fact, if a person can leave their profession at the door and respond to one another as fellow human beings, I (and I imagine most people) could care less what a person does for a living. While it is a courtesy to drop me a PM if you're a professional and want to post in such a manner (and I may have asked professionals to do so in the past), I can't find it in the guidelines.

When in doubt about such issues, please PM an admin or mod before posting. I feel like it can be taken in completely the wrong (and un-welcoming) way when such misinformation is posted (although I recognize that the intention was not anything bad, just protection of others).

Thanks, and welcome to the community Ashley!
DocJohn