They are already being called the “Twitter Commandments” – and with a huge amount of media coverage, it seems that a key Church of England district has scored a hit with its rules on using social media.

Bath and Wells diocese has released a three-page document with nine rules, or guidelines, aimed at parish staff to help them “spread the word of God in the most effective way” and assist them in “their role as online ambassadors for their local parish, the wider Church and our Christian faith”.

The rules – which the diocese has declared are “based on principles of common sense and good judgement” – included some useful tips for any social media user, of which these are some notable highlights:

1. Don’t rush in

“Ask yourself: ‘Would I want my mum to read this?’ and ‘Would I want God to read this?’”

2. Transient yet permanent

“You should assume that anything you post is permanent. Even if you delete it later on, it may have been seen and republished”

3. You’re an ambassador

“If talking about a church matter, make it clear that these are your personal opinions and not those of the Church of England or the Diocese.”

4. Don’t hide

“Anonymity and ‘hiding’ behind aliases when using social media is frowned upon. It’s also at odds with what we consider the main reason for using social media networks.”

5. Stay within the legal framework

“While sharing thoughts and reflections with friends or followers via social media can seem personal and private, it is not. By law, if one or more people can access it, content is classed as published, in the public domain and subject to legislation around libel, defamation, copyright and data protection.”

Some have criticised these rules for being dull, but the fact remains: people in the spotlight are regularly making the news for gaffes and mistakes that could have been easily avoided, if they had just followed some common-sense rules such as these.