Conch-L Rules and Recommendations

Version date: January 23, 1997

Conch-L Listserv is sponsored by the Conchologists of America (COA) and hosted by the University of Georgia. To help the list run smoothly a set of rules for subscribers has been established. This document outlines these rules, the consequences for breaking the rules and presents some recommendations regarding general Netiquette. By reading and following these rules and recommendations you will help us keep the list running smoothly, and have the gratitude of the people who maintain the list.

This is the expanded version of the rules, which is meant to be both informative and easy to read. This information is included in the welcome letter sent to new subscribers. A text-only version of this document is emailed to all Conch-L subscribers semi-annually as a reminder.

[CONCH-L Introduction] [CONCH-L Guidelines] [CONCH-L FAQ] [CONCH-L Archive]

	RULES: 1. NO Commercial Advertising (Very Important!!!) 2. NO Big Files or 'Attached' Files 3. NO Off-Topic Postings 4. NO Flaming
	CONSEQUENCES: 1. A warning 2. Being placed on review (requires list manager approval of postings) 3. Status changed to read only (preventing posts to the list) 4. Suspension -- temporary or permanent
	RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Follow the rules 2. Look before you send 3. Remember we're International 4. Respect the people who keep the List running

Rule No. 1: NO Advertising:

Commercial Advertising is not allowed; not even by non-profit organizations. UGA, as a community service, "grants the use of its facilities to organizations whose activities contribute to its mission." CONCH-L is considered to be an "educational resource," and therefore falls within UGA's mission. However, UGA and the State of Georgia have strict rules that do not allow use of these resources for personal gain, thus no free advertising or commercial messages. In particular:

1. Offering to sell or recommending your own products or services is NOT allowed (this includes lists of shells, book catalogues, equipment and trips). CONCH-L is not to be used as an inexpensive substitute for commercial advertising. However, this list was set up to encourage discussions and therefore this rule can be bent a little (please remember the qualifier 'a little'.)
   • If you are responding to a request for information about your product please limit your reply to a brief answer and address (home, email or web) where the requester can find more information.
   • If you wish to send a large document (image, article or catalog) please send it directly to the person who requested the information and not to the list.
2. Requesting information on, or recommending products or services or sources where they may be obtained IS allowed. One of the goals of this list is to help people make connections and learn more about Malacology and Conchology. People wishing to exchange shells and publications may announce that their trading lists are available, but should not post lists to CONCH-L.
3. Public-service announcements of new publications (books and journals), shell clubs, and web sites (including commercial websites) ARE allowed, as are posting of general information on shell shows and conventions. Of course this includes posting about an updated internet site or reprinted publication. Book reviews by non-interested individuals are encouraged as an educational resource. If the announcement concerns a commercial site please use discretion.

If you have doubt about whether your message is advertising or not, send it to the List Manager at OWNER-CONCH-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU who will look it over and let you know if it's postable.

Rule 2. NO Big Files:

Please don't send image files or other documents larger than 4 text pages to the list. DO NOT send attached files to the list. Not everyone has a powerful computer or a fast Internet connection. Large files can lock up some computers or cause loss of messages arriving behind them. Also, some subscribers pay directly for receiving and storing messages.

If you have a great image file or document that you think the subscribers of CONCH-L would be interested in, post an announcement. That way interested subscribers will be able to contact you directly for more information. This is especially important if it is an image file, as you will have to explain what they need to do to view the file

Rule 3. NO Off-Topic Postings:

A primary rule on any list is to respect the list's published subject by not posting off-topic messages. This includes virus warnings, which are usually out-of-date hoaxes. Remember, what is 'new' to you may be old news to everyone else. Please post off-topic messages to a more appropriate list or news group.

RULE 4. NO FLAMING:

"Flaming" means "insulting or attacking via Internet." Shellers are noted for being Deep Thinkers. Disarm your opponents with good arguments, not by calling them names. Remember, postings to CONCH-L are archived. Please don't embarrass yourself in perpetuity.

CONSEQUENCES

Several consequences of breaking the rules are possible, depending on the intention, severity and number of past occurrences. These are 1) a Warning, 2) placing a subscriber on 'REVIEW', which delays posts until the list manager approves them, 3) changing a subscription to 'READ ONLY', preventing a subscriber from posting, or 4) Suspension of a subscription, temporarily or permanently. Consequences may apply to the individual or organization posting the offending message(s).

This information is provide to familiarize our subscribers with the methods available to list managers to enforce the rules of a list. It is our hope that our list managers will never have to use these methods. However, we do wish to make sure our subscribers, who may be unfamiliar with email lists, understand all the possible consequences.

Recommendation 1. Follow The Rules:

By following the rules you will help us keep the list running smoothly.

Recommendation 2. Look Before You Send:

The default on messages from Conch-L is for the reply function to return to Conch-L. The 'reply function' may be a function key(s) or a word in a pull-down menu of your e-mail program. Please use "reply" only for items of general interest, not, for example, to reply to a request for an email address. To reply directly to the author of a message, cut and paste the address from the message heading's 'FROM' line into a 'NEW MESSAGE' window, or use the 'RE-DIRECT' or 'FORWARD' functions of your email program. It is also a good idea to re-check the "To:" line before posting, lest you accidentally send your message to the wrong place. Some Conch-Lers have been embarassed by sending to the whole list a message they thought was going to a private individual, don't let this be you!

Recommendation 3. Remember We're International.

Approximately a third of our list subscribers live outside the United States. Variety is a wonderful thing and we hope Conch-L will continue to be a list that subscribers from across the world enjoy. Please be tolerant of each other and remember that many cultural differences come along with our variety. Your joke may fall on deaf ears; or worse yet be mis-interpreted. Remember too that English is not the first language of all our subscribers. Nor is it a requirement to use English in your posts to Conch-L (though English translations are appreciated by those of us who have limited language abilities; rest assured your English is likely to be better than our versions of your language).

Recommendation 4. Respect The People Who Keep It Running.

Maintaining a list is time consuming, and the people who help maintain CONCH-L are all volunteers. Please treat them with respect.

CONCH-L is hosted by the University of Georgia and maintained by Amy Edwards. If you have any questions concerning the operation of this list please direct them to: Amy Edwards. The University of Georgia prohibits the use of its computing resources for commercial purposes. Explicit advertisements or business solicitations are not permitted.

[CONCH-L Introduction] [CONCH-L Guidelines] [CONCH-L FAQ] [CONCH-L Archive]