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CITY-BLOG
Guidelines for both CITY Leaders and CITYzens
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http://tinyurl.com/6ud8g Below are quotes from the webpage found with that Tiny Url above. Discussion List Moderators/Owners Include list rules and posting guidelines in the list's welcome message. Make the list rules clear, and enforce them, but avoid being dictatorial. Keep your current members informed of any changes in the rules. If you set rules, follow them yourself. Don't expect that just because you're the moderator, you should be able to blatantly promote yourself, etc. Include removal instructions in the footer of list messages. Problems with list members should be handled off-list and kept private. Remain an active participant in list discussions. Email List Member Guidelines, Rules, and Behavior Keep your list 100% opt-in. Don't subscribe people to your mailing list unless they've requested to be there. Include instructions on how to subscribe and unsubscribe in every issue you send, either at the top or bottom, or both. Don't force your subscribers to visit the Web to unsubscribe. Provide email removal instructions. Unless you're specifically publishing an HTML newsletter, don't include code in your messages, as not all email programs will convert it. Use a set line length (66 characters is suggested) to keep your lines from wrapping in an ugly fashion. ----------------------------------------------------------- Email Newsletter Subscribers Look for unsubscription directions, and follow them. Do NOT assume that hitting "reply" with "remove" in the subject field (for example) will get you off the list. Don't expect the publisher to remove you manually: you subscribed; you can remove yourself. Save your welcome messages with list rules and unsubscription information. Do not subscribe to lists with an email address with an autoresponder function. This includes "Out of Office Autoreply" and other features. Doing this creates a large amount of wasted email, which can be a significant burden on a publisher with a large email list. If you have a problem, take it up nicely with the publisher. ------------------------------------------------------------ Discussion List Moderators/Owners Include list rules and posting guidelines in the list's welcome message. Make the list rules clear, and enforce them, but avoid being dictatorial. Keep your current members informed of any changes in the rules. If you set rules, follow them yourself. Don't expect that just because you're the moderator, you should be able to blatantly promote yourself, etc. Include removal instructions in the footer of list messages. Problems with list members should be handled off-list and kept private. Remain an active participant in list discussions. ------------------------------------------------------------ Discussion List Members Use common sense when posting. Be aware that you always have two options: responding through the list or to a member personally. The content of your message should determine which of these you choose. Follow the list rules at all times. If you're not sure whether your post will violate the rules, ask the moderator before you send it. Lurk and learn what's acceptable before posting to the list. Don't over-quote. Include only the specific information you're responding to, and chop out the rest. Keep posts to the list brief. If you're post doesn't add value, don't send it. (Example: Don't send a "thanks" message through the list. Send something like that directly to the person you're thanking.) Be courteous to other list members. If you disagree with them, fine, just don't resort to personal insults. Consult the list archives, if available, before posting a question. This is also a good way to become familiar with a list's acceptable topics, etc. Consult the list FAQ if there is one available. Do not cross-post (send the same message to more than one list). If you feel the need to flame, send hate mail, or otherwise reprimand another list member, don't. Write off list to a mod explaining how you feel. But, please, no hate mail. Do not forward virus warnings and the like to a list unless it's devoted to that topic. Do not subscribe to lists with an email address with an autoresponder function. This includes "Out of Office Autoreply" and other features. Doing this creates a large amount of wasted email, which can be a significant burden on a publisher with a large email list. Respect other people's opinions. If you disagree, do it politely. Spell check and reread your messages before posting. Do not blatantly promote yourself or otherwise spam the list. Self-promotion should be kept to a brief signature file at the end of your posts. Sig files shouldn't exceed 5-6 lines. Do not forward copyrighted material to the list unless you have permission to do so. If you do use information not your own, give proper credit. Do not send HTML, rich text, or stylized email, or messages in "quoted-printable" format. Not all email programs of list members will recognize such formats. Send messages in ASCII. |
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