[nagdu] list rules and moderator notes

[Julie J.]

Hello all!

I wanted to send out the rules for the new people and as a reminder to 
the rest of us.  Before I get to that part I wanted to say a few things.

Marion, Marsha and I do our very best to keep this list running smoothly 
and peacefully.   But here's the thing, this list is yours, the 
members.  It is up to you to make it a supportive, productive and on 
track place for information and encouragement.  I can send out 
reminders, reprimands and whatever else and it isn't going to help 
unless there is cooperation from everyone.

Lately I feel the list has really strayed from what it once was.  There 
has been a ton of what I would call very judgmental posts.  List members 
are being very critical of other members.  There is a lot of "why" and 
"you should" instead of the once offered, "have you thought of" or "I 
find this helpful".   As a moderator I struggle with how much of this to 
police.  The truth is if I send out reprimands for each and every 
description this list would turn into an even worse mess.   I keep 
hoping that gentle nudges from me or the other moderators, or moving the 
discussion away from the judgmental comments will help, but it isn't.

So here we go.  You folks have to step up to the plate.  There needs to 
be cooperation, support, encouragement and self restraint.  It is up to 
you to police yourselves first and the moderators as a safety net.   I'm 
not asking anyone to moderate posts from other members.  I'm asking you 
to moderate your own posting.  No more judging, preaching, intolerance, 
negativity, and especially no more nastiness.

The main list rule has always been, "Be Nice".  I've always said if you 
can follow that rule all others will be forgiven.  That still stands.   
If you're not sure what is meant by be nice here are some questions you 
could ask yourself:
If I heard this language coming out of a preschooler's mouth, would I be 
appalled?
Would I say this at church?
How would I feel if someone said this to me?
If a potential employer finds this quote of mine on the internet a year 
from now, will it damage my chances at getting a job?

And now here are the official list rules:

*Be nice to others* this is really the only rule and if everyone can do 
this I'll forgive all other

Indiscretions.Being nice includes:

1. Using a courteous and respectful tone and language.If in doubt don't 
post it.Please feel free to disagree with any idea, concept or topic, 
but disagreement does not preclude manners. In Short-no flaming. This 
list is publicly archived and may be read by minors.

2. being respectful of others time by staying on topic.The main topic of 
the list is guide dogs.Occasional discussions of general blindness 
issues or other types of service animals are acceptable.Also there will 
be posts on NFB initiatives and related announcements.NAGDU is a 
division of the NFB.

3. Any announcement for any sales, collection, donation or other 
exchange of goods or service not directly related to NFB or NAGDU is not 
allowed. Guide dog related Product recommendations in which you do not 
receive direct financial compensation are completely acceptable and 
appreciated.Likewise if there is a direct question about a product or 
service that you provide you are free to respond with your sales 
information to that specific question.It is perfectly acceptable to have 
a link to your product web site in your signature line.Examples of 
acceptable discussion of goods or services:

*announcements of NFB affiliate, chapter and division fundraisers

*answering questions regarding guide dog related goods and services you 
provide

*discussion of a product you have used

Examples of inappropriate goods and services posts:

*advertisements for any product or service you provide not prompted by a 
specific question from another list member

*advertisements having to do with goods or services unrelated to guide dogs

4. No discussion of any sort of criminal activities.

5. Every effort should be made to provide accurate and up to date 
information about laws regarding guide dogs.Please be prepared to 
provide the specific law you are referencing in the discussion.

6. All posts should be of substance and add to the discussion.Please 
refrain from post like, "I agree" or "me too".Also please refrain from 
posting an inordinate amount of email to the list.This list can be high 
volume at times.Please respect the time of others on the list.

Continued violation of the rules after being warned will result in 
removal from the list.

That's all the rules.The below are things that would be very much 
appreciated, but are not mandatory.

1. Trim your posts.This means to remove all that header info from a 
forwarded message or the 13 previous messages in the thread that you are 
replying to.It's just courtesy.Personally I don't read forwarded 
messages if they start out with a mile long list of email addresses.

2. If you're posting pictures please include a description of them.The 
majority of list members cannot see the pictures so a text description 
is very much appreciated.

3. If you ask a question about a situation you are experiencing 
requesting advice, please update us on the resolution of the problem.It 
is just really nice to know how things worked out and the information 
might prove useful to someone else.

4. If you're posting an attachment please let us know in the body of 
your message what the attachment contains.

5. Please change the subject line to reflect the current subject of the 
body of the message.

6. Please keep forwarded messages to a minimum.Remember the message 
should be relevant to guide dog users in a large geographic area.If the 
message has nothing to do with guide dogs, don't forward it.

Things to keep in mind: This list is open to anyone interested in guide 
dogs.This includes but is not limited to: guide dog users, former guide 
dog users, future guide dog users, puppy raisers, guide dog trainers, 
guide dog program employees, owner trainers, pet dog trainers, friends 
and family of guide dog users, guide horse users etc. It is not 
necessary to be a NFB or NAGDU member to join or participate on the list.
This list is publicly archived.This means that anyone with an internet 
connection can read posts.Don't post anything you don't want the whole 
world to know such as: phone numbers, addresses, web site etc.

That's it.As always I am available to answer questions.My

Email address is:julielj at neb.rr.com

Thank you,

Julie
NAGDU list moderator