Email List Rules

The AFSC has established the following rules regarding email lists hosted by AFSC. Contact list-manager@list.AFSC.org (the AFSC staff managers who operate the Mailman list program and help list managers run lists).

Participating in AFSC Mailing Lists

• The AFSC reserves the right to suspend participants from lists who violate standards and rules. Procedures for due process in conflict mediation and suspension shall be established. Decisions on suspension are delegated to the Director of Communication.
• AFSC mailing lists may not be used for commercial announcements, except occasional announcements that are directly related to the topic of the list. For example, a book publisher might post messages about new books of interest to list subscribers. The list managers may use their discretion regarding which posts are appropriate. Since most lists allow postings only by subscribers, list managers may need to ban certain commercial users from subscribing.
• Attachments should be discouraged. Because many subscribers' e-mail programs cannot deal with attached files, and many subscribers do not wish to receive attached files, subscribers to AFSC lists are discouraged from attaching files to their postings. If a subscriber persists in attaching files to postings, the list manager may ban the subscriber from the list.
• The messages on AFSC-managed mailing lists do not necessarily represent the views of the AFSC or AFSC-affiliated organizations. The decisions of list managers, do not necessarily represent AFSC policy.
• AFSC mailing lists may not be used for creating offensive or disruptive messages, including those containing sexual implications, racial slurs, or any comment that offensively addresses someone's age, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, national origin, or disability. List managers may use their discretion when deciding whether messages are problematic. If an individual persists in posting offensive or harrassing messages, the list managers may ban the individual from the mailing list, or from all AFSC mailing lists.
• List subscribers participate in list.AFSC.org lists at their own risk. Members of the AFSC staff, and programs who participate on the list.AFSC.org lists do so solely as private individuals, and should not be assumed to be participating in any official capacity unless otherwise stated. Neither the AFSC nor the individual list managers are responsible for the content of any list except the AFSC-L list.
• List managers and moderators are to be treated with respect as they carry out their work. AFSC mailing lists are managed by individuals -- list managers, and for moderated lists, moderators -- who run the lists in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the section "Management of AFSC Mailing Lists" below. Inappropriate language directed at list managers, or engaging in protracted arguments about a decision, may result in a subscriber being blocked from participation on a given list or all AFSC-run lists.

Creation and Maintenance of AFSC Mailing Lists

• The AFSC must approve the creation of lists to be managed on list.AFSC.org . Apply for a new list here. Applications are approved by the Managing Editor of Web Communication. The AFSC is pleased to sponsor electronic mailing lists for AFSC committees, AFSC programs, and AFSC-affiliated organizations to foster communication within and among AFSC organizations.  We do not sponsor lists for individuals, nor for groups that have no connection with the AFSC or its work.
  
• Every list must have an AFSC program related topic or audience and a descriptive name. Because of the limited resources of the volunteers and AFSC staff who run the AFSC's mailing list site, the AFSC sponsors lists that serve the AFSC's mandate. Names of mailing lists must as clearly as possible (given length limitations) describe the function, topic, or audience of the list. The decision to approve new lists or disband existing lists is entirely at the discretion of the AFSC's Managing Editor of Web Communication.

Management of AFSC Mailing Lists

• Every list must have at least one list manager, and all list managers must be approved by the AFSC. If no one is managing a list (that is, in the judgment of the Mailman Site Managers and the Managing Editor of Web Communication, the list managers are not exercising their duties), the Mailman Site Managers may try to find another list manager or may terminate the list. List managers must be approved by the Managing Editor of Web Communication (this includes additional or replacement list managers added at a later date).
  
  List managers must keep the list discussions on topic, maintain the list of subscribers, and they must be willing to treat all subscribers and potential subscribers fairly. Arbitrary treatment of subscribers, inattentiveness, or inconsistent application of list guidelines can result in the removal of the list manager and/or elimination of the list. Such action is at the discretion of the AFSC Mailman Site Managers in consultation with the Managing Editor of Web Communication.
• All list managers will be subscribed to the list managers' list. They may receive list mail as a digest, but they may not unsubscribe nor set "nomail." The list is called list-owners -- go to http://list.AFSC.org/mailman/listinfo/list-owners/ to sign up.