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User Guidelines
ALA
Connect is a site where members of ALA meet and mingle virtually,
discuss library-related topics and issues, share ideas, collaborate in
communities, and come together to do the work of the Association. The
way you interact in ALA Connect will shape the communities and determine
the success of your group(s), and result in an overall positive or
negative experience for all participants. We ask that all participants
understand and observe the following guidelines. They were developed to
foster frank dialogue, mutual respect, and a sense of community among
all ALA members participating in ALA Connect.
Engage in a professional, congenial dialogue.
Please realize that *thousands* of people may eventually see the
messages you post on ALA Connect. They may include individuals you know,
patrons, coworkers, or someone you may employ, or seek employment from,
in the future. Information posted impulsively or without regard for
accuracy may come back to haunt you. Remember you are responsible and
liable for the words you post on ALA Connect.
Foster useful, dynamic discussions. We encourage
frank and thoughtful dialogue. When posting, please keep your comments
consistent with the subject and purpose of the conversation. Deliberate
disruption -- such as consistent off-topic commentary -- will not be
tolerated. Posts and/or entire conversations that are abusive or
disruptive in nature will be removed. This is not the place for vulgar
or explicit language. This is also not the place to sell products or
services, or forward a personal agenda. Communicate with your peers on
Connect the way you would with your coworkers.
Please also note that political speech that endorses or otherwise
promotes one candidate over another in an election year is not allowed
on ALA Connect due to IRS restrictions for tax-exempt organizations.
Fashion a community that works for you. Connect
gives participants endless opportunities to get involved... or to hang
back and just take it all in. If you're going to create a community,
make sure you give it a meaningful name and mission statement, so others
who are interested in your topic know that this is the group for them.
Give your message posts accurate subject line descriptors. This will
enable members to easily follow and find discussion threads that
interest them. Help others find you by keeping your personal profile
updated. However, respect the privacy of others, as well as your own.
"Lurking" is OK. Sometimes you will want to read what the community is
doing before you jump into the discussion.
Play nice with others. Welcome new members as you
would want to be welcomed. Make sure conversations are inclusive.
Disturbance of the general peace and personal insults and attacks are
inappropriate, as is using profanity or expressions of obscenity,
sexism, racism, and other types of prejudice. We encourage spirited
discussion and debate, but remember that disagreeing with an idea is
different from attacking an individual.
Respect the role of community moderators. Help the
moderator ensure that all are following the spirit of these guidelines.
All members of Connect are responsible for doing their part to foster an
open and inviting community. If you see inaccurate, off-topic, or
disruptive posts, you should report it to the moderator.
Don't post ads or commercial solicitations. ALA
Connect is a professional community where you can escape the blinking
ads and come-ons on other networking sites. If you'd like to post a job
ad through ALA, we welcome your participation in our JobList site. If you encounter commercial content on Connect, please contact us to report it.
ALA respects freedom of expression. ALA will not
censor or edit messages and content contributed to the site, unless it
violates these user guidelines. Violation of the user guidelines,
particularly in regards to the use of profane or hateful language,
selling a product or service, or disrespecting other members, is grounds
for having access to ALA Connect revoked.
Observe basic netiquette:
- Don't type in all capital letters. It reads like screaming. Use bold or italics to emphasize a word.
- Respect the privacy of others, as well as your own.
- Be yourself (i.e. don't pretend to be someone else online).
- Avoid unsolicited or repetitive attempts to communicate, especially
should the receiver not respond, or request that you cease. In person,
you might say excuse me, or some appropriate introduction before
interrupting, or before speaking to a stranger. Consider doing the same
for online, email, and conversations.Remember there are human beings
with feelings who read your messages.
- Please be *very* cautious about using sarcasm and
humor. Without nonverbal cues and voice tone, "subtle" humor can easily
be interpreted as searing sarcasm.
- In the online environment, words can be misread without facial and
verbal cues to convey emotions. Use your words, or emoticons, to convey
emotion.
- Don't use the "Send a message" feature on member profiles to
spam or harass another member. You can lose your access to ALA Connect
for this type of behavior.
- You must have copyright rights to content you contribute to the
site. It is your responsibility to obtain permission for any material
you post to Connect for which you do not already own the rights. Posting
copyrighted content without the owner's permission is grounds for
having your access to ALA Connect revoked.
Thanks for participating in Connect. We welcome your feedback at any time.