From: GBurch1@aol.com
Date: Sat Aug 22 1998 - 14:59:25 MDT
When it was founded, the extropians e-mail list had a well-defined charter
with an articulated set of rules regarding list etiquette and discipline. For
a significant period, it was a private facility available only to members of
Extropy Institute and other paying subscribers. As a matter of history, its
early period was characterized primarily by discussions among individuals who
by and large knew each other off-list.
A little over three years ago, the list changed its technical basis (adopting
off-the-shelf majordomo software and changing its server-host). At that time
the list no longer requiring a subscription fee. Participation in the list
broadened to include many people who had no personal acquaintance with the
original list founders or with each other.
The time has come for adoption of some new, minimal but clear statement of
principles, guidelines and procedures to be observed in connection with the
list. Accordingly, the following document has been adopted by Extropy
Institute in connection with the list. This document will be available at
ExI's web site and new subscribers will automatically receive it. Please read
it carefully.
The officers and directors of Extropy Institute believe that this list is a
valuable component of its subscribers' participation in cyberspace. We
appreciate your dialogue here and hope that the principles, guidelines and
procedures set out below will enhance your use of the list. Thank you for
your attention to this matter.
Greg Burch <GBurch1@aol.com>----<burchg@liddellsapp.com>
Attorney ::: Director, Extropy Institute ::: Wilderness Guide
http://users.aol.com/gburch1 -or- http://members.aol.com/gburch1
"Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must
be driven into practice with courageous impatience."
LIST PRINCIPLES, GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES
SUBSCRIPTION TO THE EXTROPIANS E-MAIL LIST
IS DEEMED TO BE AGREEMENT TO AND
ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES,
GUIDELINES, TERMS, CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURES:
Extropy Institute sponsors the Extropians e-mail List. As such ExI is the
List "owner" and sets standards of dialogue as a foundation for civil dialogue
concerning topics of interest to transhumanists. Subscription to the
Extropians List is deemed to be agreement to the following statement of
principles and guidelines and to the standards and procedures for List
discipline set out below.
As with any other e-mail list or cyberspace forum, the Extropians List is a
social space, as well as a discussion forum. Accordingly, good manners are
appreciated and bad manners cannot be tolerated. While good-natured humor is
encouraged, personalistic sarcasm, taunts and insults are not tolerated.
Flame wars are strictly prohibited.
List members are encouraged to work out any personal issues off-list and
subscription to the List is deemed to be a grant of permission to all current
List subscribers to send personal, off-list e-mail for the purposes of
attempting to resolve personal issues. Unsubscription is deemed to be a
withdrawal of such permission. Sending of unwelcome e-mail by List
subscribers or ex-subscribers is neither sanctioned nor condoned by ExI or any
Internet host of List software or operation, but neither ExI nor any Internet
host of List software or operation can take any responsibility for conduct by
subscribers to the List, either in postings to the List or in communication or
activity off-list.
Failure to abide by the guidelines described above will result in expulsion
from the List. Expulsion from the List is the sole prerogative of Extropy
Institute. ExI reserves the right to unsubscribe any List subscriber at any
time, without notice. However, as a courtesy to List subscribers, ExI will
attempt to undertake the following procedures prior to unsubscription of any
List subscriber:
1. Any List subscriber or any two members of ExI's board of directors may
initiate a complaint regarding on-List communication by any List subscriber.
Such a complaint is initiated by sending a message to complaints@extropy.org.
This complaint must (a) state the specific communication complained of and (b)
certify that the complaining subscriber has attempted in good faith to resolve
the matter off-List. Failure to include these two items in a complaint will
result in no action being taken by ExI. Although ExI will attempt to maintain
the privacy of complaints, ExI makes no guarantee that the secrecy of
complaints can be maintained.
2. ExI will attempt to resolve the dispute through off-list communication
with the subscribers involved.
3. The result of a complaint will either be unsubscription of the subscriber
about whom a complaint has been lodged, or informing the complaining
subscriber that no action will be taken.
4. Either the complaining subscriber in the case of a "no-action" result or
the subscriber about whom a complaint has been lodged may appeal the result of
the action by sending a message to appeals@extropy.org. ExI will attempt to
convene a panel of members of Extropy Institute who are not directors or
officers of ExI to voluntarily serve as a forum for the appeal. The parties
to the appeal will then be informed of the result of the appeal, or that an
appellate panel cannot be formed. Selection of the appellate panel is at the
sole prerogative of ExI. Decisions of the appellate panel are final.
5. ExI will make every effort to follow the procedure above and to do so in
the most timely and efficient manner possible. However, as an organization
staffed by voluntary labor, ExI cannot make any guarantee that this procedure
will be followed and List subscription confers no right upon subscribers to
insist that ExI do so.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 14:49:29 MST