The Internet Society email lists are collaborative spaces for discussion of topics and concerns related to the core principals and mission of the Internet Society and are currently among the best methods for members to engage each other. To assure that all who wish to participate may to do so in an environment of respect, consistency, openness, and honesty, suggested etiquette norms have been developed that when adhered to provide the trusted, professional and vital postings and exchanges that we all value. The following Code of Conduct is adopted by all who post to the email lists of the Internet Society:
- Respect the opinions of others regardless how divergent from your own.
- Collaborate as often as possible.
- Be accountable for your words and actions, regardless how unintended the interpretation.
- Clarify and confirm what you read and interpret.
- Non-professional commentary, regardless of the subject, should be avoided. When in doubt, defer or reformulate.
- If you should find yourself in disagreement with one person, make your responses to each other via direct email.
- "Reasonable" expectations for conduct via e-mail depend on your relationship to the people and the context of the communication.
- Be careful with slang or local acronyms.
- If you are forwarding or re-posting a message you've received, do not change the wording. If the message was a personal message to you and you are re-posting to a group, you should ask permission first.
- List members should not re-post any list message, in whole or part, nor represent or convey to others specific information from the list that identifies the contributor, without prior expressed authorization from the contributor and notice to the Internet Society list moderator.
- Assume that individuals speak for themselves, and what they say does not represent their organization (unless stated explicitly).
- Be sure to have a signature that you attach to your message. This will guarantee that any peculiarities of mailers or newsreaders that strip header information will not delete the only reference in the message of how people may reach you.
- Participants can use the information received on the Internet Society list(s) under the condition that neither the identity nor the affiliation of the submitter(s), nor that of any other participant may be revealed, unless all individual(s) concerned have granted permission.
- Further to #13 above, use of the material transmitted on the list is for the sole benefit of the mission of the Internet Society. List material may be repurposed only with expressed, confirmed permission of all the participants to a particular discussion thread.
- The Internet Society list moderator will contact any individual when content that person has posted is inappropriate and represents a pattern of abuse. If the abuse continues, the moderator may suspend the rights of the abuser to participate.