General Overview

• The PrintOwners list is an unmoderated list. All messages are forwarded automatically to everyone on the list without any intervention on the part of the list manager or anyone else. Sometimes, when you hit the send key, your post will appear almost immediately. Other times, it will take a few minutes, depending on when the server refreshes.
• The list, although unmoderated, is not anonymous. Subscribers are expected to sign every message with their real name, company name, and city and state in the signature line of their email. It is totally acceptable to use a nickname, but please provide a signature with full contact info below your nickname.
• When a new member joins the list we ask that they provide complete information about who they are (name, name of printing firm, address, city, state, phone) on the online membership application. We do this so that we can verify that all members are real printers, versus being a vendor, someone wanting to gather sales data, or a mischief maker.
• The list manager reserves the right to remove anyone who, in its sole discretion, abuses the list.
• Only subscribers may post to the list, and only from the exact email address with which they subscribed. Posts will bounce if you try to send a message to the list from another email address.
• New members are "publicly" announced to the list every Wednesday afternoon. Your name, location, and company name will be posted to the PrintOwners list, so that everyone is aware of who our new members are.

Good Manners, Respect, and Civility

• Keep your audience in mind when you're messaging the entire list. If your response would be more appropriately sent to just one individual, please don't send it to the whole list. Send it privately instead.
• Flaming, personal attacks, or cyber-bullying will not be tolerated. Please avoid verbal hostility. In addition, judgmental and condescending tones are discouraged. If you disagree with someone and cannot be civil in your response, it is best not to say anything.
• Healthy debate and opposing points of view are acceptable and encouraged, but keep the discussion issue-oriented instead of personality-oriented. All subscribers are expected to conduct themselves as professional ladies and gentlemen.
• Please avoid discussions about politics and religion as these issues tend to polarize the list instead of uniting it. There is also a tendency for messages about politics and religious issues to become too negative and bitter. These types of discussions often deteriorate into flaming or personal attacks. Many list members find this offensive and sometimes they'll unsubscribe from the list as a sort of silent protest. Please keep our list strong by avoiding discussions that could easily deteriorate into an online brawl.
• Foul language is prohibited. Words like s**t, f**k, g*d d**m are never allowed in the subject line of messages, and you will be removed by the list manager if you post to the list in this manner. If someone gets a little over-exuberant in their message content and says something like "that really pisses me off" or "they can kiss my ass" it will be allowed--but it is strongly discouraged.
  Long-time list facilitator George Croft said it very well when he was discussing "Moderating Language on PONG." He said, "As has happened in the past, we have lost members as a result of language on a few recent threads. Some simply dropped off the list rather than have their mailboxes bombarded with BS and F-bombs they didn't want. In the future, please consider (our list) a living room and not a locker room. I'm sure there is no issue that can't be discussed without the graphic language. If you must, I'm sure using #@%&*! can get the point across."

Courtesies

• When replying to a message, please include something (a quote, paraphrase, summary) so others understand to what you are replying. If you quote the original message, retain only what is pertinent and edit the text to the minimum necessary to convey the original idea. Edit and summarize as necessary. Use an ellipsis (…) or to indicate the removal of body text. Include the original poster's name and/or email address when possible.
• It is NEVER appropriate to take someone's private email you received and post it to the list without their expressed permission. Nor should list messages be forwarded, printed, or otherwise shared with others without the expressed permission of the original poster(s). Not only is it unethical, but it's also a copyright violation. Don't do it.

Chatter

• Please do not use the PrintOwners list for chatter. Sometimes a list member gets a little over enthusiastic and will respond to six or seven different posts with short, two or three word comments--similar to texting. While this type of communication is friendly, chatter rarely adds to the quality of the conversation. Please resist the temptation to clutter up other people's inboxes with your chatter.

Sharing comments made on the list with vendors or outsiders

• The confidentiality between members of the PrintOwners list is considered part of our sacred trust. When a list member posts a comment, they do so with the assumption that it will only be read by other list members. You could say the PrintOwners list is an online discussion among "friends." List members' comments are intended to be part of that friendly conversation. Please do not forward comments made on the list to any outsiders. This includes vendors who might have a product or service that could provide a solution to the exact problem for which the list member is seeking help. Instead of compromising their confidentiality and trust, please post contact information about the vendor on the list so the printer in question can decide for themselves whether or not to contact the vendor.

Lurking guidelines for printers who want to lurk (read only)

• Lurking is the term used to describe a printer who joins the PrintOwners list but seldom or never participates in the discussions. Lurkers are read-only members.
• Lurkers are welcome and, while we hope lurkers will join the conversation from time to time, it is OK if you do not.
• Lurkers are required to participate in all "Question of the Week" surveys and polls. Participation in all surveys, polls, and questionnaires sent by the list manager is the minimum level of activity required to maintain membership on the PrintOwners list. You can lurk, but still make a valuable contribution to the PrintOwners list by participating in the "Question of the Week" surveys. If lurkers choose not to participate in these activities, they will be removed from the list.