META: List Principles, Guidelines and Procedures

GBurch1@aol.com
Sat, 22 Aug 1998 16:59:25 EDT

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.