Status of Policy Draft to date
OK, below is a draft of text that's been developed in the effort to form Policy.
[LIST][*] A couple of sections are still in development.[*] We haven't had the chance to incorporate the comments made in this thread yet. That will come next.[*] The text refers to our [URL="http://www.bmwmoa.org/privacy_policy.htm"]Terms of Service[/URL] (ToS) which are published on the main web site. Some of this text is gonna require work, too.[/LIST]
So, here goes... and don't look for any replies from me this weekend... I am going camping! :burnout
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[B]User conduct[/B]
The BMW MOA message boards are a place for our community to come together. Here we share roads and rides, talk about upcoming events, give advice on tech issues, even just shoot the breeze on topics not even related to motorcycles. What we don’t do is attack each other or act in a way that would bring discredit to us as individuals or the organization as a whole. We cannot encourage enough the use of simple common sense – if you wouldn’t say it over breakfast with newly met friends at a neat old diner on some amazingly off the beaten track scenic road, then don’t say it here.
[B]Hot buttons[/B]
OK, the above is vague. We know that. We intended that, we’d rather folks rely on common sense than look to a long list of specific rules. Because many of us have bosses, spouses, even kids looking over our shoulders as we read the boards, think of them as your audience. That said, it never hurts to make a few things quite plain.
1. No flaming. Just don’t do it. Clever quips and snappy retorts are part of any conversation, we mean the ill-intended, vicious personal attack.
2. No vulgar or Inflammatory Language. You know what we mean – if it is something you wouldn’t want your boss looking over your shoulder to see, don’t write it.
[B]Code of conduct[/B]
The code of conduct began as a long list of bad behaviors, since abandoned for a single, 2-word line: Play nice. It is simple and easy to remember.
[B]Banned topics or topics that lead to flame wars?[/B]
As winter sets in and snow gathers round our trusty steeds conversations naturally start to wander. As we look out the window and see snow and sleet instead of sun the frustrations of not riding often set in. Over the years (and many winters) we’ve pretty much been able to identify some things that inevitably start flame wars, breed ill will, and just in general make people act in ways they’d never have believed themselves capable (and yes, that is meant in the bad way.) Below are a few of these topics – if you feel compelled to debate them, there are plenty of places to do it on the Internet. In other words, don’t do it here.
1. Religion and abortion
2. Politics
3. Handguns
[B]Moderators[/B] - Still in draft stage
[LIST=1][*]Qualifications[*]Selection / nomination process[*]Code of conduct[*]Communication with members, staff and C&M MOA BOD members[/LIST]
[B]Professional Staff [/B]- Still in draft stage
[LIST=1][*]Recommendations for conduct[*]Policy for direct PM to members on hot threads.[/LIST]
[B]Moderation, enforcement and management of threads[/B]
[B]Cause for editing a post[/B]
We don’t edit posts. If it is bad enough to violate this ToS we’ll just delete it.
[B]Cause for deleting a post[/B]
Posts that violate the ToS will be deleted. The moderators have a lot of leeway – if in their judgment it is incidental or by mistake they may or may not notify the poster to edit his own post. That said, there are no guarantees and if, in the best judgment of a Moderator, the post violates the ToS he can delete it at will.
[B]Cause for editing a poll[/B]
Again – we don’t edit.
[B]Cause for deleting a poll[/B]
Polls that violate the ToS will be deleted. The moderators have a lot of leeway – if in their judgment it is incidental or by mistake they may or may not notify the poster to edit his own poll. That said, there are no guarantees and if, in the best judgment of a Moderator, the poll violates the ToS he can delete it at will.
[B]Suspension of posting privileges.[/B]
The BMW MOA is a large and diverse family. We have Members from all over the world, from all age groups, from all walks of life. Each brings a unique and valuable perspective. Because of this we don’t take suspending posting privileges lightly. We also take maintaining a friendly and fraternal atmosphere, and if a user threatens that with violations of the ToS, he can (and most likely will) have his posting privileges suspended. Generally (there is that common sense thing again)…
1. A user will be warned for violating the ToS.
2. The next step, for someone who cannot heed a warning, is a 1-week suspension of posting privileges.
3. Should that week not suffice and ToS violations continue, the suspension will extend to 30 days.
4. Should that not suffice and ToS violations continue, the user’s posting privileges will be suspended until such a time as the BMW MOA Board of Directors, acting on a petition by the suspended user for the probationary return of posting privileges, approves of the probationary lifting of the suspension.
As always, an user who believes action is either not sufficient or is too harsh should contact the BMW MOA Executive Director Ray Zimmerman at [email]rayz@bmwmoa.org[/email] (it will help to have a complete explanation of your thoughts with links to specific threads and posts.)
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