API Listserv

The API listserv is intended for all API members to engage in an informal exchange of knowledge, sharing of experiences, posting of questions and answers, requests for organizational activities, notices of funding opportunities, and any other comments of general interest to our members.

Messages will be received by everyone on the listserv. Please do not send personal messages through the listserv unless you are sure you want everyone to see them. Messages can be sent with attached files. Messages are not moderated (in other words, no one is screening the e-mails before they are sent out to the members of the group).

REMEMBER: When you REPLY to a message, your response will be sent to ALL members of the listserv and not just to the sender. If you wish to respond only to the sender, then delete the listserv address and key in the sender's e-mail address.

Please note that this listserv does not have a website for uploading files and for searching old messages. Instead of uploading files to a website, messages can be sent with attached files up to five megabytes. The API office will keep an archive, and members can set up email folders to archive messages on their own computers.

One of the features of all listservs is that your e-mail address of record is the registered user. If you are using another computer or e-mail address that is not your registered e-mail address, you will NOT be able to send a message or reply to messages (the listserv security system will reject e-mails from any unauthorized e-mail address). However annoying, this is part of the security system that prevents unauthorized individuals from hacking into the system. If you would like to register an alternate e-mail with the listserv, let the API office know by sending an e-mail message to api@asip.org. Remember that if you do this, your alternate e-mail will receive a duplicate of every message that goes out from the listserv.

Netiquette Policy for API
 

• The API is a heterogeneous association; individuals need to understand the needs and sensitivities of the whole group
• We assume this forum is open and non-judgmental: a marketplace of ideas. To facilitate a collegial environment, communications should use established rules of netiquette, including that members:
  • Show proper decorum and respect;
  • Avoid sarcasm or aggressive verbal behavior toward other members or commercial products
  • Use courteous language
• The API list server is NOT a "commercial" environment
  • Permission from a member is required prior to that member's name being a referenced to or by a vendor
  • Comments of members using a commercial product are welcome
  • It is acceptable to use the name of a product on the listserv, however an aggressive sales approach with regard to a product is not acceptable;
  • Refrain from repeating rumors or second hand comments, particularly when negative and perhaps unsubstantiated;
  • It is important is to state one's relationship to a referenced product: i.e. are you a vendor, user, or was the information derived from ads or literature;
  • Individual vendors may communicate to members directly regarding products, but should declare their status as a vendor, identify their products and any financial relationships;
  • Commercial advertisements are not acceptable in any form.
• When replying to messages from the list, do not copy the entire previous message in your reply. Quoting the prior author should be limited to the point in question and should not include the entire prior e-mail. Including the entire prior mail results in duplication and decreased effectiveness of list search tools
  • At any time members should consider taking a personal topic of interest offline to discuss ideas and experiences one-on-one with another member;
  • In quoting other members it is critical to maintain the original context of the statement;
  • State one's relationship to a home institution or to a vendor, when relevant;
  • Document, when possible, using URLs
• Attachments should typically not be sent to the list. This is particularly true of large files such as images. Remember, everyone of the list is sent the file. This can be a huge drain on performance and bandwidth. Files to be shared should be posted to an ftp server or web server. The URLs to those files can then be sent to the list.

Rules of Netiquette: The Core Rules Of Netiquette
The Core Rules of Netiquette are excerpted from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea. Click on each rule for elaboration. (http://www.albion.com/netiquette/ )

• Introduction
• Rule 1: Remember the Human
• Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
• Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace
• Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth
• Rule 5: Make yourself look good online
• Rule 6: Share expert knowledge
• Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control
• Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy
• Rule 9: Don't abuse your power
• Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes

Netiquette issues specific for discussion groups:
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/book/0963702513p65.html

07/11/2006