ka@hou3c.UUCP (Kenneth Almquist) (04/13/84)
Here are the ethical rules which we are applying for the COM usage
at QZCOM. I am fully aware that they are not comprehensive.
Note: To make them applicable to ARPANET, just replace the word
"conference" with the word "mailing list" wherever it appears
below.
In addition to this, I believe that in the EIES computer conference
system, they have much experience on ethical guidelines for
computer-mediated message systems. I suggest that you ask someone
there to send in their guidelines. You could e.g. write to
"Elaine Kerr" <114%NJIT-EIES.MAILNET@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA>
COPYRIGHT
Text in COM is copyrighted both by the author and the computer
centre running COM. Texts may be copied in single copies on paper
or to your personal computer for your own personal use. Other
copying requires permission from the computer centre.
A person who enters text into COM will thereby give permission for
this text to be copied to other message system according to the
principles commonly used for the COM system.
ADVERTISEMENTS IN COM
Commercial avertising is permitted in COM. However, QZ customers
who wish to publish advertisements in COM should to it only in
special COM conferences intended for the publication of
advertisements.
ETHICS, GENERAL
Just as in any other instance of human intercourse, certain ethical
guidelines should be applied to the usage of the COM system. Since
COM is a new medium which may be unfamiliar to many, it might be a
good idea to codify the more important of these guidelines in
writing. These guidelines are by no means mandatory, but they
should still be adhered to unless there are strong reasons for not
doing so.
MISREPRESENTATION OF FACT:
Should misrepresentation of fact occur in COM, this should be put
right at once, e.g. by using the COM command COMMENT to enter a
correction. Thus, the correction will automatically be sent to
anyone who got the misstatement before. Should the misrepresen-
tation be of personal data, routine procedure should also call for
erasing the entire notice containing the misstatement, by means of
the COM command ERASE OBJECT .
PASSING ON TEXTS:
Letters and entries of closed conferences should not be moved to
open ones without the author's permission.
POLITICAL PROPAGANDA:
The COM system should not be used for such activity as may be
interpreted as propaganda for a given political party.
This ethical rule does not prevent political discussions in COM.
Political questions might arise for various reasons; there might
for instance be discussions on research policy and other political
topics.
SUBJECTIVE STATEMENTS CONCERNING INDIVIDUALS:
Subjective statements concerning individual persons should not be
entered in open COM conferences.
IRONY:
Experience tells us that irony in COM is often misinterpreted and
taken seriously by mistake. This could be prevented by means of a
certain convention, accepted in COM. By this convention, you put
whatever you mean ironically within a special kind of "irony
parentheses". Like this: (. Text to be taken ironically .)
MAKING APPOINTMENTS VIA COM:
Making appointments via COM usually does not work very well. The
reason for this might be that COM is generally felt to be such an
interactive medium that you automatically try to make appointments
according to the same conventions as in face-to-face meetings. This
does not work. If you want to make an appointment via COM for a
physical meeting, you shall have to arrange for all participants
simultaneously to make a list of their available time. Guided by
this information, you may then quickly and easily book your
meeting.
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES OF THE ORGANIZERS:
The organizer's privileges of subtracting and moving entries, and
excluding members, should be employed with great care. Misrepresen-
tations of fact are often best corrected by means of a corrective
notice, in some instances combined with erasure of the incorrect
message.
The option to move entries should be used when the contents of an
entry has obviously no bearing on the purpose of the conference. In
this manner you will aid COM users who are trying to decide by
choice of conference what to read.ka@hou3c.UUCP (Kenneth Almquist) (04/19/84)
The article that this article is a followup to <51632@QZCOM> was written by Jacob_Palme_QZ@QZCOM.MAILNET and not by myself. My apologies for the error. Kenneth Almquist