LDSC: Reminder of LDSClerks List Policies and Instructions
Alan Brown
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It's been quite a while since a reminder was sent out of the list
policies, so here it is for your edification:
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LDSClerks List policies
BRIEF LIST DESCRIPTION
LDSClerks is an email list for Ward and Stake Clerks and Ward and Stake
Executive Secretaries to discuss how to perform their duties and to share
information about their duties. The duties of Clerks and Executive
Secretaries are some of the most complicated in the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. While the discussion is for Clerks, Bishops, Stake
Presidents and even the general membership of the Church, may join the
list, provided that they stick to the topic.
LDSClerks was started in December 1998 by Kent Larsen. Members of the list
share their successes and struggles as Clerks or Executive Secretaries and
their ideas and tools for making Wards and Stakes successful.
Membership in LDSClerks is open to anyone. However, people that violate the
list rules will be permanently removed from the list.
LDSClerks is delivered through two different servers. Through the
user-friendly yahoogroups interface
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ldsclerks/) and through the mailman list
software interface (which you are reading now). All these servers offer
their own digest version, in addition to individual messages. We are
open to establishing versions of LDSClerks on other servers also.
Posts from list members using the mailman interface are automatically
sent on to all the list members. Posts from yahoogroups and from those not
on the mailman version of the list list are delayed until a list manager
can review them, in order to limit spam.
WIKICLERKS PROJECT
LSDClerks recently began a wiki project to gather the information we have
collected and shared about the clerical function into a single place. Like
wikipedia and other public wikis, anyone who registers on the LDSClerks
wiki can add pages and make changes to the wiki. We encourage all list
members to help improve the wiki and make it another useful source of
information for clerks.
As of May 2008, the wiki includes more than 90 pages created and edited by
272 registered users.
You can access the wiki at:
WHO RUNS THIS LIST AND WHY
LDSClerks is owned by Kent Larsen. It is run on a server I rent using
software provided by my service provider.
I provide LDSClerks as a free service to the Mormon community on the
Internet. I have no plans to ever charge for this service. By sharing ideas
and techniques, I hope that the work of all Clerks and Executive
Secretaries will be easier.
In addition to me, there are six list members who help moderate the list
and wikiclerks.
HOW MUCH TRAFFIC DOES THIS LIST GET?
LDSClerks gets between 1 and 20 messages a day, depending on the
contributions from subscribers.
HOW IS THE LIST CONFIGURED?
LDSClerks is run using the mailman list software. It is configured to
allow any member to post immediately. Posts from yahoogroups and from
members subscribed using yahoogroups are sent to the list managers to
verify that they are not spam. Non-members posts are reviewed by the
list managers and then sent to the list.
LDSClerks is available on both services sent message by message or as
a digest of the messages sent recently.
RECEIVING POSTS FROM THE LIST
The address you subscribe from (the address this message is sent to) is the
address that will get all messages from LDSClerks. If this address is
wrong, please unsubscribe, and send a subscription request from the address
you want the messages to go to.
Many times messages sent to list subscribers are returned (i.e., 'bounced')
by the various mail servers on the Internet, for a variety of reasons.
These reasons include both temporary problems (such as a network problem)
and more permanent problems (such as an address that has been deleted by a
service provider).
The most common 'bounced' message is that the subscriber's mailbox is full
(which generally happens when you don't read your messages quickly enough).
Regardless of reason, if mail sent to a subscriber's address bounces for
more than 24 hours, the subscriber's address will be moved to the digest
list.
When the subscriber's address bounces for more than 24 hours with a
permanent reason (such as 'user unknown' - indicating that the address no
longer exists), the address will be removed from the list permanently.
Occasionally, the system a subscriber is on returns bounces to the list
address instead of to the sender, as Internet rules require. Since this
causes email loops, we have no choice but to remove the subscriber from
the list. However, a note will be sent to the postmaster of the errant
system explaining the problem, and asking them to let the subscriber know.
LDSClerks does not permit subscriptions by addresses that redistribute or
archive its messages.
SENDING POSTS TO THE LIST
Please keep the following in mind when sending messages to LDSClerks.
KEEP TO THE SUBJECT! Make sure your posts are about the Clerical or
Secretarial functions..
BE COURTEOUS AND KIND in your posts. Many subscribers are particularly
sensitive to contentious discussion, and such discussion is discouraged.
However, list subscribers are also warned that disagreements will happen,
and that many of these will not end in agreement.
TRIM THE MATERIAL YOU QUOTE. When you reply to a message from the list,
most mailing programs 'quote' the entire message you are replying to,
including headers, footers and previous quoted material. You should edit
this material, leaving only the information most relevant to your reply. If
nothing else, you should delete the header and footer that we attach to
every message so that we don't see the same bits of information repeated
multiple times in the message.
FORMAT YOUR POSTS CLEARLY. Put blank lines between paragraphs and try to
keep your lines to a reasonable length. Don't attach
non-text enclosures to your messages (some mail programs can't handle
them). Keep your signatures of reasonable size (3 to 4 lines). Don't send
identifying attachments (such as PGP signatures or VCF cards).
SEND PLAIN TEXT!! While the list software will allow html, and "rich text"
formatting in your messages, we prefer plain text because of the problems
some recipients have in reading these messages,
DO NOT SEND ATTACHMENTS. Because many attachments contain viruses or
provide spam, we do not permit attachments to be sent to the list, unless
a list manager has reviewed them. A better solution would be to use the
yahoogroups interface, which includes a "files" page where attachments can
be uploaded for others to access. OR, register on the wiki at:
and upload the file to an appropriate page on the wiki. If you have a
website, you can make the file available on your website and send a link
to the list.
BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU REPLY. The software is configured so that replies are
sent to the list, unless you change the address. Please make sure that you
want your reply to go to the list, instead of to the person who wrote the
message. You can change the recipient if you wish.
DON'T SEND 'ME TOOS'. Make sure the posts you send have new information
that hasn't been said yet. Before you send a reply, it is probably better
to read the rest of the posts from LDSClerks that you have received to make
sure someone else hasn't already said what you are going to say.
UNACCEPTABLE POSTS
Messages with the following material are unacceptable and can result in
subscribers being removed from LDSClerks.
* Announcements and notices about other, non-Clerical or Secretarial
resources are not appropriate.
* Messages that are simply commercial advertisements are also not
permitted. (Reasonably short signature lines and on topic replies that
mention commercial products are OK).
* Virus warnings, chain letters, charitable requests, etc. are not permitted.
* Trivia questions, polls, surveys, etc. are also not permitted.
* Messages containing copyrighted material. This includes all material
published by the Church, including material in lesson manuals,
administrative materials and even the Church Magazines and Handbooks. This
material is only licensed for home and church use. Much as we would like it
to be otherwise, LDSClerks is neither home nor church use.
If you want to change your subscription, do NOT send the request to the list.
Instead use either the yahoogroups interface (if you are subscribed there)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ldsclerks/ or the mailman interface
http://lists.mormonstoday.com/listinfo/ldsclerks
The list managers will not respond to messages sent to the list.
Don't send messages crossposted (i.e., cc'ed) to multiple lists. These
messages are almost always off-topic.
ENFORCEMENT
The list owner is the final arbiters of all the rules outlined in this
document and that apply to LDSClerks.
Actions the list owner can take include, but are not limited to, removing
subscribers permanently from the list, removing them for a period of time,
keeping the subscriber from posting to the list, and moving the subscriber
temporarily or permanently to the digest version of the list.
OTHER LIST RULES
1. LDSClerks' addresses may not be used to SPAM. Subscribing to LDSClerks
in order to collect email addresses is strictly prohibited. The addresses
on the list are not available to list subscribers and the list is not for
sale under any circumstances. Sending spam or unsolicited commercial or
bulk email to other list subscribers, even off-list, is prohibited.
2. Anonymous posts or posts with forged addresses or headers are also
prohibited and will not be sent to the list. We can not see any reason why
anyone would need to send a post like this to LDSClerks.
3. Offensive or abusive post to other list subscribers, even if off-list,
is also strictly prohibited.
4. Be careful about using 'vacation' or other programs that automatically
reply to your email. These programs can cause email loops, and your address
will be immediately removed from the list if a loop occurs.
DISCLAIMERS
The content of messages sent to LDSClerks are the sole responsibility of
the person that sent the message. That person retains copyright over the
message, but grants to Kent Larsen the non-exclusive right to
redistribute the message to list members, to publish the message in the
LDSClerks archives, to extract the message and include it on wikiclerks
and to publish the message in other ways consistent with the list LDSClerks.
LDSClerks is not affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints in any way. Messages on the list therefore do not and can not
represent the official policy of the Church.
If you have any questions or problems, please contact Kent Larsen.
DETAILED SUBSCRIBE AND UNSUBSCRIBE INFORMATION:
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE AND UNSUBSCRIBE
For the yahoogroups version of the list, simply visit the yahoogroups page
for ldsclerks:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ldsclerks/
There you will find clear instructions for joining and leaving this group
and many others.
For the mailman version of the list, please visit the list page:
http://lists.mormonstoday.com/listinfo/ldsclerks
As a reminder, the basic subscribe and unsubscribe command instructions are
summarized at the end of every post.
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>From LDSClerks: Please do not send copyrighted material to LDSClerks.
See list info at:
http://lists.mormonstoday.com/listinfo/ldsclerks
Or visit the LDS Clerks wiki at:
http://www.ldsclerks.org/