ADMIN: Information about soc.adoption.adoptees newsgroup. READ THIS FIRST!!
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is posted to the newsgroup monthly. It is also available at
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/8126/ ]
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Adoptees Newsgroup Policy Posting - soc.adoption.adoptees (moderated)
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Last updated: Sunday, March 2, 1998 16:30:00 PST
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Table of Contents
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***The Part That EVERYONE Needs To Know***
I. HOW TO USE THE NEWSGROUP
A. WELCOME/WHY WE ARE HERE
B. POSTING GUIDELINES FOR THE NEWSGROUP
C. TROUBLESHOOTING AND THE NEWSGROUP
***Read On If You Are Interested***
II. WHO AND WHY WE ARE
A. THE ADOPTEES NEWSGROUP STAFF
B. SUGGESTIONS
C. NEWSGROUP CHARTER
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I. HOW TO USE THE NEWSGROUP
A. WELCOME to the Adoptees Newsgroup, soc.adoption.adoptees (moderated), a
newsgroup For Adoptees by Adoptees. The Adoptees Newsgroup began in July 1996
in order to provide adoptees with a forum for the discussion of adoptees
issues.
Please read this policy posting thoroughly before sending anything to the
newsgroup as there are important procedures that must be followed before any
messages will be accepted. Additionally, this policy posting contains valuable
information, so please keep it for future reference. The Adoptees Newsgroup
policy posting is updated periodically and posted weekly to the newsgroup. It
is also available at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/8126/
This document explains the policies of the Adoptees Newsgroup, which are
decided upon and maintained by its moderators, who have the responsibility and
authority to enforce them per newsgroup charter. These policies are based
upon:
- The Adoptees Newsgroup charter
- Commonly accepted standards of moderation for Usenet World-Wide Newsgroups
- Feedback of active participants within the newsgroup.
More information is given at the end of this document on how active
participants may make suggestions to the newsgroup staff.
Please note: The term "newsgroup staff" refers to the group of volunteers who
serve as moderators, facilitators, and advisory board members to this
newsgroup. This forum is served 100% by volunteers and there is NO money
involved.
WHY WE ARE HERE
This newsgroup is designed to be a place where adoptees can gather for advice,
support, and discussions of a miriad of adoptee-related topics and all
adoptees are encouraged to participate. Please be encouraged to freely share
your experiences and feelings as related to being an adoptee.
While other interested persons are welcome to participate, this forum is
focused on serving adoptees.
B. RULES AND GUIDELINES OF THE NEWSGROUP
The Adoptees Newsgroup is a moderated newsgroup, which means everything sent
to the newsgroup is screened for content and must meet the criteria laid out in
the charter and this policy posting. Only material related to the adoptee
experience will be posted to the newsgroup and non-compliant messages are
automatically rejected.
1. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES
SUBMISSIONS FOR POSTING TO THE NEWSGROUP
To post to the adoptees newsgroup, address your submission to
mailto:socadopti...@email.com , with the appropriate subject label in the
subject field.
1.1 NEWSGROUP SUBJECT LINE LABELS
Each article sent to the newsgroup must contain a subject "label" indicating
the general topic of the article's contents. This label must appear as the
first word in the subject line (unless replying to a thread, in which case the
Re: field is ignored). Submissions must be related to one of the approved
topic headings.
When a post to the newsgroup is missing one of these subject labels, it will
be automatically rejected and returned to the author with an explanation of why
the post was rejected. [Moderator's note: In the past, I have been very
lenient with these headings, especially the SEARCH: heading. I will be
automating this process soon, so the headers will need to be adhered to
religiously!]
The following is the list of subject labels accepted by the newsgroup:
ADMIN: For use by the newsgroup moderators only. Important Newsgroup news,
really a must read for all.
ANSWERS: For use by the newsgroup Answer Team only. Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ) and their answers appear in articles posted under this topic.
CONSUMER REVIEW: This is the place for adoptees to discuss their success or
failures with various agencies (for-profit, non-profit, or Social Service),
PI's, etc. Different than SEARCH, this will allow public praise or criticism
of for profit and social service agencies that offer search help.
**NOTE: The views expressed under the Consumer Reviews topic header are the
opinions of the author(s) only, and may not take the form of a personal
attack.
The newsgroup staff take no responsibility for the content or validity
thereof.
Anyone wishing to rebut a message found in this section may do so with the
assurance that their rebuttal will be posted in full, provided it does not
take the form of a personal attack.
EDITORIAL: A place for adoptees to submit articles, essays, poetry, etc. on
adoptee issues and elicit feedback. Also, guest editorials from known
adoption-issues speakers may be posted here regularly.
GENERAL: Whatever doesn't fit elsewhere.
LEGAL: Legislative, policy, political discussions about adoption.
SEARCH: Searchers and others offering general help to adults; those adults
who are searching asking for assistance. Also an appropriate place for
searching birthparents to post information on their adult child(ren).
SOCIAL: Social aspects to adoption, attitudes, impact of adoption on
day-to-day living, relationships, a-parents, etc.
RANT: This would be a place to just vent. Let it all out. Anger,
frustration, sadness, or even ecstasy - these are all a part of the adoptee
experience, and here is a place to vent those feelings. Just keep in mind
that personal attacks or "flames" will be rejected.
REUNION: Dedicated to postcards from the edge or the other side of searching.
Notice that the required headers include the ":". Therefore the proper heading
for searching is "SEARCH:" not "SEARCH". For example:
SEARCH: 7/21/60 Male Los Angeles, CA
Additional subject line headers will be added and announced by the staff as
needed.
1.2 E-MAIL TO THE STAFF
To send mail to the newsgroup staff which is not intended for posting to the
newsgroup (i.e. a request for information), send your mail to
socadopti...@email.com.
1.4 POSTING TURNAROUND TIMETABLE
As a guideline, please anticipate a minimum 1 day, maximum 3 day turnaround
time from the point which you hit "Send" of your submission to the point that
it actually appears on the newsgroup and can be seen by your newsreader. This
timetable assumes that your post meets all requirements and is not rejected.
1.5 POSTING OF SENSITIVE, PERSONALLY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION
As with any other public forum, it is not appropriate to broadcast personal
identifying information, such as home address, telephone number, names, social
security numbers, etc. about oneself or any other person on this newsgroup.
The staff takes no responsibility for the outcome of any information posted to
the newsgroup. It should be noted that a person is less likely to receive
undesirable contact (such as phone calls, mail, "knock at the door", etc.) if
they do not reveal such personal information in public.
1.6 DISAGREEMENTS/DEBATES/DIFFERENCES OF OPINION
Disagreement among newsgroup readers is welcome, and expression of different
opinions is encouraged; however, personal attacks are not permitted and will
not be tolerated. Personal debates are rarely interesting to other, non
participatory newsgroup readers after the first message or two. If an
extended debate develops between you and another participant, it must be taken
off-line to private e-mail.
1.7 ADVERTISING POLICY
The Newsgroup is not to be used, directly or indirectly, for commercial
purposes of any sort. While advertising is prohibited, the newsgroup staff is
powerless over who reads this group and chooses to solicit people in email
based on a post. Please ask others for recommendations and do everything you
can to educate yourself before giving money to anyone. This goes double for
giving over money based on an unsolicited advertisement in your email.
1.8 SIGNATURE LIMITATIONS
Signature files may not include mention of any goods or services a business
provides and are limited to no more than 4 lines of text. The moderator(s)
have the authority, at their discretion, to delete a non-compliant signature
file from any submission prior to posting it to the newsgroup, or to simply
reject the submission with an explanation.
1.9 NETIQUETTE
Postings to soc.adoption.adoptees (moderated) should be compliant with the
standards for all material posted to Usenet. The following articles may be
found in news.announce.newusers, and should be reviewed by all posters:
-Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on Netiquette
-Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Usenet
-A Primer on How to Work With the Usenet Community
-Rules for posting to Usenet
-What is Usenet?
Please edit messages when replying. Many lines of quoted text are an
annoyance to most readers. Remember, the message to which you are replying has
already been read, therefore there is no need to quote a lot of text in a
response.
Messages offering personal sentiments (such as congratulations on a find) or
"I agree 100%" type responses should be sent via private email. Remember the
silver rule of Netiquette: Thou shalt never say "Me too".
C. TROUBLESHOOTING AND THE NEWSGROUP
2. SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The newsgroup staff exercise a "zero tolerance" of sexual harassment of any
kind. Any subscriber who feels that they are being personally harassed in
connection with this newsgroup should immediately report the harassment to
their own ISP and privately to the Newsgroup Staff,
socadopti...@email.com.
The newsgroup staff will work in full cooperation with the subscriber's ISP to
insure an environment that is a safe place for everyone.
3. ANONYMOUS POSTINGS
The Adoptees Newsgroup accepts submissions from any domain, including
anonymous remailers, provided the submission meets all of the requirements laid
out in the charter and newsgroup policies. Submissions are approved or rejected
based on the content, not the author.
II. WHO AND WHY WE ARE
A. THE ADOPTEES NEWSGROUP STAFF
1 STAFF JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND SELECTION PROCESS:
1.1 MODERATOR
The Adoptees Newsgroup moderator has the following responsibilities:
- Ensure that all newsgroup content is within the guidelines established by
the charter and policies.
- Promote and represent the Newsgroup to the Internet Community and to the
larger community of adoptees everywhere.
- Ensure the continuation and day-to-day management of the newsgroup.
- Work with the assistant moderator(s), facilitators, and advisory board to
make changes and continually move the newsgroup towards its goals and to
benefit its subscribers.
1.1.2 TEMPORARY REPLACEMENT OF MODERATOR
During temporary absences of the moderator (i.e. vacations, emergencies,
etc.), the moderator shall choose one of the assistant moderators to temporarily
assume the responsibilities and authority of the moderator.
1.1.3 LENGTH OF SERVICE/SUCCESSORS
The moderator remains in office until s/he resigns their position and names a
successor.
The outgoing moderator shall choose their successor from among the existing
assistant moderators and submit their name to the active readership of the
group for a vote of confidence. A simple majority vote of confidence shall be
evidence enough for the moderator to install the nominated assistant moderator
as the newsgroup moderator. In the event of an untimely departure of the
moderator (i.e. death), the advisory board shall submit the name of one of
the existing assistant moderators to the readership for a vote of confidence.
A simple majority vote of confidence from the readership shall be sufficient
for the advisory board to install their nominee to the position of moderator.
Moderator: Roger Smith - lar...@mindinfo.net
1.2 ASSISTANT MODERATORS
- Volunteers who assist the moderator in the above through the fulfillment of
various responsibilities.
- Participate with the moderator, facilitators, and advisory board in
implementing changes and continually moving the newsgroup towards its goals
and to benefit its readers.
Assistant Moderators are selected by the newsgroup moderator, primarily based
on need and specific talents/benefits a person has shown themselves to offer
the newsgroup and are chosen from the active participants of the newsgroup.
The Moderator and Assistant Moderators are known, collectively, as "the
moderators".
1.2.1 LENGTH OF SERVICE/SUCCESSORS
Assistant moderators, once appointed, remain in office until:
- They are chosen to replace the outgoing moderator.
- They voluntarily resign.
- They are dismissed as the result of a dispute resolution action by the rest
of the staff.
Outgoing assistant moderators may be replaced, if a need exists, by
appointment from the moderator. Assistant moderators are chosen from the active
participants of the newsgroup.
Assistant Moderator: Damsel Plum - dp...@ix.netcom.com
1.3 FACILITATORS
- Volunteers who assist the moderators in the goals and tasks of newsgroup
management through the fulfillment of various responsibilities.
- Appointed by the moderators as needed, working under the supervision of at
least one assistant moderator for a set goal, task, and time frame.
- Chosen among active newsgroup participants and primarily based on need and
specific talents/benefits a person has shown themselves to offer the
newsgroup.
1.3.1 LENGTH OF SERVICE/SUCCESSORS
Facilitators, once appointed, remain in office for the duration of their
predefined term or until:
- They voluntarily resign.
- They are dismissed as the result of a dispute resolution action by the rest
of the staff.
Outgoing facilitators who vacate their office prior to the end of the
predetermined term of office, may be replaced by appointment from the
newsgroup moderators (moderator and assistant moderators). Facilitators are
chosen from the active participants of the newsgroup.
SEARCH topic Facilitator: ValerieDrake-Altman - pno...@bbs.cpcn.com
ANSWERS TEAM Facilitator: Shea Grimm - sh...@oz.net
1.4 ADVISORY BOARD
- Volunteers who assist the staff by way of advisement and counsel in decision
making.
- Advisory board members offer specific talents and experience which they
share with the staff, yet have no responsibility for the administration of the
newsgroup.
- Board members are selected annually by the newsgroup moderator and assistant
moderators.
- Criteria for selection includes:
*history of beneficial participation with the newsgroup
*ability to serve for one year
*demonstrated unique experience and gifting which can benefit the newsgroup
There shall be a minimum of three seats on the advisory board with additional
seats being added or subtracted by the moderators as needed.
1.4.1 LENGTH OF SERVICE/SUCCESSORS
Advisory Board Members, once appointed, remain in office for (1) a term of one
year; (2) until they voluntarily resign; or (3) they are dismissed as the
result of a dispute resolution action by the rest of the staff, whichever
comes first.
Advisory board members are selected annually by the newsgroup moderators
(moderator and assistant moderators). Should a board member vacate the office
prior to the end of the one year term, the remaining board members shall
determine if the seat should be left vacant for the remainder of the term, or
if a replacement should be sought. If the board determines that a replacement
is needed for the remainder of that term, then the board shall make a request
to the moderator for a replacement. The moderators shall select a replacement
board member to fill the vacant seat from the active participants of the
newsgroup. If the board determines that no replacement is necessary, then the
seat shall remain vacant for the remainder of that term.
1996 Advisory Board:
(for the term beginning July 1, 1997, and ending June 30, 1998)
Cameron Byrd - bh...@lafn.org
Jeff Hartung - har...@crl.ucsd.edu
Bob Alberti - alb...@freenet.msp.mn.us
In all Newsgroup staff cases above, death is considered the same as voluntary
resignation.
1.5 DISPUTE RESOLUTION
In the event of a dispute between staff members, the moderator shall convene
an offline discussion of the entire staff to remedy the situation. It is the
moderator's responsibility to ensure the smooth day-to-day operations of
the newsgroup during such time, and s/he may appoint temporary facilitators
from the active participants in order to fulfill this responsibility should
the need arise.
B. MAKING SUGGESTIONS
Suggestions for newsgroup improvements are welcome. Please mail such
suggestions to mailto:socadopti...@email.com and include Newsgroup
Suggestion in the subject field of your mail. Suggestions are reviewed by the
moderators weekly.
C. NEWSGROUP CHARTER
CHARTER: soc.adoption.adoptees
Soc.adoption.adoptees is a moderated group for discussion, education, mutual
support, and information by and for adoptees.
While other interested persons are welcome to participate, this forum is
focused on serving adoptees.
This is an appropriate place to gain information on how to be supportive of an
adopted person in your life.
This is not an appropriate place to post lists of children free for adoption,
"Dear Birth Mother" letters, or adoption agency advertisements. This is not
an appropriate place to ask for information on how to adopt. This is not an
appropriate place to ask us to do your homework or school paper. This is not
an appropriate place for a non-adopted person to attempt a lecture on
"gratitude".
Moderation policies
1.) No commercial advertising, directly or indirectly, will be permitted on
soc.adoption.adoptees with the following exceptions:
- Announcement of upcoming conferences that may be of interest to adoptees.
- Evaluative comments of services and products aimed at adoptees from those
without a financial interest in the product/service.
- Non-profit services aimed at adoptees such as a reunion registry may be
evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
2.) No cross posting of other groups with soc.adoption.adoptees in the
newsgroup line. Exceptions for informational postings (RFD, FAQs
announcements of new groups, etc) will be made on a case by case basis.
3.) Inflammatory remarks directed at specific newsgroup members will be
excluded at the moderator's discretion. Also, inflammatory remarks directed
at the race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. of an individual or group will
not be tolerated.
4.) Subject headings. In order to make it easier for readers to identify
topic threads, subject headings will be used as the first word in the thread [or
Re: <heading> in a reply]. The complete list of headings currently in use will
appear in the Policy Posting.
MODERATOR INFO: soc.adoption.adoptees
Moderator: Roger Smith <lar...@mindinfo.net>
Soc.adoption.adoptees will be moderated so that posts outside the scope of the
charter can be rejected.
The moderator's duty is to uphold the charter by rejecting posts that do not
conform to it.
END CHARTER
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
This Policy Posting (c)Copyright 1998 Roger Smith
(mailto:lar...@mindinfo.net). All Rights Reserved. Permission is hereby
granted for this policy posting to be duplicated or redistributed in any
fashion (except publication to CD ROM or other merchandiseable media) provided
said duplication or redistribution includes the entire posting with no
additions, deletions, or changes, and provided this copyright notice is left
intact on all copies or redistributions. Permission is specifically denied for
any duplication, quotation, or redistribution of this posting on any CD ROM or
other merchandiseable media.
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*To submit articles, e-mail them to mailto:socadopti...@email.com*
*For Administrative help, e-mail mailto:lar...@mindinfo.net *
*More info, http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/8126/ *
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