The Community Usage Guidelines have been adapted from the Jive Etiquette and Guidelines Examples (http://www.jivesoftware.com/clearstep/docs/DOC-1031).   Thanks to Jive for letting OEN use this material.

Community Usage Guidelines Basics

• Respect copyright, fair use, and financial disclosure laws.

• Protect all confidential and proprietary information.

• Write in the first person and identify yourself by name and internet address. Speak for yourself, not for the company.

• Protect your credibility. Correct your mistakes, and don't alter previous posts without indicating that you have done so.

• Respect your audience. Lively discussions are always encouraged, but never resort to insults, slurs, or obscene language. Steer clear of unrelated topics that could be considered objectionable or inflammatory – such as politics and religion.

Rules of Behavior
Adapted from Wikipedia:Etiquette

• Treat others as you would have them treat you - especially if they are new. We were all new once.  Help someone learn the ropes!

• Be polite, please!

• Keep in mind that raw text is ambiguous and often seems ruder than the same words coming from a person standing in front of you. Irony isn't always obvious - text comes without facial expressions, vocal inflection or body language. Be careful of the words you choose - what you intended might not be what others perceive, and what you read might not be what the author intended.

• Work toward agreement.

• Argue facts, not personalities.

• Don't ignore questions.

• If another disagrees with your edit, provide good reasons why you think it's appropriate.

• Concede a point when you have no response to it, or admit when you disagree based on intuition or taste.

• Be civil.

• Be prepared to apologize. In animated discussions, we often say things we later wish we hadn't. Say so.

• Forgive and forget.

• Recognize your own biases and keep them in check.

• Give praise when due. Everybody likes to feel appreciated, especially in an environment that often requires compromise.

• Remove or summarize resolved disputes that you initiated.

• Help mediate disagreements between others.

• Avoid deletions whenever possible, except in cases of clear vandalism.

• Photos - please ask people for their permission if you are taking their photo.  Let them know that we do use photos from events on our website and, if they are uncomfortable with that, they should let us know immediately.  Since this is a business community website, please refrain from adding images or photos (including profile pics) that are inappropriate or in bad taste.

• Notify the Community Admin (admin@oen.org) if there are issues with the community site (broken links, foul language, page errors, etc.).