Ballot to resolve listserve issues (11-22-05)

Respectfully submitted: Patti Twigg, Listserves Committee Chair and Moderator

 

Background: As our listserves have grown, the need for regulations or guidelines has become apparent. I have identified three general categories that are in need of written guidelines in order to clearly define the rules under which we wish to operate and make the functioning of our listserves more useful and efficient. In this document, I am presenting to you possible options only for the regulation of the two main listserves, MCCPTA_Bulletin and MCCPTA_Delegates. Any changes will become effective Dec. 1, 2005. I have tried to incorporate all suggestions and ideas received. Some were already included in current guidelines and so may not apply here but will be used to help clarify the existing documentation. Additions to this list from the floor are welcome, and will be added tonight. Please be sure to note any additions we make from the floor tonight before you vote.

 

I.  Below please find different categories of people who might be interested in subscribing to our listserves. There has been much discussion over the past year about limiting membership, and the decision was made to leave that choice to the Delegates. Please indicate which categories of individuals you think should have access to our MCCPTA listserves by placing an X next to it/them.

 

MCCPTA Bulletin: When thinking about who may be on this list, consider that draft resolutions are sent out via this list.

 

____ Anyone

____ Reporters

____ Elected Officials

____ People who are members of PTA (National, State, or Local)

____ People who are on Executive Board of their local PTA (usually officers, committee chairs)

____ People who can vote at Delegates Assemblies (local PTA presidents, MCCPTA Delegates, members of

         the MCCPTA Exec Board)

____ Other – please specify _____________________________________

____ Other – please specify _____________________________________

 

MCCPTA Delegates:

 

____ Anyone

____ Reporters

____ Elected Officials

_____ People who are members of PTA (National, State, Local)

_____ People who are on Executive Board of their local PTA (usually officers, committee chairs)

_____ People who can vote at Delegates Assemblies (local PTA presidents, MCCPTA Delegates,

           members of the MCCPTA Exec Board)

_____ Other – please specify _____________________________________

____ Other – please specify _____________________________________

 

 

II. Below please find possible levels of moderation for the list MCCPTA Delegates. (MCCPTA_Bulletin does not need guidelines, since it is moderator post only):

 

_____ No moderation at all, except for list membership maintenance.

_____ Moderation in the form of periodic reminders to the entire list of a netettiquette nature, i.e., reminding the

           list members to trim posts, etc.

_____ Moderation in the form of private offlist emails to remind people who have violated an established

          guideline for the various lists.

_____ Moderation in the form of enforcing guidelines using pre-defined consequences.

_____ Other – please specify _____________________________________________

_____ Other – please specify _____________________________________________

_____ Combination of ones above – please specify ____________________________

 

 

III. Below please find possible regulations/guidelines for posting on MCCPTA_Delegates (again, not needed for moderator only post listserve MCCPTA_Bulletin):

 

1. _____ Nothing should ever be posted to both Bulletin and Delegates, as promised in the subscription

               information, with the exception of a small number of administrative messages.

 

2. _____ Forwarding messages from one list to another should be strongly discouraged, or possibly prohibited.

 

3. _____ Newspaper articles and links should be bundled and sent out once per day only. This will require a

              central collection point, details can be worked out if this is something the Delegates desire.

 

Please vote for either number 4 or number 5, but not both. You may also vote for neither.

 

4. _____ Guidelines should be enforced with consequences after a predetermined number of reminders from

               moderator.

 

If you selected enforcement with consequences, then please vote for which type of consequence(s) you prefer (select as many as you desire):

 

_____ moderation of posts sent by offending party (meaning their posts would go through a moderator

          for approval or rejection, no editing would be done).

 

_____ requesting an offending party rewrite their post to be less incendiary before allowing it to go out to the entire list.

 

_____ removal of offending party from list.

 

5. _____ Guidelines should be enforced by use of reminders only.

 

Please vote for either number 6 or number 7, but not both. You may also vote for neither.

 

6. _____ Limit replies to a given topic to one per person.

 

7. _____ Limit replies to a certain specified number greater than one (please specify number your prefer).

 

8. _____ Limit postings to express local school opinions, rather than individual’s opinions.

 

Please vote for either number 9 or number 10, but not both. You may also vote for neither.

 

9. _____ Replies may not mention a specific person, but rather must only address the issues being replied to.

 

10. _____ Replies may only mention name of person as a point of reference, i.e., “In response to what Jane Doe

                 said,…”

 

11. _____ Personal attacks are prohibited.

 

12. _____ Other – please specify ______________________________________________

 

13. _____ Other – please specify ______________________________________________

 

14. _____ Other – please specify ______________________________________________