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District of Columbia Psychological Association Listserv Rules for use 

 

List Administrator Responsibilities:

The Listserv list administrator will manage the Listserv list, which includes but is not limited to, adding and removing subscribers, changing subscriber’s settings, or responding, in a timely manner, to inquiries related to the list or its use. The management of the content of the Listserv list is also the responsibility of the Listserv list’s administrator. This includes compliance with all applicable U.S. law. The Listserv list’s administer will require that all subscribers to the list agree not to use the Listserv for illegal purposes, including but not limited to, defamation, violation of intellectual property laws, violation of antitrust or unfair competition laws or violation of criminal laws.

List Administrators are required to comply with all relevant federal Internal Revenue Service and Federal Election Committee laws, regulations, guidelines, and procedures, and engage only in legally appropriate communications regarding political activity. For example, this list can be used to openly discuss political advocacy activities generally; however, this list cannot be used to advocate for a particular candidate or to raise money for a particular candidate or Political Action Committee (PAC).

 

DCPA Listserv Server Rules for Users:

Rule 1: Do not use the forum for illegal purposes, including but not limited to defamation, violation of intellectual property laws, violation of antitrust or unfair competition laws or violation of criminal laws. While it is usually acceptable to include a link to an article, copying and pasting the actual article may be in violation of copyright laws. 

Rule 2: Maintain client confidentiality in accordance with APA ethics codes and health care privacy laws. When using the Listserv for matters related to a specific client, provide minimal information in the initial posting and engage with respondents privately outside of the Listserv if more information must be conveyed. Instead of focusing on the client, simply inform the Listserv of the skillset, information, or provider demographics that you require. 

Rule 3: Do not engage in disparaging, defamatory, or discriminatory speech. Communication is intended to stimulate conversation, not create contention. Information posted on this Forum is subject to libel, slander, and antitrust laws. Any post that can be construed as abusive, profane, threatening, or offensive is strictly prohibited and will be removed by List Administers. Any List member may draw the attention of a List Administer by emailing the Executive Director at admin@dcpsychology.org and referring to the offending post for review. The offending member may receive one warning and if a similar offence is repeated again the member will be removed from the Listserv. 

Rule 4: Do not intentionally interfere with or disrupt other forum members, network services, or network equipment. This includes distribution of unsolicited advertisement or chain letters, propagation of computer viruses, forwarding of phishing attempts, and use of the network to make unauthorized entry to any other machine accessible via the Forum.

Rule 5: Do not use the Forum for commercial purposes. "Commercial" as used for purposes of evaluating listserv messages means communications whose primary purpose is to advance the business or financial interests of any person or entity, or otherwise to promote a financial transaction for the benefit of the author directly or indirectly. Examples of prohibited communications include advertisements for products or services, notices regarding rental of office space, or direct solicitations of listserv members to purchase products or services. Examples of messages that may be of financial benefit to listserv members but are not prohibited because they do not inure to the financial benefit of the author include news of job listings or position openings, or discussion of professionally-related products or services where the listserv member conveying the information is not in the business of selling the products or services. Announcements that provide useful professional information to list members but may also have some incidental commercial benefit to the sender (e.g. an author who is a list member merely advising the list of publication of a professional book) typically would not be "commercial" for purposes of this restriction.

If an individual wishes to advertise to the members of the DCPA, they may contact the DCPA Executive Director at admin@dcpsychology.org for information regarding available advertisement options and pricing. 

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DCPA Listserv Etiquette:

  • Include a signature tag on all messages. Include your name, affiliation, location, and e-mail address.

  • State concisely and clearly the topic of your comments in the subject line. This allows members to respond more appropriately to your posting and makes it easier for members to search the archives by subject.

  • When replying, include only the relevant portions of the original message in your reply. Delete any header information, and put your response before the original posting.

  • Only send a message to the entire list when it contains information that benefits everyone.

  • Send messages such as "thanks for the information" or "me, too" to individuals--not to the entire list. Do this by using your e-mail application's forwarding option and typing in or cutting and pasting in the e-mail address of the individual to whom you want to respond.

  • Do not send administrative messages, such as "remove me from the list", through the listserv. To unsubscribe from the list, follow the directions at the bottom of the listserv email message.

  • Warn other list subscribers of lengthy messages either in the subject line or at the beginning of the message body with a line that says "Long Message."

  • When using an Auto Reply message for times you are out of the office, please be sure to "Create a Rule" (this is easily done with Microsoft Outlook’s Out of Office Assistant or in Gmail’s “Settings”) that would prohibit sending the message to the list.

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This Listserv is provided as a service of the DC Psychological Association with the American Psychological Association. DCPA is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site by others. DCPA disclaim all warranties with regard to information posted on this site; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall DCPA be liable for any special indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site.

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