This is a policy proposal and has not been adopted by the RocWiki community.
Note to all users: I (StevenDibelius) will take it upon myself to merge this document with the etiquette document sometime this weekend (which was apparently in 2008, GaryGocek), as they should be the same document. It will be much easier to discuss an overall wiki policy if we are all looking at a single page.
RocWiki Acceptable Use Policy
Introduction
RocWiki is a community edited site about Rochester, NY. While we don't allow anonymous editing, we do allow anyone to sign up, and once they have an ID, they can add content to their hearts desire. RocWiki is written and maintained collaboratively by volunteers.
Who this policy applies to
This Acceptable Use Policy applies to everyone who uses the RocWiki website. Your use of this site by posting on it constitutes your acceptance of RocWiki's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).
Ground Rules
Be civil
No personal attacks, explicit or otherwise. Any comments which are knowingly false, or made with with reckless disregard for the truth, could be used against you in a court of law. You can never really know how the recipient of your remarks will react. Your remarks are your own, and in no way reflect the consensus of the RocWiki community. Conversely, operate on the assumption that you yourself are not under attack.
Let sleeping dogs lie
It's tempting to revisit controversial decisions you disagree with, but it's rarely productive to do so, since it almost always results in the same heated, lengthy, and time/energy draining discussions leading to the same conclusion that was reached in the last round.
Therefore, for issues already raised, discussed, and decided upon, reopen the discussion only if you have significant new information that would reasonably prompt reconsideration of the original decision.
Respect personal information
You may not collect email addresses, screen names, or other identifiers or personal information without the consent of the person identified (including, without limitation, phishing, Internet scamming, password thieving, spidering, and harvesting). You may not collect or use information without the consent of the owner of the information.
Do not impersonate any person or entity, forge or manipulate identifiers in order to disguise the origin of any posting.
Content Guidelines
Personal Information
Do not distribute or post the private or personal user information of another member of the forum without their express permission. This includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and other relevant information.
Be honest
Do not post material that is knowingly false, misleading, or inaccurate. Vandalism constitutes a serious offense.
Be relevant
Do not publish content, including comments, that are unrelated to the page topic. When posting second-hand information, indicate it as such. When posting about your experience at an establishment with multiple locations, indicate the exact location.
Offensive content
Do not publish content that engages in personal attacks, or is excessively violent, incites others to violence, threatens to do violence to another person(s), or contains content which is disreputable or contains harassing, or hateful language. Also, do not publish any content not suitable for a child to read.
Editing
Users should never edit comments from other users, with the exception of adding links to improve the interconnectedness of the site. Users should also never delete comments from other users unless the comment is irrelevant to the page it is on or is in violation of wiki etiquette. If you do delete another user's comment, be prepared to explain yourself should that user disagree with your deletion.
Violations
All members of the community may take action to report users and posts that violate this AUP. Violations can be reported to Administrators through email, post, or via the forum's built-in "Report" function (for forum violations). Violations of the AUP may result in removal from the forums.
In the case of minor violations, we encourage a quiet request on the offending user's page prior to invoking administrative procedures.
1st offense: Written warning to offending poster's email address
2nd offense: Written warning posted to offending poster's page
3rd offense: permanent ban.
RocWiki is a community forum, open to all. It cannot accept responsibility for the opinions of its members, or for their errors or omissions, or for any consequences arising from the use of information contained herein.
Dated: March 19, 2008
Your input is needed on the Talk page.
