Butterfly Boutique Forums Discussion List Policy

Introduction

All Members of Butterfly Boutique Online Forums, Discussion Lists and Workshops, must agree to follow the Butterfly Boutique Forums Discussion List Policy. Failure to do so may result in removal from our lists.

The World-Wide Butterfly Breeding Forum (WWBBF), the WWBB Basic Butterfly Raising List and Butterfly Boutique Online Workshops are private discussion lists owned and managed by the Butterfly Boutique (www.butterflyboutique.net) and run on Google Groups. Members must apply, and be accepted, in order to join. We want to remain a friendly and informative group where everyone feels at ease and free to participate in the various discussions on our lists. We can achieve this in the main by being polite and respectful of each other’s feelings at all times.

While we want our groups to be as open and free of restriction as possible, openness and freedom bring with them the need for restraint. We must not speak negatively about anyone or any business in our public forums. To do so makes us (both the organization and individual members) vulnerable to lawsuits. The privacy of our lists does not mean that we are free to disregard our legal requirements. In the case of forums and lists like ours, this especially applies to the laws of libel^[1]. We are also using Google Groups and are required to follow Google's Terms of Service^[2].

It is generally a bad idea to write an email when you are angry or upset. It can be a mistake to jump on a bandwagon that is on a negative course. Sharing is important and warnings are useful and needed, but we need to find ways to do so without naming names. Even though the results of a case may be favourable, the legal cost and time lost can be considerable. When you write something negative and use proper names you could be putting yourself in a position to be sued. If you must write something negative and use names, please do it in private and not on these forums.

We are blessed with having many passionate and opinionated members. I am not suggesting that we become less passionate or opinionated, only that we take steps to protect ourselves and everyone else in our group. Please be careful before you push the "send" key and make sure that the message you send is appropriate. Ask yourself whether other list users could misinterpret what you say – “jokes” in particular do not always travel well over the internet, especially where different cultures are involved. And always remember that messages are archived – and that, even on a private list, they can easily be forwarded to others on the outside.

If you have any doubts, I would delete and start over.

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Butterfly Boutique Forums Discussion List Policy

The WWBBF, WWBB Basic Butterfly Raising List and Butterfly Boutique Online Workshops are private lists owned and managed by the Butterfly Boutique^[3] and operated on Google Groups. All list subscribers must abide by the Butterfly Boutique policy governing list use^[4] and by Google’s Terms of Service^[2].

Failure to abide by these policies may result in removal from the list.

The WWBBF, WWBB Basic Butterfly Raising List and Butterfly Boutique Online Workshops discussion lists are to be used solely for discussion relating to butterflies and moths and their breeding and welfare. Off-topic posts are permitted within reason.

List Subscribers AGREE NOT TO:

• discuss business conflicts of any kind;
• speak ill of another individual or business;
• use antagonistic language toward each other; or
• use profanities.

List Subscribers AGREE that:

• business problems must be discussed in private and off-list;
• the membership e-mail roster shall be used with discretion. Spamming is not permitted;
• participants/users will follow these guidelines or posts will be removed and expulsion from the lists is possible.
• participants/users must contact the Butterfly Boutique Team privately and not on the mailing lists, with complaints or other mailing list issues; and
• the Butterfly Boutique and its owners will not become involved in breeder-business disputes at any time.

List users understand that:

these lists, as property of the Butterfly Boutique, will be administered under the guidelines as heretofore stated. Deletion of questionable posts and expulsion of any user and/or participant for violation of these guidelines will be at the discretion of the Butterfly Boutique.

Notes:

1. Libel and slander are collectively known as defamation, and are civil wrongs that harm a reputation; decrease respect, regard, or confidence; or induce disparaging, hostile, or disagreeable opinions or feelings against an individual or entity. The injury to one's good name or reputation is affected through written or spoken words or visual images. By definition, Libel is any defamation that can be seen, such as a writing, printing, effigy, movie, or statue. Slander is any defamation that is spoken and heard.]
2. See www.google.com/policies/terms/regional.html]
3. See www.butterflyboutique.net]
4. See www.butterflyboutique.net/listpolicy.html
5. Some text on this page is based on the IBBA Mailing List Policy - used with permission.]