Email Distribution System Policies and Procedures

ASA has established the following policies and procedures to ensure the delivery of professional, valuable, and useful electronic messages for all subscribers.  

Purpose

ASA's e-mail distribution system (listserv) is intended to serve as a means to communicate events, news, and items of interest to ASA’s membership. It is also used from time to time as a means to gather member thoughts and opinions.

Policies

  • All users of ASA's email distribution system should be respectful of one another.  The e-mail distribution system should only be used to communicate event information, news, and items of interest to ASA members. The system is not moderated and messages are not reviewed before being sent to all subscribers; therefore, subscribers are expected to exercise both common sense and courtesy in the messages they transmit over the e-mail distribution list.
  • Do not use the e-mail distribution system to sell personal or company products or services.
  • Do not defame or disparage a member of ASA, a member of ASA's Staff, or any other person. Defamatory, harassing, sexist, racist, obscene, and other offensive communications are not acceptable.
  • Do not misrepresent yourself, send anonymous messages, or in any other way conceal your identity when sending messages through the e-mail distribution system.
  • Do not alter the content or source of a message that has originated from another person’s computer with the intent to deceive.
  • Ensure the messages you send are appropriate for the distribution list.  Do not engage in discussions on whether a topic is appropriate or inappropriate for the list. Such discussions take up valuable space and distract subscribers away from more meaningful discussions.
  • If inappropriate postings or violations of this policy are noticed, subscribers should not inform the entire group, but should bring the information to the attention of the ASA.
  • Use descriptive headings in the subject line for all messages you post to through the e-mail distribution list. At the end of your message, attach a standard identifier comprised of a few lines that identify you, your affiliation, and appropriate contact numbers (phone, fax, e-mail). Do not include drawings, pictures, maps, graphics, etc. in the identifier lines as these materials may not be compatible on all systems.
  • When asking questions, request that individuals reply directly to you. After all the replies have been gathered, post a summary to the list. When replying to messages, do not reply to the entire list if a reply is directed at a single individual. Replying to the individual may be more appropriate. Replies of a personal nature should not be sent to the group.
  • Only reply to the entire group with helpful information and refrain from replying with "thanks" or "good idea" as that unnecessarily increases email traffic.  
  • Consider creating a special folder in your e-mail where all the e-mail distribution messages can be directed.
  • The e-mail distribution list may not be used to violate any rules of membership in ASA, ASA bylaws or administrative rules, regulations and/or standards of ASA.
  • ASA reserves the right to modify or change these rules at any time.

Monitoring and Enforcement

The e-mail distribution system may only be used for business purposes and must be used in accordance with ASA's policies and procedures. ASA reserves the right to remove subscribers from the e-mail distribution list for violating this agreement.