This was just posted to the State Coord list... I thought it
important enough to be forwarded here. If you have any
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Jim
Dear State Coordinators:
Today, the advisory board has prepared a Standards and
Ethics Policy
Statement for the USGenWeb Project that will be voted on, on
Sunday
afternoon or evening. I have copied that statement here for
your perusal.
We, the a.b. are hoping for your input on the establishment
of a committee
to enforce this policy. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks
A motion has been made by Yvonne and seconded by Kay and
Ginger that a
Standards and Ethics Statement be drafted and put into the
USGenWeb Project
policy for protection of said project.
This statement will now be posted to the required mailing
lists as well as
the national web page for 48 hours as required by Article
VIII, Section 3 of
the USGenWeb Project Bylaws before I call for a vote. I
will call for a
vote on this motion AFTER 1:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, Jan 24,
1999
******************
A copy of the proposed statement follows:
A set of standards and code of ethics for a project provide
a
framework for personal relationships. No where are these
more
important than a totally volunteer project.
The absence of a written statement specifying standards of
conduct
and project ethics leaves each individual to interpret their
actions
as reasonable and/or ethical. While this certainly allows
for the
greatest range of individualism, it also lends itself to
behaviors or
actions that the majority may consider inappropriate or
unethical.
The standards and code of ethics is broad based, and
establishes a
clear definition of what behavior is acceptable for the
well-being of
the project, while allowing for the varied talents and
abilities of
individuals.
The standards and code of ethics provides a means by
which actions and behaviors can be determined to be either
acceptable
or unacceptable. They also establish accountability for
those
actions or behaviors that are found to be unacceptable.
The county, state and special project coordinators will be
held to the
following
standards:
1. The best interests of the project will be at the
forefront of any
actions by a coordinator that involve the project. No
county,
state or special project coordinator will post derogatory
comments
about the project. Problems that arise within the project
will be
kept at the project level, not posted for our visitors to
see. In
case of a dispute with another volunteer, assume that there
is a
misunderstanding, not that the other person is deliberately
misstating the truth.
2. Strive to provide the highest quality of information on
your
web sites. If in doubt as to the quality of data received,
reiterate
the fact that this data, like each new piece of information,
must be
researched and proved or disproved by standard genealogy
rules of
evidence. It is always best to consult original primary
material for
verification.
3. Honor property rights, especially copyrights. Become
familiar
with the current copyright laws before posting data to your
page.
Individuals must read and understand the project policy on
copyright,
query management and lookups. Do not copy information from
other
web sites. If you feel that information on another website
would be
helpful to the researchers visiting your page, request
permission to
provide a link to the other website.
4. Give proper credit where credit is due. As in any
genealogy
research, be sure to document your sources for posted data.
5. Avoid harm to others visiting the project and others
working
within the project. Respect each other's opinions. Politely
disputing the accuracy of data is not only accepted but
encouraged.
Keep your dispute to issues and/or facts, and not
personalities.
Standard "netiquette" applies to all communication within
the
project. The project will not tolerate foul language,
personal
insults or threats.
6. Respect the privacy of others. If someone in the project
requests
that their communication not be made public, this request
must be
respected.
Any member of the project who fails to comply with the
standards and
ethics policies, as set forth in the Guidelines of the
USGenWeb
Project is subject to the following:
The matter will be brought before the Standards and Ethics
Committee
for review. This may be done by any Project member who has
witnessed
said violation. A two-thirds vote of the Committee will be
required
for notification of non-compliance to be sent. Failure to
rectify
said non- compliance within two weeks will result in the
member's
project web sites being de-linked from the Project. Three
such letters
of non-compliance will constitute automatic termination in
the
USGenWeb Project.
Beth Wills bwills(a)ionia-mi.net
Ionia County MIGenWeb Coordinator
http://www.rootsweb.com/~miionia
Gladwin County MIGenWeb Coordinator
http://www.rootsweb.com/~migladwi
Saginaw County MIGenWeb Coordinator
http://www.rootsweb.com/~misagina/Saginaw.html