Email Discussion List Use Guidelines

An email discussion list is an electronic discussion group that meets over email. Email discussion lists provide a place to ask questions, post information, and share ideas and resources with peers via email. Once subscribed to a list, messages can be sent through the email discussion lister to all the other subscribers.These email discussion lists are not moderated. Anyone who subscribes may post messages. The email discussion lists are supported with federal funding. Therefore, messages that are political in nature, partisan, or could be considered lobbying are prohibited. Other inappropriate postings include advertising of fee-based services or products, chain letters, jokes, petitions, resumes, and messages from individuals seeking employment. Job announcements are permitted only for positions at AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, or Senior Corps programs, at state commissions, with training and technical assistance providers, and at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Announcements of member openings are also permitted. All other job announcements are to be posted elsewhere.Inclusion of information in an email discussion list message should not be construed as an endorsement by CNCS of that information, the person submitting it, or the material submitted. Opinions or points of view expressed in an email discussion list message are those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect those of CNCS. Also, CNCS cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of information contained in websites not housed by CNCS that are cited in an email discussion list message.The text of a copyrighted article or document may not be reprinted on an email discussion list or website without the permission of the author or the publisher. If one has permission, it should be so stated: "This article has been reprinted with the permission of ..." or rather than reprinting an article that is available online, consider posting a brief abstract and a link to the site. Even when a document is in the public domain or only a small portion is being reproduced, it is a professional courtesy to cite the source.Commercial advertising on CNCS-sponsored email discussion lists is prohibited. Commercial advertising by vendors and other subscribers on CNCS-sponsored email discussion lists is defined as posting messages the principal purpose of which is to promote, directly or indirectly, goods or services offered in exchange for money, goods, or services. Inappropriate messages may include, but are not limited to, those that include promotional announcements, product-related press releases, pricing information, or specific referrals to websites or other media to complete sales transactions.

While vendors may respond privately or publicly to postings inquiring about or pertaining to products and services that they offer, their public responses cannot violate the terms in this email discussion list policy. Unsolicited messages containing vendor or product information should not be posted, nor should email addresses obtained from ETR email discussion lists be used to send unsolicited commercial messages directly to email discussion list subscribers.

For the purposes of this policy, the content of signature files (URLs, slogans, etc.) is not automatically considered advertising, unless it appears that the use of the signature file is intended to subvert the intent of this policy.