By using Birdky LISTSERV, you agree to follow the rules found in our
Conditions of Use below. Please read this entire page to be sure you
agree. If not, please unsubscribe and discontinue using Birdky LISTSERV.
Philosophy of Birdky LISTSERV
The Kentucky Ornithological Society (KOS) provides Birdky LISTSERV as a
service to the Kentucky birding community. It is a forum for sharing information
quickly and efficiently. Discussions about wild birds, birding, and related
conservation efforts are invited. These exchanges should be informative,
entertaining, and respectful. Members are encouraged to feel a sense of community
in which they can post to the Birdky LISTSERV without fear of humiliation or
personal attacks.
These guidelines will help you get started. The Conditions of Use, found below
the Guidelines, are the rules by which Birdky LISTSERV will be managed. KOS prefers to guide
BIRDKY with a light touch and a common-sense approach that permits free
and open discussion. The rules will be enforced if the need arises.
Guidelines
To Subscribe
Send email to: birdky-request@freelists.org
with "subscribe" in the subject line.
To Unsubscribe
Send email to:
birdky-request@freelists.org with "unsubscribe" in the
subject line.
How To Post
These are the basic steps and rules for creating a Birdky Post.
- Send an email message to birdky@freelists.org
- Include a descriptive subject line with your email. Do not leave the
subject line blank.
- In the body of the message, use plain text only. You may also include
links to appropriate content, such as an ebird report or an article of
interest.
- Do not include photos, images, logos, attached documents or files.
Do not paste content you have copied from webpages, articles or other
emails into a birdky post. Do not include HTML code, or other code snippets.
- At the bottom of the the message, include your actual name and location.
- Be respectful in posts, discussions, and responses at all times.
- If you have concerns about the content of a post or discussion, if
you feel harrased, or if you have a dispute with someone over a Birdky
LISTSERV post, DO NOT post to the Birdky LISTSERV about your concerns
or engage in a public dispute. Instead write to the LISTSERV manager,
Gary Ritchison at
gary.ritchison@retiree.eku.edu to request help with the issue.
Conventions
There are some traditional and useful prefixes that may be used with the
subject line. The format for this is "PRE: Text of subject," where PRE is
replaced by one of the prefixes below. They are a shorthand way to catch
the attention of your intended audience.
- RPT: - Denotes a Report. For example, "RPT: Special Sighting"
- RFI: - Request for Information.
- RBA: - Rare Bird Alert.
Conditions of Use
The following rules are the KOS conditions for use of Birdky LISTSERV. By
subscribing to and using the Birdky LISTSERV, you agree that you have read
these rules and that you will follow these rules.
Failure to follow the rules for Birdky LISTSERV can result in loss of your
right to use the service.
If you break the rules, you may receive a warning that you are out of compliance,
be temporarily suspended from using the service, or banned entirely.
Required Elements for Posts
Posts to Birdky LISTSERV must contain:
- A descriptive subject line. Do Not leave the subject line blank.
- A message body that contains plain text.
- Your real name.
- Your real location. This can be a county, city or town name. The
location can be where you are reporting from or where you live.
Optional Elements for Posts
Posts to Birdky LISTSERV may also contain:
- Links (URLs) to websites or other online content you are
referrencing in your post.
- Email addresses for yourself or someone you are
referrencing in your post.
- A Title. In addition to the subject line, you may add a
title for your post, at the top of your message body.
Acceptable Content and Behavior
All posts and replies to Birdky LISTSERV must be respectful.
- Topics - News about wild birds, birding, and bird-related
conservation efforts are all examples of acceptable content.
- Topics - Posts should be about acceptable Kentucky-related
topics. Posts about other states, the nation or the world
are acceptable, if they have some connection to Kentucky.
- Discussion - Responses to posts about the original topic,
which expand the discussion, or add to it, are encouraged.
- Referring Links - When the topic is about another website
or other online content, links to that content
may be included.
- Email Addresses - When the topic mentions contacting
someone, email addresses may be included along with other
contact information.
- Your Email Address - Your email address may be included
in the body of the message. For example you could include
your email address in the signature block.
Uncceptable Content and Behavior
Posts and replies to Birdky LISTSERV may not be disrespectful.
- Inappropriate Topics - Any topic that is not covered by our Acceptable
Content list above should be avoided. Examples of unacceptable
topics include:
- Pet birds, caged birds and domestic birds
- Ethics of hunting or falconry
- Feral Cats
- Off-topic Responses - Replies that change the topic of the
original post are not allowed.
- Advertising - KOS is a non-profit organization that does not
promote any product or service and advertising is not allowed.
Note: discussions about products or services are not
considered advertising.
- Angry Discussion - Disagreements, angry responses and any
aggressive content is not allowed.
- Inappropriate or Offensive Content - KOS promotes a
family-friendly atmosphere on Birdky LISTSERV. Any content,
text, statement or image that is considered to be inappropriate
or offensive by KOS is not allowed.
- Attachments - Photos, images, documents and other files should
not be attached to your posts.
- Cut and Paste - While small blocks of text my be pasted into your
post for reference, pasting articles, web pages or other online
content into your post is not allowed. Doing so can result in
copyright infringement issues for you and for KOS.
Enforcement of KOS Birdky LISTSERV Rules
Common sense and a light touch will always be the starting point when
a breach of the rules occurs. Most breaches are accidental or unintentional
and will not result in any action. If a breach becomes serious or persistent
enough to warrant action, KOS and the LISTSERV manager will take steps to
resolve the issue.
Possible enforcement actions include warnings, temporary suspension of
access to the LISTSERV, or a permanent ban of the offender from using the
service. Any enforcement will be done privately with no public notice or
comment from KOS.
If a potential copyright infringement issue occurs, KOS will take steps to remove
the offending content.
