Guidelines for Community Message Board

The purpose of this group is to keep Water's Edge Community informed by allowing direct communication amongst residents. This forum is intended as a collaboration tool to improve and help the community with general topics and information. More information about the Water's Edge Community can be found at www.watersedgecommunity.org.

Here are a few guidelines we should all follow:

• RESPECT OTHER MEMBERS: Please exercise diplomacy, tact, thoughtfulness, self-restraint and respect to other residents. It's possible to disagree without being disagreeable. Remember that online communication always tends to exaggerate feelings so venting is not good to do on email, especially responding to all. If you have a concern about a particular matter, please follow-up individually and, perhaps, by phone or in person.

• IS YOUR POST OF INTEREST TO THE ENTIRE LIST? Whatever you write to the list will be read by many busy people, so please make it worthwhile. If your post is of interest to just one person, send it to them privately, not to the listserv.
  When responding to e-mails, avoid sending "Me too!", "Welcome", or other singular-worded posts. Reply to that individual privately, and include their original email so they'll know what you're referring to.

• USE A SHORT DESCRIPTIVE TITLE IN THE SUBJECT FIELD, so others can quickly determine what the posting will cover. Subscribers often set up folders in their e-mail managers to store messages by topic.

• EACH TOPIC IN ITS OWN THREAD: If you're starting a new topic, please compose a NEW message to the group. Don't click "reply" on an older, unrelated message and change the subject line. On the group's webpage and in many people's email programs, your new topic will be attached to that unrelated conversation.

• TIME-SENSITIVE INFORMATION might not be received in time! Not everyone monitors their email regularly. Also, when mentioning dates, it's helpful to give the complete date (e.g. "Monday, April 12") rather than "tomorrow" or "next Mon".

• KEEP YOUR POSTS SMALL: Avoid sending large files to mailing lists. Use web addresses (URLs) or links. Some members have a small inbox size. Large attachments can exceed the size limit and any additional e-mail will bounce.

• PLEASE DON'T LEAVE A REQUEST "HANGING": People on the list are taking time away from their busy schedules to offer information or assistance. Let the list know when you've received enough help or when your problem has been solved. When seeking recommendations or other needs, please ask people to reply to your private e-mail address. If appropriate, post a single summary of the responses for others who might have the same need.

• BE MINDFUL OF THE DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE ON THE LIST.

• BE KIND. Messages are sometimes forwarded more widely than their original author intended. Whether you're posting or forwarding, think through unintended consequences before hitting "send".