Listserv Policy for the SFPA Member Forum

(Based upon adopted policies with permission from CPA)

Welcome to the SPFA MemberForum! New members are automatically added to the member forum. You can opt-out to use the forum (unsubscribe) if you would like to do so.If you are new to listserv use, refer to directions at the bottom of this email. Please follow the directions at the bottom of this email to unsubscribe.

 

The San Francisco Psychological Association has adopted and adapted some listserv rules from CPA which govern this listserv. All list participants are responsible for being aware of and abiding by the APA, CPA, and SFPA rules. The rules are listed below. The rules enforce standards of mutual respect, and that includes a process for suspending or removing any list member if it becomes necessary.

 

APA Listserv Rules

CPA Listserv Rules

CPA Listserv Standards

SFPA Listserv Rules and Benefit

The rules are created in the interest of maintaining a collegial list environment for all members and promoting the fundamental purpose of the listserv as a forum to exchange ideas and information related to psychology. The SFPA recognizes that the Forum may also serve a communication function for SFPA governance and SFPA members across the state.  Consequently, SFPA welcomes a collegial exchange of information, ideas, and opinions, as long as the exchange adheres to the rules and standards described in this document.

 

We want to institute respectful, professional dialogue on our listserv in a manner in keeping with the American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2017). When psychologists provide public comment, they are obligated by the Ethics Code to ensure that statements are based on their professional knowledge, training, or experience in accord with appropriate psychological literature and practice and are otherwise consistent with the Ethics Code.

 

The SFPA reserves the right to suspend or terminate any member’s subscription and access to the email list if that individual engages in personal attacks against other list members or posts remarks that are deemed offensive, inflammatory, or otherwise disruptive to the list community. 

 

If you subscribe to this listserv, you need to agree to these rules. With that, we welcome you to this Forum.  We would like to thank you for all the time and effort you have put into making the association stronger and more viable than ever before.  Let the Board know if you have any questions or comments.

APA Listserv Rules

 

Rule 1.  Do not use the Forum for illegal purposes, including but not limited to defamation, violation of intellectual property laws, violation of antitrust or unfair competition laws or violation of criminal laws.

 

Rule 2.   Do not intentionally interfere with or disrupt other forum members, networked services, or network equipment.  This includes distribution of unsolicited advertisement or chain letters, propagation of computer worms and viruses, and the use of the network to make unauthorized entry to any other machine accessible via the Forum.

 

Rule 3.  Not applicable due to SFPA’s policies.

 

Rule 4.  Do not use this Forum for any communication that could be construed in any way as support for or opposition to any candidate for a federal, state or local public office.

CPA Listserv Rules adapted for SFPA

 

Rule 1.  We want to institute respectful, professional dialogue on our listserv. Personal attacks by one list member toward another or others are not permitted.  Remarks that are deemed offensive, inflammatory or otherwise disruptive to the list community are not permitted on the list. 

 

Rule 2.  Registering disagreement with a posting is fine.  Opposing ideas can be expressed in civil language.  Bashing and insulting other people’s opinions is not permitted, nor are abusive, demeaning, derogatory, disparaging remarks to or about another member or person.

 

Rule 3.  Potentially defamatory or libelous remarks by one member to or about another member or person are not permitted. 

 

Rule 4. Don’t send or reply to a listserv message in anger or engage in reciprocal insulting behavior or allow yourself to be baited by those who do.  Such behavior can quickly escalate and draw in more participants.  The listserv administrator must step in to halt this process.

 

Rule 5.  Members who post content which violates these rules will be provided a warning prior to either suspension or removal from the list, depending on the nature of the problematic posting.

 

Rule 6.  The decision to warn a member rests with the SFPA Ethics Committee Chairperson. The member shall be warned by letter or email from the SFPA Ethics Committee Chairperson. The SFPA Ethics Committee Chairperson shall inform the SFPA Board of Directors as soon as a warning has occurred. The decision to suspend or remove a member rests with the SFPA Board of Directors (which may be the executive committee or by a quorum of the Board).  The member who shall be suspended or removed from the list will be notified by letter or email from the SFPA Board of Directors.  Any member who believes they were unfairly removed from the list may appeal to the SFPA Board of Directors in writing within 30 days. The SFPA Board of Directors will make a final determination within 30 days of the notice of appeal. The SFPA member will be notified of the SFPA Board of Director’s decision within 30 days of that decision.

 

In addition to the rules, “list-etiquette” standards have emerged within the culture of electronic list forums.  By following the rules and attending to the standards, you will contribute to a climate of trust and collegiality that encourages a friendly, informed, and yet spontaneous discourse.

CPA Listserv Standards

 

Standard 1.  Please keep your messages constructive, courteous, and brief.

 

Standard 2.  Recognize that others have religious and personal beliefs which may differ from yours.  Please be supportive of fellow forum members and show mutual respect. 

 

Standard 3.  If your email software program includes - and you utilize - an option that repeats the message to which you are responding, please do not repeat any part of the message that is not essential.  This will save considerable space (bandwidth) for everyone who receives your message.

 

Standard 4.  A basic tenet of a listserv is to foster group-based communication.  Therefore, please refrain from posting “very personal” messages to the list that are intended for only one person. 

 

Standard 5.  If you have a comment or a response intended for one person, and not the entire listserv membership, respond via private (backchannel) email.

SFPA Listserv Rules and Benefits

 

Each member may make one (1) self-promoting post within a 30 day period. Though APA and CPA forbid posts that are to a member’s fiduciary benefit, SFPA permits and facilitates this to a limited degree so long as the promotion does not detract from the experience of all members.

 

• What is NOT considered to be a self-promoting post including ISO type ad (such as referral and office space), an answer for a post seeking information, free workshop and free/low fee CE information, and job/position information. You can post this type of posting as many times as you would like. 

• What is considered to be a self-promoting post including information of own practice such as group, workshop, publication and blog post, and information about other organizations you belong to such as workshop and conference that is not free/low fee. You can post this type only once in 30 days for free. If exceeded, you need to post a paid ad.

 

You cannot post any promotional information on someone else’s behalf. If the person you are posting for satisfying the requirements to join the SPFA, please ask the person to join the SFPA to use the listserv. If the person is not eligible, the person can pay to post on the SFPA listserv. Please contact Administration info@sfpa.net or 408-757-7720 for the paid post. Also, any organizations posting promotional information, except the APA, CPA, and SFPA, need to pay for the post.  The local chapter of CPA can post their announcement but limited to one post per announcement. The SFPA administration would send the Bay Area Calendar, a summary of the Bay Area CPA chapters' events. An SFPA member who wishes to post a self-promoting post more than once in 30 days also can do so by paying for the post. The paid advertisement is marked as “AD” in the subject line. Please refer to the Direction for Paid Advertisement sectionsfpa@sfpa.net for how to submit your paid post.

Directions for Forum (Listserve) Use

 

All members automatically opt in to the SFPA Member Forum.

 

How to post to the SFPA Forum

 

There are two ways to post to the SFPA forum:

 

Posting via the website:

 

• Log into the website

• Click on FORUMS & NEWS, then FORUMS

• You will see a list of forums you are a member of, choose one

• Click START NEW THREAD

• Fill out the SUBJECT line

• Write the body of a post.  There are formatting tools to use if you’d like.

• Click POST MESSAGE

 

Posting via email:

 

• To email to a forum, you must be a member of that Forum. 

• These are the emails of the active SFPA forums: sfpa@sfpa.net, board@sfpa.net, sfpags@sfpa.net, ecp@sfpa.net.  You send your post to the email. It will post and send to all members of that Forum.

 

Replying to a forum post:

 

• If you are replying to a message, you can click QUOTE PREVIOUS MESSAGE, so it brings that message under yours (makes it easier to follow the topic)

• When you reply to a forum post, check the reply type you want. You can send your reply to the whole Forum or just the individual.

 

Changing your forum preferences:

 

You can control the frequency and how you receive forum messages.

 

• Log into the website

• Click on PROFILE on the upper right side of the screen

• Under FORUMS, click General Preferences

• There are various options to change on this window, including unsubscribing, picture, signature, etc.

• Under MESSAGE DELIVERY, you can change the frequency to one DAILY DIGEST or immediately receiving posts as they are posted.

• Click SAVE