Terms of Use

A. Purpose

AMSN offers guidance to users of electronic communication systems in order to make users more comfortable with social networking and to avoid potential misunderstanding.

B. Definition

eGroup - A shared electronic communication system for a sub-community within the national organization, AMSN.  Examples of sub-communities include member-verified sub-groups such as an AMSN National Committee or Board of Directors, locality-verified membership in a sub-community, such as in an AMSN Chapter, or simply a sub-community of AMSN members with a common clinical interest.

C. Using an eGroup

1. How to Become an eGroup Member:
   • Membership by default by AMSN membership
   • Membership by profile characteristics
   • Invitation to a sub-community (committees, chapters, other ad hoc groups). Any eGroup member can invite an AMSN member to the eGroup by adding his/her email.   
2. How to Communicate with eGroup Members
   • Communications are sent to the eGroup via the social networking website and received by the eGroup members via email.
   • To send a message to the eGroup, an individual must be a member of the eGroup and be logged into the social networking website.
   • The website maintains an ongoing archive of eGroup activity.
3.  Sending Documents or Files
   • Attachments are not included in email messages.
   • All documents and other files are stored on the AMSN website.
   • The eGroup message contains a link to the documents or files on the social networking website.

D. Etiquette

1. Always remember that you are interacting with colleagues so be mindful of what you write; never write anything you wouldn't say to someone directly or be able to post on a public bulletin board.
2. Never use an eGroup for attacks or to challenge others. The discussions on the eGroups are meant to stimulate conversation, not to create contention. Let others have their say, just as you may.
3. Never use profanity.
4. Personal discussions, comments or criticisms should be sent directly to the person, not the entire eGroup.
5. Avoid UPPERCASE in email unless emphasis is intended.  Use of uppercase words is the equivalent of shouting in someone's ear.  ONLY use uppercase when trying to make a point (like now).
6. Avoid giving unsolicited advice.
7. Advise eGroup members of lengthy messages.

E. Content Guidelines

1. Stick to the purpose of the eGroup; the more topic-specific the contributions are, the more useful the eGroup is for everyone.
2. Make the subject line descriptive; “change in meeting location” is more useful than “hello.”
3. Be brief, concise, professional, clear, and logical.
4. Think before using humor.
5. Avoid making political comments.
6. Don't send chain letters, spam, or solicitations.
7. Don't post commercial messages on any eGroup. Contact people directly with product, service, or job postings.
8. Use caution when discussing products. Information posted on eGroups is available for all to see, and comments are subject to libel, slander and other legal investigations.

F. Format Guidelines

1. The less formatting the better, different email software will be used to read the messages. Some of those products can't handle fancy formatting, colors, or graphics. Plain text is always best.
2. Avoid graphics, charts, and images within the body of the message. Attach documents or use Resource Library instead.
3. Always proof read and edit your message before you press the send button. Poor spelling, grammar, and punctuation are unprofessional, and do not speak well of the sender.
4. Avoid using unusual character strings, slang, and abbreviations that are not universal or commonplace for nursing professionals i.e. smileys (a simple string of characters that are usually at the end of an email to convey emotion). Be mindful that some words or characters are not universally understood or could be offensive to a reader.

G. Terms of Use

AMSN's eGroups are provided as a service to its members. By using the eGroups, you agree to abide by the following terms.

1. Users of the eGroups may not post any defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials. The posting any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner is expressly forbidden. By posting any materials, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she is the creator/author of the materials, owns the copyright with respect to such material, or has received permission from the copyright holder. In addition, the posting party grants AMSN and its members the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material as posted. (Don't do anything antisocial or illegal. Be nice to everyone. If you don't own something or have written permission to provide it for all of AMSN to use, don't post it here.)
2. Messages should not be posted if they encourage or facilitate members arriving at any agreement that either expressly or by implication leads to price fixing, a boycott of another's business, or other conduct intended to illegally restrict free trade. In fact, any messages that encourage or facilitate an agreement about the following subjects are inappropriate: prices, discounts, or terms or conditions of sale; salaries; profits, profit margins, or cost data; market shares, sales territories, or markets; allocation of customers or territories; or selection, rejection, or termination of customer or suppliers. (Don't engage in anticompetitive business practices and its best not to publicly share any financial data about yourself, your employer, or others... you could get into trouble.)
3. AMSN does not actively monitor the site for inappropriate postings and does not, on its own, undertake editorial control of postings. However, in the event that any inappropriate posting is brought to AMSN's attention, AMSN will take all appropriate action. (We're all adults, but if you feel the need to break the rules you can be held accountable for your actions.)
4. AMSN is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site. AMSN disclaims all warranties with regard to information posted on this site, whether by AMSN or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness of materials for a specific purpose. In no event shall AMSN be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site. (This a "social" resource, with lots of people contributing content... we can't keep track of all of it at all times, and we don't edit or endorse any of it. Whatever information you encounter here should be treated accordingly, so exercise your own judgment regarding potential validity and/or usefulness. Whatever happens, it's not the fault of AMSN.)
5. AMSN reserves the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by these guidelines.