I've been using discussion groups for a long time, dating back to the Usenet days. I've found that email/postings are a great way to pass information, and a lousy way to hold discussions. Some people may give a terse answer that can be misinterpreted, non-native English speakers may not fully understand nuances, and if you want to read any email in a paranoic way, you can. So I personally have two basic philosophies: write in as diplomatic a way as possible, and have "skin" as least as thick as an Elephant. Very few people deliberately write an insulting email; always assume the best.

With that said, Aaron and I have long been discussing a basic set of guidelines for the group to help prevent some areas of miscommunication. They are presented here.

1. No cussing. If it cannot be said on public TV or family environments, it can't be said here either.

2. No posting from a false address. You must be willing to accept private emails concerning your posts. Many times clarification can be made privately, or a person may feel insecure in posting a public question in response.

3. No personal attacks. It is ok to say "Henden's photometry has errors." That kind of personal opinion is likely to result in a post or two asking for clarification. To say instead: "Henden's photometry is a pile of crap," is insulting. Sometimes there is a fine line. The basic rule is that if you could not give the identical comment to a person face-to-face, then it should not be said here either.

4. No commercial posts unless prior approval is given by the Director. This will usually be given after some editing of the post. This is also a grey area: a posting by someone on a scientific result from a commercial telescope service, for example, is an implicit ad for the service. We will handle each case on an individual basis.

What we will do (and it is extra duty for Aaron, so have pity on him) is that we will Moderate the discussion group at some level. If we feel something is getting out of hand, we will first try to take care of it in the background, and if that fails, then we reserve the right to hold postings until they are edited by the author to meet these guidelines.

Arne Henden
AAVSO Director