First appeared in Online Access, July 1995
Contact: Kathyrn McCabe, Editor,
900 N. Franklin, Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60610
Tel: 312-573-1700 Fax: 312-573-0520
e-mail:kmccabe@onlineaccess.com
As an America Online forum assistant in the Small Business
Center's Consultants Corner (keywords small business) I'm one of
the Information Superhighways traffic cops. Equipped with the tools and
authority to delete board posts that violate AOL's Terms of Service(TOS)
or the area's board rules, my job is to protect online members from illegal
acts, unwanted information and offensive behavior by censoring certain types
of information.
In order to provide the best possible online environment and experience
for all users, however, forum assistant and sysops need the full cooperation
of their members. Ultimately, it's up to online users to make the Information
Superhighway a pleasant road to travel. To make things run smoothly, online
user must first become familiar with their service's TOS, which means learning
appropriate (and inappropriate) online behavior and understanding the criteria
for acceptable (and unacceptable) information.
About TOS
When talking about the Information Superhighway, Terms
of Service refers to the rules of the road. TOS is an online service's global
code of conduct, created to protect the rights of all online users. Once
you log on to a service, you agree to aide by its TOS, which varies from
one online service to another. Generally speaking, Compuserve tend to be
the most liberal, Prodigy the most conservative and America Online falls
somewhere in between.
The best way to ensure that your message doesn't get deleted or censored
and that it is sent untampered with to its intended receiver is to know
what type of information is prohibited online and what acts are considered
inappropriate. For example, if you post a message or question of Prodigy
that doesn't pertain to the topic being discussed, your message will likely
be deleted. Trying the same thing on AOL, on the other hand, will probably
result only in the sysop asking you to take your message elsewhere-to a
different, more appropriate board.
TOS violations on AOL include commercial activity (except in designated
areas), illegal activity, obscenities, racial and sexual innuendoes and
any activity that violates copyright laws. (to find out more about America
Online's TOS, type the keyword TOS.) In addition (and this is where the
lines get blurred), any activity that interferes with other members enjoyment
of AOL is a TOS violation These activities include flaming and advertising.
Flaming
Flaming refers to personal attacks on other members. While it's OK to attack an argument or to dispute a point of fact, It's NOT OK to attack the person making the argument or to make someone feel unwelcome in an area. "Flame Wars" are dramas that, if left unattended, can go on for weeks and waste a lot of people's online time. To avoid flamers and flame wars, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- stick to the point at hand
- Don't try to be funny at someone else's expense.
- Don't post unless you have something to add to the discussion at hand.
If you become the victim of a "flame", don't respond. Inform the forum assistant/area leader or the TOS staff. Or inform the individual that you want his actions to cease, and that you'll report him if necessary. By definition, if you inform a member that you want no further contact and he does contact you again, he is violating Awhile TOS.
Advertising
My definition of an ad is strict. If you place any
contact information in a post, make a "free" offer, or use the
tag line "e-mail for more information", your post gets deleted.
If an ad is posted on several boards, or is particularly flagrant, I'll
send a brief message explaining our policy. (Normally, this is the end of
the matter; I've only had to report a couple members for harassing me about
deletions.)There are three main reasons advertising on message boards is
prohibited:
1.) Whereas in conventional advertising, the advertiser pays for the medium
(e.g., air time, postage, etc.), in cyberspace the recipient of the message
pays for the online time to read the message. Many users find advertising
annoying as it costs them both time and money..
2.) In this litigious society, the notion of who is responsible for online
fraud is open to debate. Because of this lack of accountability, the safest
road is to prohibit all online solicitation.
3.) Past experience shows that when advertising is allowed on bulletin boards,
they start to resemble billboards, and the quality of the area suffers.
Those who come for discussion grow tired of going through ads, and often
leave the area to those who have nothing but ads to offer.
Consequences of TOS Violations
If you violate on online service's TOS, not only will your message likely be deleted, but TOS staff will be notified by the sysop or forum assistant (online users can report violations, too. Enter the keyword TOS to find out how.) The action then taken depends on the nature and seriousness of the offense.
Area Rules
In addition to the TOS, different areas have their own board rules. You'll find these in a folder with a name like About This Area and Area Guidelines. They occasionally differ from TOS. For instance, in my area, we prohibit "help desk" types of computer questions and questions about small businesses because there are other areas on AOL dealing with these issues. Those wanting to discuss consulting would rather not wade though posts that aren't about Consulting Issues. Therefore, it is wise to investigate the area guidelines before posting in an area; it's the cyberspace equivalent of "feeling out the room" when you enter a party.
Words of Advice
All online users have certain rights and responsibilities. Since you share the road with others, it is your right to report violations and you responsibility to be aware of the rules of the road. (The anonymity of cyberspace causes some to forget this.) Before you log on, remember: if it would be inappropriate to say to someone next to you, it's inappropriate online. Keep that in mind and you can't go wrong!
