EMAIL LIST RULES
The Maryland State Bar Association provides these email discussion lists as a benefit to its members. The purpose of the email discussion lists is to facilitate communication between members of the various committees and sections. The email discussion lists are to be used only for the discussion of related MSBA issues or other legal-related discussions.
We will send these Rules of Etiquette ("Netiquette") to the email discussion lists on a regular basis as a friendly reminder for long-time users and as valuable information for newcomers. The subject header will be Rules of Etiquette.
If you have any comments, additions, deletions or changes to these rules, please forward them to the Website staff at webmaster@msba.orgr. If you experience any problems with other members on the list not adhering to these rules, please contact Pat Yevics, Director, Law Office Management Assistance at pyevics@msba.org.
GENERAL DISCLAIMER
The MSBA is not responsible for any opinions or statements on the Email Lists. The MSBA disclaims all warranties with regard to the information posted whether posted by the MSBA or any third party. This disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. The MSBA has no liability for damages and/or injuries including but not limited to, special, indirect or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever arising out of the use or performance of any posted information. Defamatory, abusive, profane, offensive, illegal or unauthorized copyrighted material is not permitted.
Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that it owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. In addition, the posting party grants the Maryland State Bar Association and users of this list the non-exclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material.
The Maryland State Bar Association does not actively monitor email lists 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 the attention of the Maryland State Bar Association, the MSBA will take all appropriate action.
The MSBA reserves the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by these guidelines.
ANTI-TRUST ISSUES
Do not post queries or information, and refrain from any discussion which may provide the basis for an inference that the members agreed to take action relating to prices, production, allocation of markets, or any other matter having a market effect. Examples of topics which should not be discussed include current or future billing rates, fees, disbursement charges or other items which would be construed as "price", fair profit, billing rate, or wage level, current billing or fee procedures, imposition of credit terms. Do not post regarding refusing to deal with anyone because of his/her pricing or fees. Such discussion are strictly prohibited and the MSBA is not responsible for any such discussions.
There is no organization too small or too localized to escape the possibility of a civil or criminal antitrust suit, and the penalties for violating federal or state antitrust laws are severe. The government's attitude toward professional associations requires professional association members, as well as professional associations themselves, to at all times conduct their business openly and avoid any semblance of activity which might lead to the belief that the association members had agreed, even informally, to something that could have an effect on prices, fees or competition.
Violating antitrust regulations, selling, or marketing are not permissible. Please take a moment to acquaint yourself with the guidelines listed below. If you have questions, contact the list manager noted in your welcome instructions. MSBA reserves the right to suspend or terminate membership on all lists for members who violate these rules. The discussions on the lists are meant to stimulate conversation not to create contention. Do not challenge or attack others. Let others have their say, just as you may.
All defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials strictly prohibited. Do not post anything in a list message that you would not want the world to see or that you would not want anyone to know came from you. Remember that MSBA and other e-mail list participants have the right to reproduce postings to this list. Do not post commercial messages. The cyberspace term for this is spamming. Contact people directly with products and services that you believe would help them. Use caution when discussing products. Information posted on the lists is available for all to see, and comments are subject to libel, slander, and antitrust laws. Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. Messages should not be posted if they encourage or facilitate members to arrive at any agreement that either expressly or impliedly leads to price fixing, a boycott of another's business, or other conduct intended to illegally restrict free trade. 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 customers or supplies; or potential violation of current antitrust laws. Members who violate these rules are subject to removal from the list.
ATTACHMENTS
The discussion lists do not accept attachments. If you wish to send an attachment to an individual member of the list, you may do so but not to the list. You should get permission from a member of the list to send an attachment.
Using attachments can distribute viruses, hog bandwidth, slow mail service and use up recipients' storage quotas.
COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS
Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. In addition, the posting party grants MSBA and users of this list the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print and use such information or other material.
INAPPROPRIATE POSTS
Do not forward jokes or any other messages via the Email List. You have no idea where it will eventually be received. The Internet allows for very easy forwarding and sending of information. If you would not send out the jokes or message on your firm's letterhead, then do not forward it.
Do not send anything via e-mail you do not want to see in public
PROMOTING SECTION PROGRAMS ON OTHER LISTS
Many sections do meetings/programs and they are welcome to send notices to their section email lists promoting the program. Members who are also members of other sections and email lists are welcome to send information to other section email lists as long as they only promote MSBA or MICPEL events.
The MSBA will not, however, send messages for one section to other sections. We will put that information in the Bar Brief, Bar Events and now on the MSBA Twitter accounts, www.twitter.com//marylandbaror www.twitter.com/MSBALOMA.
ORIGINAL POST
When you are the person posting a question, be sure that you entitle it with a good, concise, explanatory title in the subject line.
If you must post a long message, warn the other subscribers with a statement in the body of the message at the top: Example: WARNING: LONG MESSAGE.
Make sure that questions and information posted to the email list is directly related to the purpose of the list. Avoid forwarding chain letters or other non-related messages to this, or any other list.
PROMOTION/SOLICITATION
The MSBA provides all sections and committees with email discussion lists to assist members in sharing information, ideas and resources.
The MSBA reserves the right to restrict promotion of products, services and programs not specifically endorsed by the MSBA. Only MSBA staff are authorized to post information about various MSBA programs, services and activities.
Only MSBA sponsored CLE are to be promoted or advertised on the email discussion lists.
The email list is not intended to provide a forum for the promotion or advocacy of the beliefs of any other organization. Solicitations and endorsements for political candidates or requests for fundraising contributions are out of order.
The MSBA does not provide e-mail addresses to outside vendors.
RESPONDING TO POSTS
Each section is given the option to determine whether it wants the reply to go ONLY to the person who sent the message or to the entire list. When you hit reply, please note whether the reply is going to the entire list or just the person who sent the message.
If it is going to the person who sent the message and you want it to go to the entire list, hit "REPLY TO ALL.".
If when you hit reply, the address of the list is in the TO line, it will be sent to the entire list. If you want only to reply to person who sent the message, delete the list address and add the address of the person who sent the message.
If you are responding to a post on a Email List, trim some of the original message. Avoid sending a reply that just says "Me, too" or some other short response. Keep messages short and to the point. If you are going to post a long reply or in some cases, a long rant, please indicate that in the subject header. Subject: Expert Witnesses -Long Reply.
If your reply is simply a request to receive a copy of what someone has offered to share, or simply to agree with or thank someone, please do not reply to the entire group. Instead, send your response directly to the e-mail address of the person who posted the message by clicking on your "Forward to" button, and typing in or cutting and pasting in the e-mail address of the individual to whom you are responding.
SHOUTING/EMPHASIS
Emails written in ALL CAPS are interpreted as "shouting". Use upper/lower case type in your posts. (Spell check doesn't hurt either <g>!) The use of a row of symbols such as *&!@*^& denotes cursing and should not be included in your posts
EMAIL SIGNATURES
ALL Emails must have signatures with at least your full name and telephone number. Auto signatures make this an automatic process. If you use an auto signature, you should keep its length to under 6 -8 lines.
When creating an auto signature there is often an option to attach a business card or vcard. It is not recommended that you attach your vcard as part of your auto signature, as viruses can attach themselves to vcards. Vcards also often trigger the attachment blocker on email discussion lists.
SUBJECT LINES
Use a subject that adequately introduces the topic of your message, so people can quickly determine whether or not they will find it of interest. If you are changing the topic of a previous post you respond to, you should change the subject line of the post.
Do not send messages without a topic in the Subject box.
SUBSCRIBING TO THE EMAIL LIST
One must first be a MEMBER of the list in order to post, and receive replies. In order to join a particular open list, go to http://www.msba.org/sec_comm/lists/index.htm. You may subscribe to as many of the open email discussion lists as you wish but you must subscribe to each one separately. Once you have subscribed you may post and receive messages.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
If you believe that there is a technical problem with the list, do not post to the list. Send a private post to MSBA website staff at webmaster@msba.org.
UNSUBSCRIBING FROM THE EMAIL LIST
At the bottom of all e-mail messages from the email discussion lists is the ability to unsubscribe. You may unsubscribe at any time. You may also send a blank email to leave-listname@lists.msba.org or send an email to webmaster@msba.org with your name, email address used on the list and the list name.
VIRUS INFORMATION
Viruses are destructive, both in terms of the damage they can do to computers, and in terms of lost billable time trying to get one's computer back up and running. For this reason, participants of email discussion lists have an extra responsibility to their fellow attorneys to employ a virus detection package, and to regularly update the virus definitions, so it continues to provide adequate protection.
If you discover you have a virus on your computer, you should immediately contact the webmaster by telephone at 800-492-1964, ext 3037 and ask the MSBA staff to post a warning not to open any emails with attachments sent under your name.
