The purpose of the OWDNA listserve is to provide a place for residents of the neighborhood to post messages:
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announcing news or events or comments of general interest (lost animals, homes for sale in OWD, local events, history, etc.)
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expressing views on issues of neighborhood interest (sidewalks, traffic calming, crime prevention, green space, schools, local development projects, etc.)
We seek to foster communication and build community by maintaining a space for thoughtful and meaningful discussion. We believe this goal is best accomplished by a free and uncensored, or rather, self-censored flow of messages. Also, we seek a balance between neighbors offering each other informal views about who they like to do business with, and yet another regular stream of commercial advertisements.
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It's OK to post a recommendation for a plumber. It's not OK to advertise your own business. Non-profits and local artists/musicians are exempt and are welcome to post their events. Neighbors may post messages about locally-owned businesses in/near the neighborhood.
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We encourage engagement, even disagreement with ideas. But it's not OK to attack the people who hold those ideas: Such attacks will not be tolerated. A personal attack includes, but is not limited to, name-calling or disparaging someone's character, physical appearance, occupation, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, race, or creed Please focus on issues rather than personalities and don’t spam our common space with advertising campaigns.
In the event that the tone of posts begins to deteriorate, the OWDNA listserve moderator (our webspinner), is authorized to act in the following ways:
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Send a warning via private email to anyone sending an offensive post.
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Assign probationary status to anyone who has received such a warning and continues to violate the letter or spirit of these guidelines. With this status, the individual must submit all posts intended for the OWDNA list to the moderator.
The OWDNA board will review all cases of probationary status. The board will determine whether to maintain the probation or remove that status when it determines that the resident can abide by these guidelines. Anyone assigned probation has a one-time opportunity to protest that decision by requesting a hearing on the matter at a future OWDNA board meeting.
The purpose of this policy is to maintain a civil and non-commercial discourse in this forum. The disciplinary measures described here will only be used as a last resort.
[Adapted from the WHHNA and TPNA listserve guidelines]