THE SIXTEEN POINTS
AUDITNET LIST
NETIQUETTE
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(1) LIMIT all postings to topics, subjects, or issues relevant to the auditing field. Conserve cyberspace as much as possible, and always be considerate of subscribers who routinely *pay* for each message received.
(2) ALWAYS include a subject line that is descriptive of the topic being discussed.
(3) IDENTIFY YOURSELF at the bottom of your posting (i.e., include e-signature card or tagline). Include at a minimum your name and e-mail address to facilitate back-channel communication if necessary.
(4) USE DISCRETION when forwarding information to any AuditNet discussion list. It might be preferable to reference the source of a lengthy document and provide instructions on how to obtain a copy.
(5) EXERCISE CAUTION when using sarcasm and humor. Without face to face communications, your comments or the imports of your comments might be misinterpreted.
(6) ALWAYS respect COPYRIGHT and LICENSE AGREEMENTS.
(7) Be professional and AVOID FLAMING others. The AuditNet discussion lists are meant for constructive exchanges ONLY. The use of offensive or obscene language will result in immediate removal from all AuditNet lists. There is no excuse for unprofessional conduct from audit professionals.
(8) Cite all quotes, references and sources especially when forwarding information to another person or a discussion list. Where possible, obtain permission from the sender first.
(9) Subscribers are not allowed to promote products or services or post job listings on any AuditNet discussion list. Products may be discussed or critiqued as long as there is no payment from a vendor/individual (in the form of advertising or marketing expenses) to do so. Job postings for AuditNet are handled in a separate area. The only permitted advertising on the list will be list sponsorship. Violation of this policy may result in suspension of posting privileges to the list.
(10) When quoting another individual or replying to another individual's posting, edit out whatever is *not* directly applicable to your reply. Including the entire posting can be annoying to those reading it.
(11) Keep paragraphs and messages short and to the point. Limit line length (less than 80 characters per line) to avoid text wrapping and to improve readability.
(12) Respond directly to sender on specific or personal requests, *not* to the entire list.
(13) The greatest benefit of the AuditNet discussion lists, is the GIVE and TAKE of information. Everyone learns from the discussion.
(14) ALWAYS feel free to offer advice and suggestions on how to improve the AuditNet discussion lists to make them more meaningful and enjoyable. Be tolerant of shortcomings and errant messages that might occasionally be experienced or witnessed on the list. The objective is to continuously improve this list.
(15) If you want to redistribute someone else's posting to another forum (another mailing list, usenet, your in-house newsletter, etc.), please secure the original author's consent.
(16) If you are going to be out of the office and not checking e-mail for an extended amount of time, please remember not to activate any auto-responding feature on any email account that is subscribed to any AuditNet list. Examples of auto-responding features include: an automatic reply message indicating that you are on vacation and return receipt requests. Auto responders can cause a continuous stream of irrelevant message to be sent to the entire membership of the AuditNet lists. If you must use an auto-responder because you intend to be out of the office for an extended period of time, please unsubscribe from the respective AuditNet list and re-subscribe upon your return. If you inadvertently use an auto-responder that sends multiple messages to any AuditNet list, AuditNet will unsubscribe you from all AuditNet lists. You will also be blocked from subscribing to any AuditNet list in the future.
