Dear non-club member subscribers to this list
My previous posting on the use of our mailer list seems to largely
have been ignored by the parties it was aimed at, so I'll be more
explicit about what I was trying to convey.
The mailing list is operated by the OBC for club members. It's a means
for the club and its members to exchange information. While we do not
prevent an outsider posting to it, we expect guests to our facility to
do so in a courteous and respectful manner (just as we expect our own
members to). At the moment, guests have the same freedom of access to
our list as OBC members. That however does not confer them with the same
privileges as OBC members.
Some of the postings on our list from non-members recently have not just
been portraying misinformed views of club policies and actions - those
we can rectify easily - but some have been deliberately malicious and
abusive. Some of the private e-mail members of the Board have received
from non-members likewise have been malicious and abusive. Together, they
have amounted to inappropriate interference in the affairs of the OBC.
It is with regret that some unpleasant messages have been posted in
response by Club members. I will continue to urge our members to take
the high road and ignore deliberately provocative posts. You as a
non-member should be aware that if an OBC member misuses this list,
we can invoke sanctions against him. In an extreme case, we can cancel
his membership. We have no such instruments at our disposal if a
non-member misuses our list.
I have no desire to limit anyone's freedom of expression. The occasional
irresponsible use of the Internet is one of the costs of free speech. On
the other hand, there are limits to what the club and its members will
tolerate on its mailing list. Based on e-mail I've received, our members
are getting a little fed up with the barrage e-mail on issues that are
not so much as of interest to club members but rather issues which
are important to non-members.
If my pleas to everyone to exercise a modicum of restraint go ignored, then
I shall reluctantly ask the Board to consider restricting the subscription
list to club members only. I think we would be worse off for it, but I
don't see any other means to protect the interests of our club members
whose facility this is.
Avery Burdett
President
Avery Burdett ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) writes:
> The mailing list is for the benefit of Club members. The mailing list
> guidelines were drawn up with members it mind. They never anticipated that
> it would be used by another organization that has its own mail list to
> repeatedly use it for its own purposes, some of it antagonistic towards the
> Club and its members. At best, the practice is discourteous (although the
> current CfSC administrator did ask for permission, which was granted, to
> post one CfSC announcement. Thank you, Jennifer Allen.)
>
> If members of the OBC want to obtain CfSC news and announcement they should
> subscribe to flora.cfsc. That will eliminate the need for redundancy and
> avoid the irritation recent posts have generated. Meanwhile, it is
> requested that CfSC directors limit their postings to items directly
> relating to Club activities and operations, and that they also exercise a
> modicum of restraint when they do post.
>
> Avery Burdett
> President
>
> List Guidelines:
>
> ****************************************************
> * The Ottawa Bicycle Club Mailing List Information *
> ****************************************************
>
> The Ottawa Bicycle Club mailing list ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) is an electronic
> forum describing activities of the Ottawa Bicycle Club and its
> members, as well as cycling in or near eastern Ontario or western
> Quebec. Many members of the Ottawa Bicycle Club have access to
> e-mail, but not to USENET news. The mailing list will allow members
> to join in the forum, regardless of location or configuration of their
> Internet access. Most members are in eastern Ontario. However, many
> travel and are on assignments far and wide, and many former members
> can use this method to keep in touch. Non-members are welcome to join
> the list, especially to gain insights into the cycling environment in
> eastern Ontario.
>
> The mailing list is used cover the following topics:
>
> * club administration and information.
> * club ride announcements.
> * ride requests and touring information.
> * tour schedules.
> * time trial schedules and results.
> * triathlon, duathlon, and racing events.
> * winter events (skiing, indoor training).
> * special cycling events.
> * person-to-person buy and sell. No advertising please.
> * advocacy announcements and discussions.
> * request for ride partners.
> * ride reports, stories and diaries.
> * cycling information about eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
>
> However, the list is unmoderated. Discussions are not limited to the
> topics above. But please keep them within the proper scope. The
> primary source of information is the club's newsletter, The
> Spokesperson, which is published 11 times a year and is distributed
> free of charge to all households of club members.
>
> The mailing list is not intended to mirror, or replace, the
> newsletter, but be an interactive forum for its members and anyone
> else that may be interested in the club.
>
> In consideration for those with slow connections and limited mail box
> capacities, please refrain from posting messages with attachments or
> with HTML or Rich Text (MS Outlook users, please take note!).
>
> Opinions expressed in the Ottawa Bicycle Club mailing list may not be
> those of the club or its directors.
>
--
Avery Burdett
Ottawa, Ontario
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