Patch-L - Patch-L Rules

Patch-L rules

Over time we have had to institute some specific rules to deal with problems that have come up and to keep things orderly. These were presented to subscribers when they sent the subscribe command and they agreed to them when they replied to the questionnaire.

First and foremost, we go by the Scout Oath and Law. The listowners also feel that this is not something you turn on and off. Meaning, the standards here apply across the board. Further meaning, don't expect to stay a member if you have a habit of making good on your patch-L trades, but let the Scout Oath and Law slip on trades made at a trade-o-ree. Really.

Commercial Activity prohibited in posts to Patch-L at Google Groups

You must not make any offer to sell any items or otherwise undertake commercial activity in any post to Patch-L. For the time being we are keeping with the rules of our original host SUNY-Buffalo. Doing so can result in your immediate removal from the list. Saying you have an item for sale but not listing the price is still a violation.

Any post that is the result of malware, virus or infection of any subscribed email account will result in the permanent ban of the compromised email address in order to protect other Patch-L members.

Improper Behavior/SPAM

Any improper behavior on this list will result in your immediate removal. Improper behavior includes public flaming, posting unnecessarily long listings of available stuff, offers to sell items (If you want to sell, do so via private e-mail), complaints from other users regarding improper conduct (including private flames to other members that are not in keeping with the Scout Oath and Law), or any violation of the Scout Oath & Law. Also, please do not reveal secrets of OA ceremonies or discuss non-patch issues.

Trim your replies drastically. Subscribers who reply to the entire list and continually include irrelevant part of the message (address headers, patch-L footers, signature lines, non-pertinent part of the message, etc.) will find themselves set to moderate and their messages discarded until they figure out how to stop wasting bandwidth. When you fail to do this, it's like filling the bathtub just to get a glass of water. Don't do it. In the alternative, Listowners may set your account to digest so you see the full effect of your and other's sloppiness all at one time.

Posts of long list of items is prohibited. Every line eats up bandwidth and space. If you have long lists to share - convert them to a paragraph or post them on a web page and include a link.

Consolidate your posts and use subject lines. You don't have the right to fill everyone's mailbox with several notes, when they could be combined - use the subject line to describe your contents. Members who continually ignore this rule will be set to moderation and all posts after the first may be discarded. If the behavior continues, you may be removed.

Patch-L is set to private for a reason: we don't like spam, we never have, and our members don't want it on the list. Therefore, if you post anything to the list not related to the topic of this list, your rights will be revoked immediately. Chain letters, requests to go to web sites to sign petitions are particularly not welcome. We all have our causes, but Patch-L is not available to you to espouse it.

Computer Virus Warning Postings are prohibited.

IF YOU POST ANY MESSAGE REGARDING COMPUTER VIRUSES WITHOUT FIRST CLEARING IT WITH A LISTOWNER, YOU WILL BE DROPPED AS A SUBSCRIBER.

To find out why we have this rule, do a web search on the words "computer virus hoaxes". Call us quirky, but we have this thing about OUR subscribers being responsible citizens. Not yelling fire in a crowded theater is part of the picture.

Virus protection software required

You are required to keep your computer's virus protection up to date. If by some rare occurrence your are the cause of a virus being distributed to the list your membership will be terminated. Not understanding these things, or claims of computer illiteracy is no defense. You shouldn't repair your car if you don't know how, and you need to employ a computer mechanic as well if you aren't computer literate enough not to be a danger to others on the list. And on the other side of the coin - if by an even rarer occurance, you should get infected by a virus coming through the list - that would indicate you haven't kept up your anti-virus signatures and software: same penalty - removal from the list. Please be responsible and take care of business.

Postings on behalf of non-subscribers are prohibited.

Also, you should not post or forward the requests of non-subscribers for trades, sales, web-rings, or other means of bypassing the patch-l screening process. If you have a friend who wants to get their message out - have them subscribe like everyone else.

Mistakes Sometimes Happen.

You will occasionally see a violation of the rules from a subscriber who "forgot" or didn't bother to read the rules. They usually get a private reminder in most cases, sometimes put on review until we are sure there won't be a repeat performance, then are subject to removal if the practice continues. Please don't make the error in judgment that because someone else has broken the rules, that the rules have changed or that you can break them too.

If you have any question about what you can and can't do, please ask Kevin for guidance.

So. Go forward and do good.