Lists can be moderated to control the content and ensure that the discussions remain on topic and respectful. The criteria for moderating a Listserv can vary, but some common practices include obtaining approval from the appropriate authority, informing the members about the moderation policy, and moderating specific subscribers whose posts need approval. For instance, the IESG provides guidance that the appropriate AD(s) must approve of a list being moderated, and the working group should be kept informed of the mailing list’s moderation policy[1]. Additionally, the University at Buffalo’s policy states that any Listserv containing all students, all staff, or all faculty are required to be moderated to prevent spoofed email or inappropriate content[5]. Moderation can also involve controlling specific list members’ postings by requiring their messages to be approved by a designated moderator[3]. These practices help maintain the integrity and quality of the discussions within the Listserv.
Potential Listserv Criteria
1. Respectful communication: Members should uphold a respectful tone and refrain from personal attacks, insults, or harassment towards others.
2. No Emotive Tagging: Members should not squelch free and open public discussion with emotive tagging references to threats of physical violence and/or deaths as veiled intimidation.
3. Focus on the topic: All discussions should center around the purpose and theme of the listserv. Irrelevant or off-topic posts should be minimized.
4. No Irrelevant Spam or Self-Promotion: Members should not use the listserv as a platform for advertising their own non-list relevant products or services, or repeatedly posting unrelated content.
5. Citing sources and accuracy: When discussing factual information or making claims, members should provide reliable sources and ensure the accuracy of their statements.
6. Confidentiality and privacy (No Doxing): Members should respect the confidentiality of discussions and avoid sharing sensitive or personal information without consent.
7. Non-discrimination: Discussions should be inclusive and free from all forms of discrimination, including but not limited to race, gender, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation.
8. Non-political and non-commercial: Listservs that are intended for professional or educational purposes should generally avoid engaging in overtly political or commercial discussions. This would not apply to community listservs as long as other criteria above are met.
9. Language and content restrictions: Offensive or inappropriate language, explicit content, or any materials that violate copyright laws should not be shared on the listserv.
10. Clear subject lines: Members should use descriptive and accurate subject lines to facilitate easy navigation and understanding of each discussion thread.
11. Compliance with legal guidelines: Listserv discussions should abide by all applicable laws and regulations, including copyright and intellectual property laws.
12. Valid Member: Listserv participants should be only humans and only those humans who validly belong on the list. Members should not be part of any psychological operations group, or other influence organization, but should participate as individuals.
13. Censorship Is Not Permitted: If other criteria are met, no member or moderator shall act to censor speech on the list.
Moderation of a listserv involves enforcing these criteria by reviewing and approving posts before they are shared with the wider community. Posts that violate these rules should be rejected, and in case of repeated or severe violations, the member may be warned or banned from participating in the listserv. However, moderation should still aim to maintain an open and inclusive environment that allows for diverse opinions and constructive discussions.
Examples of Listserv Policies
Here are some examples of Listserv participation guidelines:
1. LACPA Listserv Guidelines
– Subscribers and participants agree to abide by the following rules adapted from the APA Practice Organization. This listserv is moderated. Each post is reviewed and may be denied if it does not meet the APAPO/LACPA rules and standards outlined in this document. Rule 1: Do not use the listserv for illegal purposes, including but not limited to defamation, violation of intellectual property laws, violation of antitrust or unfair competition laws, or violation of criminal laws[6].
2. University of North Carolina Wilmington
– Subscribers can be moderated, meaning any message they try to post must first be approved by a moderator. Moderating subscribers is best used when you don’t want list members (subscribers) to be able to post or when you need to have control over a specific list member’s postings[3].
3. Office of State Public Defender
– The listservs are for the facilitation of the legal defense of criminal cases by the sharing of information among members, all of whom are expected to behave[7].
4. American Bankruptcy Institute
– All defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials are strictly prohibited. Do not post anything in a listserv message that you should not[8].
These examples illustrate the diverse nature of Listserv participation guidelines, which often include rules related to legal compliance, respectful behavior, and the sharing of relevant information.
Citations:
[1] https://www.ietf.org/about/groups/iesg/statements/mailing-lists-moderation/
[2] https://moderation.org/listserv/
[3] https://uncw.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=32566
[4] https://moderation.org/moderation-management-support-listserv/
[5] https://www.buffalo.edu/ubit/policies/guidance-documents/listserv.html
[6] https://www.lacpa.org/lacpa-listserv-guidelines
[7] https://www.ospd.ca.gov/listserv-guidelines/
[8] https://www.abi.org/listserv-guidelines
[9] https://newsi8.com/have-you-been-emotively-tagged/
