SFBAVEG CHARTER

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The Charter contains the guidelines which pertain to the SFBAVEG mailing list. It will be sent quarterly to the mailing list. This same information is also available on the group website (and more easily read) athttp://www.bayareaveg.org/charter.htmBay Area Vegetarians is a local community where everyone (vegans, pre-vegans, vegetarians, vegetarian-interested folks) from all the different paths leading to vegetarianism (such as ethical, environmental, health, spiritual) can find the camaraderie or friendly support for their veg*n lifestyle.We will each get out of this organization and community what we put into it: communication, creativity, compassion, and, our personal hope, community.MissionTo connect and support the local, San Francisco Bay Area vegetarian and animal rights (AR) community, and support/promote a plant-based diet through community education and outreach.MembershipMembership is free and open to everyone, vegans, vegetarians, veg*n-inclined or veg*n-interested people. Each member must have a valid email address. (The * acts as a wildcard, meaning vegetarian or vegan)Members and their friends are invited to attend group events, and to or use online group resources:forum http://www.bayareaveg.org/forumSFBAVEG - mailing list for discussion and local eventsSFBAVEG-EVENTS - mailing list for local events

Only registered members will have access to the forum, and mailing lists. Members are encouraged to sign their posts, especially when they are more opinion than fact.Guidelines for Posts to SFBAVEG and the forumThe Bay Area Vegetarians community and its online resources are a shared space for us to communicate with others who share our dietary choice / interest in veg*nism. To insure a peaceful co-existence, we need to respect the different paths or reasons that have brought us to this intersection where our paths cross: veg*nism.Additionally, with an eye towards manageable and meaningful volume, we need to keep posts relevant. With over a 1,000 members on the SFBAVEG mailing list alone, it is important for all of us to remember that this is a local San Francisco Bay Area community vegetarian and animal rights list. So please keep that in mind before you hit the 'send' button! "Noise" or SPAM type posts diminish the effectiveness of our resources and we lose what makes our local, online bay area community/mailing different from the gazillion of other mailing lists out there. It means we lose people who are dissuaded by too many posts....Please follow these guidelines when posting:1. Only members will get to post messages to the SFBAVEG mailing list2. Posts that are veg or animal rights (AR) related are on-topic and acceptable (see news/alert criteria that follow)3. Re-posts of national/international news stories or national/international action alerts are not acceptable.4. Other individuals or non-profit organizations (which primarily promote veg*nism, animal rights, or animal welfare) are always welcome to share information about fund-raising or educational events or projects that promote veg*nism or AR. Note: Due to the overwhelming number of events in the Bay Area, please send information about your event only once to the mailing list. All events posted must serve vegetarian foods only. If you aren't sure whether meat is served at the event, please do not post the event.5. Commercial (for-profit) announcements - Please be very selective regarding any posts of a commercial or profit-seeking nature. One-time announcements of new products or services are okay, but repeated announcements about for-profit "fun veggie cooking" $30 parties, etc. are not welcome. SFBAVEG is not your personal marketing tool!6. The exchange of information and ideas are welcome. However, SFBAVEG is not an appropriate venue for debate. In the online forum (separate from the mailing list), there is a forum appropriate for debate.7. We are a community list -- please sign your posts! If you have an opinion or question that you aren't willing to sign your name too, please reconsider whether it should even be posted.Please, respect the spirit and intent of the Bay Area Vegetarians community and keep all posts relevant and on-topic. Please refer to the charter on our website for examples of appropriate and inappropriate postshttp://www.bayareaveg.org/charter.htmIf you need assistance in determining whether your post is relevant, please let our quiz page guide you or contact the list moderators by email at -owner Content of PostsPosters are encouraged to utilize SFBAVEG for the free expression of on-topic content limited only by the imaginations of the posters. However,in order to maintain decorum, posters are urged to always show respect for the views of others, even if they disagree with the views expressed. When disagreeing with views expressed on SFBAVEG posters are urged to disagree with the views expressed and not with the poster personally.If you feel a post is off-topic, or otherwise violates the SFBAVEG guidelines, please bring it to the attention of the List Owners/List Adminsby forwarding it to them. Unsigned (anonymous) e-mails will be discarded.Individuals or organizations that repeatedly violate the posting guidelines of SFBAVEG, or harass other list members, whether by posts on SFBAVEG or by privately sent posts, may be moderated or banned without notice at the discretion of the list administrators. Evidence of any abuse of this list should be sent, along with any complaint, to the List Administrators. Unsigned (anonymous) e-mails will be discarded.AdministrationThe 3 volunteer List Admins for SFBAVEG are the List Owners, Tammy & Chris, along with Kim. Email -owner to contact the list moderatorsQuestions regarding SFBAVEG-EVENTS or the forum can be sent directly toTammy & Chris at http://www.bayareaveg.org/contact.htm?subject=list%20question

LiabilityBay Area Vegetarians does not condone or support illegal activities.Regarding the use of our mailing lists and forum:The views expressed on SFBAVEG are not necessarily those of the administrators of SFBAVEG. Posters assume all liability for the content oftheir posts and hereby waive any and all claims that might arise against Bay Area Vegetarians, its volunteers, management, and administrators.Regarding the events posted on SFBAVEG and SFBAVEG-EVENTS: If you accept an invitation to an event, you agree to participate at your own risk and expressly waive any and all liability on the part of Bay Area Vegetarians, its volunteers, management, and administrators.Other InfoQuestions?If you have other questions about SFBAVEG, please see our "FAQ" (Frequently Asked Questions)AffiliationsSFBAVEG is the mailing list of Bay Area Vegetarians. It is not officially affiliated with any other group, but invites informal affiliations with anyother organization to promote veg*nism and animal rights.Suggested News ListsFor folks who want all the vegetarian and animal rights news, there are dedicated mailing lists available. Below are two examples:AR-NEWS - international source for animal rights related news, dozens of news items posted every dayIVU-VEG-NEWS - Daily news about vegetarian and animal rights issues (200-400 posts per month) (see http://www.bayareaveg.org/charter.htm for links)