Drug Policy Central ("DPC") was founded by DrugSense /MAP to support the efforts of those involved in global drug policy reform by providing affordable web and internet services. The purpose of this policy is to establish acceptable and unacceptable use of DPC resources in conjunction with promoting a culture of ethical and lawful behavior, openness, trust, and integrity.

This Acceptable Use Policy (the "AUP") for Drug Policy Central services is designed to help protect DPC, DPC's clients, and the Internet community in general from irresponsible or, in some cases, illegal activities. The AUP is a non-exclusive list of the actions prohibited by Drug Policy Central. Drug Policy Central reserves the right to modify the AUP at any time. If You Do Not Wish To Be Bound By These Terms And Conditions, You Must Not Continue To Use The Service. Violation of these terms may result in the suspension or termination of the services.

• Mailing List Guidelines
• Specifically Prohibited Activities
• Mailing List Hosting General Policy
• Web Site Hosting
• Reporting Violations and Enforcement
• Procedures
• Reservation of Rights
• Privacy Policy
• Disclaimer

Mailing List Guidelines

1. Discussion will focus on the stated purpose of the list.


2. List participants acknowledge that mailing list posts are publicly available on DPC mailing lists, may be archived on the DPC website, and are subject to legal rules of discovery.


3. Auto-reply messages, such as out-of-office messages, are strongly discouraged from any e-mail account subscribed to the list.


4. List administration messages, such as unsubscribe requests, must not be sent to the list. Instructions on how to submit mailing-list related requests are detailed on DPC's website.


5. List administrators may impose additional restrictions on subscriptions and message content, retention and distribution. Read the list welcoming message for more information and keep it for future reference.

Specifically Prohibited Activities

The following activities are specifically prohibited on any DPC mailing list:

1. Statements that include foul language, personal character attacks, or show disrespect for other participants, including DPC.


2. Statements that are slanderous or libellous, including making defamatory and untrue accusations of criminal conduct.


3. Product marketing.


4. Use or distribution of others' comments or e-mail addresses for any purpose other than to discuss relevant issues pertaining to approved topics.


5. Posts which interfere with the customary communications on the list.


6. Postings by fictional or non-identifiable names and addresses.


7. Posting knowingly false or fictitious statements.

Mailing List Hosting General Policy

DPC mailing lists provide information and facilitate discussion of subjects pertinent to the DPC Mission Statement. DPC maintains mailing lists at its sole discretion and may create, modify, or remove a mailing list or change the subscriber requirements of its lists at any time. DPC may cancel a subscription if the individual or his/her organization no longer meets the list's posted subscription requirements.

DPC provides email list and web management for scores of state and issue based drug policy groups and provides a pretty free reign to let organizations grow, communicate and accomplish their objectives on their own with little interference from us and hopefully some occasional valuable feedback from our staff. We do, however, have a couple of rules on all DPC lists that have served us quite well and have allowed us to become the largest provider of such services in the world.

The number one rule is: "Praise in Public but Criticize in Private." No personal attacks on the list ever. If you absolutely must attack or criticize another reformer do so in private and preferably not at all. Finding ways to encourage and applaud the hard and often under appreciated work of other reformers is a much better use of anyone's time.

Personal public attacks are nearly always ego driven and are exacerbated by the very fact that they are public. Personal disagreements nearly always subside or come to a reasonable conclusion (or at least an agreement to disagree) if kept one on one.

Breaking that rule consistently is the only reason we have ever removed anyone from a list. We have done it quite rarely but we have done it and will do so again if necessary. Regardless of any individual's status or accomplishments, they are counter-productive to what we are all trying to accomplish if they refuse to follow the "Praise in Public but Criticize in Private" golden rule. We encourage anyone on any DPC supported list who feels someone to be consistently breaking that rule to let us know. We will try to address and resolve the matter.

Infighting amongst ourselves is rarely useful or productive. It's a safe bet that all members of these lists are more or less working for the same objectives. Save your criticism and attacks for LTEs against bad drug laws. That would be our advice.

Finally we have found that when our "blood is boiling" the best decision is to write a hostile post (if necessary) but try to religiously follow the rule that any message, written in anger, will never be sent out that same day. We usually find that, after sleeping on it, we either delete or tone down the message significantly.

We're all doing important work. Let's concentrate on that.

For more information on mailing list "netiquette," see RFC 1855 Netiquette Guidelines.

Web Site Hosting

1. DPC provides various hosting services subject to the client's compliance with the terms and conditions set forth in this policy. Use Of The Service Constitutes An Understanding And Acceptance Of These Terms And Conditions.
   
2. DPC reserves the right to modify these terms at any time. The client's continued use of the service shall be deemed to be an acceptance of the updated terms of use. Conversely, client may reject the update terms by ceasing use of the service.


3. It is the client's responsibility to provide and maintain accurate contact information.


4. The registered owner of an account or service is responsible for the actions of all parties using that account or service.


5. Acceptable use: all users are expected to exhibit good netiquette. Example violations would be: illegal content or behaviour, abusive content or behaviour, sending of SPAM.


6. Obscene or pornographic content in violation of local community standards is not permitted.


7. Transmission, distribution or storage of any material in violation of any applicable law or regulation is prohibited. This includes, without limitation, material protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret or other intellectual property right used without proper authorization, and material that is obscene, defamatory, or constitutes an illegal threat.


8. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 and The Berne Convention on Literary and Artistic Works, Article 10, newspaper clippings and some other materials may be used on the websites of qualifying educational non-profit organizations. Organizations are advised to consult with copyright experts.


9. Any attempt to reduce the security, stability, or integrity of DPC systems, or those of any other organization, will result in immediate account termination and the notification of the relevant authorities.


10. The client is responsible for maintaining backups of their site content.


11. The service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied. No advice or information given by DPC shall create a warranty.


12. Under no circumstances shall DPC be liable for any loss, damage, liability or expense incurred or suffered which is claimed to result from use of or inability to use the service, or the client's reliance on or use of information services or merchandise provided on or through the service, or that result from mistakes, omissions, interruptions, errors, delays, defects, or any failure of performance.
13. DPC's failure to enforce any term or condition in this policy shall not be taken as a waiver of that term or condition.


14. DPC reserves the right to send email notices to the client.


15. DPC will have the final say on what constitutes a violation of these terms and conditions.

Reporting Violations and Enforcement

DPC reserves the right to maintain order and decorum on the mailing lists and Websites it manages, to include imposing disciplinary actions on individual mailing list subscribers and/or on clients. At its own discretion, DPC may take any one or more of the following actions in response to a reported violation or its own determination that a violation has occurred:

1. DPC may attempt to contact the author to verify the offending posting was theirs.


2. Issue the offender a written warning; and/or


3. Filter/remove the offender's message(s); and/or


4. Immediately revoke the offender's posting privileges to one or all DPC mailing list(s); and/or


5. Revoke posting privileges for a specified time period or permanently.


6. Revoke hosting services, including e-mail accounts, e-mail discussion lists and web accounts for a specified time period or permanently.

Procedures

DPC's decisions pursuant to this policy will be made by the DrugSense Executive Director.

Whenever possible, the Executive Director will ask the DrugSense Board of Directors to review the proposed course of action to ensure the decision is sound and consistent with the described procedures.

Community members may report to DPC what they believe to be a violation of this AUP by notifying Information provided should include the mailing list name, date of post, time of post, name of poster and subject header, and a reference to the reason why it is believed to violate this AUP.

Reservation of Rights

Notwithstanding anything in this policy, DPC specifically reserves the right to pursue any remedy in law or equity.

Privacy Policy