Welcome to the BestInterests-Talk Listserv

Thank you for interest in the www.bestinterests-talk.com website and listserv.  Welcome to this specialized professional community!  The list is designed to be exciting, fun, and intellectually stimulating.  The topics discussed are often emotionally charged topics and usually there are multiple perspectives on each issue.  Most members also participate on other listservs.  In order to facilitate a beneficial and enjoyable discussion, the following set of rules are established to assist in the exchanges. These rules are specific to this list and the goal of collegial and respectful participation.  The rules are styled in many ways after the ABA Section of Family Law’s Rules & Etiquette for Discussion Groups. The list is lightly moderated with the expectation that members consistently contribute and maintain their professional behavior throughout the resulting dialogues.  Keep it positive and have fun!

1.  There will be only one page of rules. 

2.  www.bestinterests-talk.com and this listserv are for “brain storming, testing ideas, and informal collegial communications.” 

3.  Be nice, be fair.  Please read Robert Fulgram’s All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten and the following rules.  

4.  By joining the Bestinterests-talk listserv you agree to abide by these rules.

5.  To initiate a thread, address your post to bestinterest-talk@lists.washlaw.edu.

6.  When replying to the post of another member, hit "Reply" to send a response to the author of the post.  If you wish to send a response to the entire list, hit "Reply All." Please note that hitting "Reply All" might send the author of the post two separate copies of your post.  To avoid this, edit the "Reply-To:" line and remove the seperate e-mail address of the author.  The author will receive your post because they are part of the bestinterests-talk list. 

7.  Group Discussion Rules:  Do not challenge or attack others.  The list is designed to stimulate conversation.  Let everyone have their say. Respectful disagreement is a part of being a child custody professional.

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8.  Do not post commercial messages or market yourself or your business organization on the list.  If you are doing a workshop, have written an article or book, or have something you wish to share with the group, you may post this one time (aka the “one shameless plug” exception). Otherwise, contact people directly if you know of something of interest to individual list members.

9.  Defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials are strictly prohibited.  Do not post anything that you would not want the world to see or that you would not want anyone to know came from you.  To avoid allegations of price-fixing or anti-competitive behaviors, members must avoid discussing fees, price structures, or other similar financial issues on bestinterests-talk.

10.  If your post is not directly relevant, put “OT” (Off Task) at the beginning of the subject line.

11.  If your post is long, put “LM” (Long Message) at the beginning of the subject line.

12.  You can say “thank you” and “me too,” but label these things “OT.”  Be sensitive to the high numbers of emails some members must manage.

13.  Do not send “Remove me” or other “Administrative Messages” to the Discussion group. Send these to support@bestinterests-talk.com.

14.  Do not send attachments to the Discussion Group.  Send attachments backchannel to those who request them.

15.  Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner.

16.  Listserv members may only redistribute posts with the permission of the posting party. www.bestinterests-talk.com and its listserv have limited archives. Members are encouraged to create their own database via folders of members whose posts they value. 

17.  Do not post anything you do not want the world to see or that you would not want anyone to know came from you.  Advice included in any written or electronic communication is not advice from www.bestinterests-talk.com and should not be used without independent research and advice. 

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18.  Anything not specifically covered in the rules will be addressed by the www.bestinterests-talk.com team.  

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19.  www.bestinterests-talk.com reserves the right to temporarily or permanently terminate access to any user who does not abide by these rules and guidelines. 

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20.  Twenty rules should be enough.