Dear Community of the Indigenous Caribbean Network~

If after reading this post you feel there has been a breach of these guidelines and you would like administrative attention, click here.

It is not our intention to guard forum discussions, blogs and every word shared for possible inappropriate statements as that could be considered rude, intrusive, and presumptuous. Many of the topics discussed here will be controversial; indeed, our very existence as Indigenous Caribbean people has been a controversy. As to be expected, some of us may have strong opinions with regards to certain issues. However, these passions are not reason enough to justify overstepping the boundaries of common courtesy.

Taking into account the emails received by the administration, the following issues have been noted as the most common:

the use of racial slurs-overt and covert

sexism, including attacks against homosexuals

insults centered on religious/spiritual beliefs

insults centered on Nationality/Heritage/Ethnicity/Self Identification

comments meant to belittle or humiliate another member

Needless to say, these behaviors are not acceptable anywhere. Additionally, these behaviors threaten the continued existence of the ICN and is something the administration will not stand for.

Public Exchanges

In the event that a discussion becomes too passionate, and humors too difficult to control, keep in mind that you are ultimately responsible for what you choose to post. We understand that disagreement is not disrespect, however, how we disagree is important. Rebuttals are attacks against the topic and not the person sharing the opinion, so we encourage you to keep on topic.

We are aware that many of our members are involved in charitable organizations, non-profits, business endeavors, NGO's and so on. Feel free to advertise these in your personal blog while always keeping in mind Article 15 of the Ning Terms of Service, to which we are all bound.

Netiquette

Netiquette is imperative in electronic communications. We have included some basics here and for further reading we suggest a Google search, which invariably provides millions of pages on the topic. If you prefer, you may contact council members as well. We are here to serve.

Sometimes, a misunderstanding occurs due to lack of knowledge. For those of us who are new to blogging, intercultural communications or forum boards, we would like to share the following netiquette information:

1. Treat people as you would treat them in your own home. Anonymity sometimes offers the illusion of safety. Keep in mind this is only an illusion. Real-time damage can and has occurred due to virtual interactions; divorce, physical and sexual attacks, job loss, lawsuits and the like are a very real possibility.

2. WRITING IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS is considered rude, as if you were yelling at the person. You may use all caps to emphasize a word or make a point, but a whole message in caps is not generally acceptable.

3. Do not assume that the person who left the message is trying to be rude or aggressive; give them the benefit of the doubt. Much of our communication comes from facial expressions and tone of voice and we get neither via writing. Try to get more feedback on what that person is trying to express before responding. ICN membership encompasses different countries and cultures and these differences can create misunderstandings among us.

4. Ask the recipient before sending graphics (pictures/images) to their personal pages, emails, etc. Graphics can make peoples computers crash or freeze up, which is very frustrating and takes away from the interaction. If someone asks you not to send them graphics, keep in mind it's not a personal rejection.

If you wish further reading regarding netiquette, here is a neat little site with some info or feel free to Google the word "Netiquette".

Email Exchanges

Please know that the administration has no control over what is shared privately via ICN email. If you are receiving emails from this network that you prefer not to receive you can:

-review your settings (top, right field where your email is found- button under "friends")
-request the sender to stop
-remove them from your "friend" list
-remove yourself from any network group they "created" or "own"

note: If you have emailed them from your personal, out-of-network email, you may need to review the email filters available via your email provider. ICN has no control over out of network communications.

We recognize that nobody is perfect, we all have "off" days. But we also know there is often an awareness of the space we are in and are free to make a choice.

We encourage all to choose wisely.

Minors

We've decided to not provide individual pages for children due to our sincere concern for the safety of all children. Adults can allow their children to read these pages, however we cannot monitor any private or off line communications that could compromise the safety of any child. Parents need to be responsible for monitoring their children's interactions.

NING

Please note that ours is not an independently created, hosted, and self-contained network, we answer to the NING. The NING has its own Terms of Service, and where members violate these they may be banned, with or without warning. Indeed the whole network could be banned!

NING's Terms of Service supersede any terms that we create. I recommend that you all familiarize yourselves with Article 14 In particular. NING prohibits the use of a network for libelous or defamatory statements, harassment, or speech that "is hateful or discriminatory based on race, color, sex, religion, nationality, ethnic or national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or age or is otherwise objectionable." Permitting such speech allows NING itself to delete this entire network.

Keep in mind the country you reside in and the laws that may apply. For example, Canadian hate speech laws may apply to Canadian members of the network. Canada, unlike the U.S., does not permit freedom of speech to the same degree. How that may actually apply here is not clear, but perhaps it is best to err on the side of caution.

We would like this space to be one of sharing, learning, teaching and growth and we assume your desire for the same. We are seeking community, but community is not found, it is made. Let us create community together.

Oma'bahari (with respect)
Nabori'daka (at your service)

Indigenous Caribbean Network Administration