POLICIES AND PRACTICES
E-Mail and Internet Usage
The following is a sample policy
related to the use of e-mail and the Internet by
staff.
E-MAIL SYSTEM
The e-mail system is used to facilitate
business-related communication throughout the company and
field locations. Employees who use the e-mail system
should keep the following in mind. The e-mail system is to
be used primarily for company business as it relates to
the application of your position. Information on the
e-mail system is considered proprietary and belongs to the
association and that the associaiton reserves the right to
review that material with or without employees' knowledge.
Extensive personal use of the e-mail
system is discouraged to reduce the amount of e-mail
traffic so that company business can take priority. At no
time should the system be used to communicate opinions
such as politics, social issues or personal biases.
E-mail users should understand that
information on the system is not greatly protected and
highly confidential and sensitive material should not be
placed on the e-mail system; it should be communicated
directly to the applicable parties by other means.
INTERNET CODE OF CONDUCT
Access to the Internet has been provided
to staff members for the benefit of the organization and
its customers. It allows employees to connect to
information resources around the world. Every staff member
has a responsibility to maintain and enhance the company's
public image, and to use the Internet in a productive
manner. To ensure that all employees are responsible,
productive Internet users and are protecting the company's
public image, the following guidelines have been
established for using the Internet.
Acceptable Uses of the Internet
Employees accessing the Internet are
representing the company. All communications should be for
professional reasons. Employees are responsible for seeing
that the Internet is used in an effective, ethical and
lawful manner. Internet Relay Chat channels may be used to
conduct official company business, or to gain technical or
analytical advice. Databases may be accessed for
information as needed. E-mail may be used for business
contacts.
Unacceptable Use of the Internet
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The Internet should not be used for
personal gain or advancement of individual views.
Solicitation of non-company business, or any use of the
Internet for personal gain is strictly prohibited. Use
of the Internet must not disrupt the operation of the
company network or the networks of other users. It must
not interfere with your productivity.
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Dialing into our network from home to
access the Internet, except for a direct business
purpose.
Communications
Each employee is responsible for the
content of all text, audio or images that they place or
send over the Internet. Fraudulent, harassing or obscene
messages are prohibited. All messages communicated on the
Internet should have your name attached. No messages will
be transmitted under an assumed name. Users may not
attempt to obscure the origin of any message. Information
published on the Internet should not violate or infringe
upon the rights of others. No abusive, profane or
offensive language is transmitted through the system.
Employees who wish to express personal opinions on the
Internet are encouraged to obtain their own usernames on
other Internet systems.
Software
To prevent computer viruses from being
transmitted through the system there will be no
unauthorized downloading of any software. All software
downloads will be scanned for viruses.
Copyright Issues
Copyrighted materials belonging to
entities other than this company may not be transmitted by
staff members on the Internet. One copy of copyrighted
material may be downloaded for your own personal use in
research. Users are not permitted to copy, transfer,
rename, add or delete information or programs belonging to
other users unless given express permission to do so by
the owner. Failure to observe copyright or license
agreements may result in disciplinary action from the
company or legal action by the copyright owner.
Security
All messages created, sent or retrieved
over the Internet are the property of the company, and
should be considered public information.
The company reserves the right to access
and monitor all messages and files on the computer system
as deemed necessary and appropriate.
Internet messages are public communication
and are not private. All communications including text and
images can be disclosed to law enforcement or other third
parties without prior consent of the sender or the
receiver.
Harassment
Harassment of any kind is prohibited. No
messages with derogatory or inflammatory remarks about an
individual or group's race, religion, national origin,
physical attributes, or sexual preference will be
transmitted.
Violations
Violations of any guidelines listed above
may result in disciplinary action.
Source: ASAE discussion
list, posting by Donna F. Dunn of the American Agricultural
Economics
Association.
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