Special rules for BCS discussion groups.

The following rules apply to all participants in BCS Discussion Groups, whether email (interactive mail lists) or Web based.

As a Chartered Professional Body, BCS has a duty to ensure that all postings to its discussion groups are consistent with the standards required of its members, particularly those set out in its codes of conduct and practice. It is therefore a requirement that participants in BCS Discussion Groups should not post any message that includes any of the following:

1. Swearing, profanities or sexually explicit language.
   
   
2. Ethnic, racial, sexual, or religious slurs.
   
   
3. Abusive or insulting language or personal attacks of any kind.
   
   
4. Content which is of itself illegal (for example under the Data Protection Act) or which represents the promotion of illegal activities.
   
   
5. Content which could result in Civil action - including particularly statements of opinion that may be libellous and content which breaches copyright.
   
   
6. Promotion of products or services in which the sender has a personal interest.
   
   
7. Language or behaviour inconsiderate to other members of the group.
   
   
8. Any other action that the Society considers likely to disrupt the group or to bring the BCS into disrepute.
   
   
9. Any other action that is inconsistent with the BCS Codes of Practice or Conduct.
   
   
10. Mail should ideally be sent in plain ascii text unless the list owner/discussion email co-ordinator agrees otherwise
    
    
11. Binary or other attachments should not be included in any mailing unless the list owner/discussion group co-ordinator authorises it

In the event of a breach of these rules, the Society has absolute discretion to withdraw the offending message and, if appropriate, to cancel membership of the group.