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Dear Colleagues: Please ignore cross-postings. The topics of email policy and Internet etiquette or net etiquette (or "netiquette" as it is commonly known) regularly come ups on the various international recordkeeping-related lists and off-list discussions. During such exchanges, I am often asked to send listers a copy of an informal set of guidelines that I have developed and updated over the years. Some of you have suggested that it would be a good resource to place on the Web for easy access by professionals when they are contemplating the development or updating of email policies. This has been done and the Barry Associates Netiquette Guidelines are now electronically accessible on my website as "Barry Associates' Recommended Email and Internet Etiquette (Netiquette) Guide", under the HOT TOPICS/Email Issues section. Look for the <NEW> icon. Thanks to everyone who has contributed in some way to these guidelines. As noted in the Guidelines, they belong to no one but to many people. There will always be some overlap between email policy and netiquette guidelines. However, whereas the focus of email policy is to stipulate organizational ground rules for the use of corporate email systems/assets, netiquette guidelines are more often a matter of organizational expectations for the voluntary exercise of good manners by its employees. In working relationships and studies in which I’ve been involved, some people regard the establishment of virtually any communications guidelines as a potential threat to their freedom of speech and expression of their own individuality, a misguided reason for not establishing netiquette guidelines. Many other email users, however, make a point of mentioning that they not only see the need for an email or more general communications policy in their organizations but would personally welcome and benefit from some behavioral guidelines for themselves and the people with whom they work. As with other kinds of behavioral standards (dress, dining, dating, etc.) people have different views about what is unacceptable, acceptable, OK and desirable depending on their age, sex and level/status in an organization and national and organizational cultures. Because of these differences in thresholds for what constitutes reasonable or good behavior, staff will often welcome some practical set of reasonable guidelines that can be used (and customized) to minimize friction and maximize efficient and effective communications. For this reason, I recommend that netiquette guidelines be established as an annex or addendum to email or communications policies. Please use these guidelines in any way that will assist you in your work. In violation of one of those Netiquette Guidelines – the one that says you shouldn’t mix two topics in a single em – I’d like to take this opportunity also to confirm that Greg Welsh of Newfoundland was the winner of the 10,000 visit "gift of appreciation" announced in my April 18, 1999 posting to this list as Visitor 10,001, in the absence of a claimant for visit 10,000. You will find a very nice write-up about Greg at <www.rbarry.com>: what he does in his various lives, how he came upon my website and what he plans to do with his US$100 gift of appreciation. I welcome all of you to read this in "Newfoundlander is Barry Deca-Millennium Man" at the top of the main page. Congratulations and well wishes to Greg. Regards, Rick Barry www.rbarry.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%