Netiquette for GainsNet: w Gains Net is the mailing list for network members of UN-INSTRAW-GAINS. w The purpose of this list is: w -to facilitate communication among the network members,

w -for exchange of information on ongoing events and activities, w -to get to know each other, w -for finding support and announcing opportunities, w -to provide a tool for network members to participate in shaping INSTRAW's future research and training activities,

w -to discuss the development of the other parts of the INSTRAW-GAINS Internet platform (e.g. our web site), w -to enable INSTRAW to learn more about the needs and expectations of network members.

w In order to make this list a valuable tool for everyone, please follow the guidelines below: w Practices to Follow: w Please do w -keep your messages relevant to the list topic. w -be brief.

w - share opinions and experiences in an appropriate, respectful and professional manner. Obscenities, threats, abuse and harassment are not acceptable. w - This mailing list represents a multicultural community with participants in many countries. It is important to respect and appreciate cultural differences.

w - List languages are English, French, and Spanish. Many mailing list users are non- native speakers of these languages, so please try to avoid idioms, slang, culturally specific expressions, and highly technical or academic language. w - Use a descriptive title in the subject line. Many list users receive a lot of mail, and a good title will help them decide whether they want to read your message.

w When replying to messages: w - use "reply" to send personal messages to the author of the message _only_. w - use "reply all" to send a reply message to _all_ the people on the list. w - If you are replying to a message, include the part of the message you are responding to so that people new to the discussion will know what you are talking about. Unless the original message is short, please delete all parts of the message that do not apply to your response.

w The "reply" directions will be appended to every as a footer, but this can only be seen if your program uses plain text instead of HTML. This can be set through your program. w Text formatting: w - Use plain text only, not html or rich text, as this may exclude some users. w - Write your message in upper and lower case characters; please do not use only upper case characters as this indicates that you are shouting.

w Practices to Avoid: w Please do not: w - Send information through an attached file unless specifically asked for it. Attachments can cause difficulty in downloading and increase the possibility of virus dissemination. w - Request that others do your research work.

w - Re-post unsubstantiated rumors, e.g., regarding viruses, or chain letters of any kind. w - Complaints about other users' actions or the list itself to everybody on the list. If you have a concern, send individual mail or notify the list moderator.

w Your suggestions, comments and questions on this netiquette are welcome and should be directed to the GAINS Network Coordination Team: Alyssa Frohberg instraw.org) or Maren Landschulze w more about netiquette at: