We want to build a friendly, safe and engaging online community for all Website users, and in order to make sure we do this we have put together guidelines for you to follow when using www.communitiesforseas.scot (“the Website”).
By using the Website, you agree to these guidelines and our website terms of use.
Published Date: 20/09/2017
Last update: 06/11/2017
Safety
Although there are areas of the Website that are reserved for members only please remember that anyone could be reading what you post. Take care with private and/or sensitive details which could identify anyone involved in the work that you are involved in who would otherwise not seek to be identified. Exercise caution in revealing proprietary, confidential information or sensitive information from your organisation. If the location of your work is sensitive take care with personal details such as addresses, phone numbers and information about your personal life and the personal lives of others.
Style, manners and language
We expect everyone to conduct themselves in a professional manner in-keeping with the professional status of the Website. Present your opinions and positions in a tactful and moderate fashion, and always give the benefit of the doubt. Remember that online and in writing, things may not always come across as intended.
Spirited debates and opinionated comments are always welcome, but any unnecessary rudeness or disrespect is not. Please be nice to each other and share your ideas in a civilised and measured manner. Assume goodwill and hold true the assumption that most misunderstandings arise from the text-based format of the discussion rather than negative intent on the part of others. Learn to listen to written words and the person behind the words. We encourage everyone to practice the count-to-ten method: if something makes you upset or angry, walk away from the computer for a while so that when you return you can continue the discussion in a more composed state. Finally, please refrain from dominating conversations and let everyone have a voice in the discussion.
The use of swearing, offensive and threatening language, and uploading images which may cause offence, is strictly prohibited and we have the right to edit and/or remove such content or any other content that we believe may cause offence, from the Website. Each situation will be evaluated on a case by case basis but we have the right to restrict you from using the Website if we believe that you have breached these guidelines.
Advertising and promotion
We encourage appropriate professional engagement, i.e. the sharing of your experience, offering recommendations and professional networking.
We are very interested in what you do and the projects you are working on – a driving purpose of the Website. Remember, this is a community where collaboration is the key to creating a meaningful place where we can all learn and share experiences. Therefore, we do not allow website users to use the Website for the purposes of selling or promoting services or products and we may remove such content and discontinue your right to use the Website if we believe that you are using the Website for this purpose.
Network Forums Content
To ensure the community remains useable, please be thoughtful about where you begin new conversations. If you begin an off-topic thread in a forum, the moderator may move your conversation into a more appropriate forum or remove it entirely if it is considered spam. Likewise, please ensure your comments within a conversation remain on topic. Off-topic comments may be moved into a new thread to allow the discussion to continue, or if they are considered spam they will be removed. Each situation will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
As explained in our Website terms of use, content that you upload must not infringe the rights of any other person or organisation. If we believe that the content that you have uploaded on to the Website is likely to infringe the rights of a third party, or if we believe that the content uploaded violates these guidelines or our Website terms of use, we have the right to edit or remove such content at our discretion. We also have the right to suspend and/or permanently restrict your access to the Website, if we believe that you have uploaded or used the website in a way which is contrary to these guidelines and/or Website terms of use.
Content added to the Website within forums, or comments made by the Website’s individual members, are not necessarily endorsed or reflective of the Network as a whole.
Please be mindful that the forums within the members area are password protected and restricted to those with a registered user account, in order for this to be a safe, private and respectful space for members to share their thoughts and experiences. Please do not share any information from the forums outside of that space, without the prior consent of the author and any other contributors. Where prior consent has been provided, be sure to share information within agreed parameters in terms of which information can be shared and on which platforms. This may include removing the names of the authors, redacting certain details and/or sharing only within select agreed people or groups. Those posting information of any kind of private, sensitive or restricted nature may wish to include a note to this effect, for the avoidance of any doubt.
If you choose to share any documents or images on the forum please ensure you are the owner of the document or image, or that you have the express permission of the owner of the document or image, and that you will not breach any copyright regulations by doing so. Do not share any documents or images which are not available to others as open access and are available behind a paywall, subscription or any other payment requirement. Please be sure that any documents or images you upload have the necessary copyright or accreditation information included and you have given clear indication of the terms of usage of these.
Do not reveal any other person’s personal data at any time and in any setting. Doing so may constitute a breach of the data protection act and may be subject to further repercussions. If you choose to reveal your own personal data within the forums, you have the right to do so and this will be considered as informed consent, in such a case. If you share information on the forums which you later seek to remove, please contact the moderators for assistance at info@communitiesforseas.scot.
Data Rights and Removal
You have the right for your personal data to be removed from the Website at any time, should you wish to discontinue use of the Website. Please contact the moderators who will delete your user account and any associated data. You have the right to view and amend your personal data at any time and this can be done by editing your profile within the members area of the Website. You have the right to keep your user profile hidden from other users by selecting the relevant option within the ‘edit my profile’ page. You can opt out of any email correspondence at any time by contacting the moderators at info@communitiesforseas.scot.
Reporting and Moderation
The Website Facilitators can be reached at info@communitiesforseas.scot.
The Network Forums are moderated, which means that commentary and discussions which appear on the website are checked for relevancy and appropriateness. All posts will be reviewed and checked as soon as possible. If you find something which you think breaches the terms of these guidelines or the Website terms of use, please report it so a solution can be found.
Technical Issues
We hope everything is in working order. If you discover any technical issues with the website, please let us know.
Legal Information
This website is facilitated on behalf of the Network by Fauna & Flora International (FFI), a limited company registered in England under company number 2677068 and a registered charity under charity number 1011102, whose registered office is at The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, England CB2 3QZ, with the Scotland office based at 5 Rose Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PR, Scotland.