Online Guidelines

ACPHS makes every effort to create a sense of an online community.
Positive climate building and considerate behavior can reduce anxiety
about communicating online, and contribute to a positive collegial environment.

Positive climate building can be developed by:

• Use of first names by participants.
• Responding promptly to messages sent to you.
• Use of reinforcement phrases.
• Use of personalizing remarks.
• Avoiding hostile or curt comments. No objectionable, sexist, or racist language will be tolerated.
• Displaying humour.
• Promoting cooperation by offering assistance and support to other participants and by sharing ideas.

Do's and Don'ts at ACPHS:

• Demonstrating courtesy online is fundamental. (Absolutely no abusive or libelous comments will be permitted.)
• Use only your real first and last name online.
• Confidentiality: No one else should be given access to any of the conferences (either viewing onscreen or in print), without the previous consent of all participants and conferees.
• Copyright & Plagiarism: Don't use the words or text of others without proper acknowledgement of the source unless you first have the author's permission.
• The use of humor can be very tricky; sometimes it is seen as sarcasm or derision rather than as funny. Symbols or parenthetic phrases (e.g., :-)or "ha! ha!") can help to convey emotional tone and help to prevent misunderstandings.