LSE Listserv Acceptable Use Policy

LSE Listserv is a service which runs mailing lists for the benefit of staff and students of the LSE.

This is the acceptable use policy for the LSE Listserv service. By sending a message to any LSE Listserv list you are accepting these conditions, so please read them carefully

Use of the LSE Listserv is subject to LSE's IT policies and to UK laws.

Role of List Owners

• Each LSE Listserv list is managed by one or more individuals who are known as "listowners".

• Listowners may decide on the focus or subject of their lists and they may direct discussion.

• Listowners may also make decisions on membership, list configuration and on appropriate postings for their list. Listowners are expected to manage their lists fairly and for the benefit of the majority of list members, consulting with the list members or with the IT Services if necessary.

• You may contact individual listowners by sending a message to:
  
  listname-request@listserv.lse.ac.uk
  
  where listname is the name of the list.

Spam

• LSE Listserv does not allow spam, junk mail, chain letters or other unsolicited bulk email, commercial or otherwise, on any list.

• We take the following measures to prevent this abuse of our service:

  • Anyone who joins a LSE Listserv list must confirm their subscription. This means that the senders of junk mail cannot join a list using a forged address.

  • Listowners can configure their lists so messages from non-members are rejected.

  • Anti-spam software is employed as a means of blocking much of the junk email which is posted to lists.

  Despite our best efforts, some abuse of the LSE Listserv service will occur.

Promotional Messages

• The posting of unsolicited commercial or advertising material is against the JANET Acceptable Use Policy.

• Publicising items of potential interest to list members, such as new releases of software packages, publications, training courses, websites, job vacancies, conferences etc. can be to the benefit of the list members, and this is permitted provided the following conditions are met:

  • The sender of a promotional message must seek permission from the list owner before posting, unless the listowner or list guidelines have already stated that this type of posting is acceptable.

  • Promotional messages should only be sent if they are related to the subject or purpose of that list.

  • Promotional messages must be sent from a clearly identified and contactable source.

  • Such messages must not be part of a commercial exchange. Listowners may NOT charge for the posting of such messages.

  • Listowners may grant comprehensive permission for certain types of posting (such as job announcements).

Content of Messages

• Sending messages to LSE Listserv lists is generally a matter of common sense and courtesy. As an LSE Listserv user you should be able to use your own sense of what is appropriate to guide your conduct, without engaging in unreasonable behaviour, or disrupting the general flow of discussion on a list.

• Practical guidelines are available which should help you use lists in a way which will most benefit yourself and the other people on the list. (See Guidelines on Etiquette)

• Listowners may provide their own guidelines on acceptable use and list etiquette and we would expect list members to abide by these.

• IT Services cannot assume any responsibility for the content of messages sent to our discussion lists, as the messages are sent by individual users, and we do not review, screen or edit the content.

• You accept that you are solely responsible for the content of any email message you send to any LSE Listserv list.

Message Archives

• Messages sent to an LSE Listserv list will often be archived, and these archives can then be retrieved by any member of that same list. These archives may also (at the discretion of the listowner) be made publicly available on the web, and thus be available to anyone.

• When using LSE Listserv, you accept that any message you post to an LSE Listserv list may be archived in this manner, and that other users of the service may download and print these messages for their own use

• Archives or collections of the messages sent to a LSE Listserv list may not be made publicly available at another site unless the listowner has granted explicit permission.

Security and Data Protection

• Due to the nature of the internet, the security of messages sent to LSE Listserv lists cannot be guaranteed, and you should bear this in mind when posting confidential information to a list. This is true even when access to the list is restricted.

• When you subscribe to an LSE Listserv list you supply your name and email address, and this information can be retrieved by any member of that same list.

• When you leave LSE Listserv, your name and email address will be removed from our database. However, any message you have posted to a list will remain in the archives.

• Personal information, which may be stored manually and/or electronically, will only be used in connection with the LSE Listserv service. LSE will never sell email addresses, or any other personal information, to another organisation.

• You agree that LSE may disclose any information held if we believe that this is necessary to operate our systems, to run the service, to comply with the law, or to protect the service or others.

• You will not attempt to mislead others as to your identity, either by providing false information when subscribing to, or posting to, a LSE Listserv list, or by forging the headers and addresses in an email message.

• Membership of an open LSE Listserv list must be voluntary. Neither the listowner nor any other person may subscribe or add a person to a list without that person's consent.

Violation of our Policy

• LSE Listserv users may contact IT Services about any breach of our acceptable use policy, and we will take any of the following actions if it is thought appropriate:

  • · Contact the person responsible to discuss the problem

  • Contact their listowner

  • Remove them from list membership

  • Contact their hosting site, institution, or service provider

  • Restrict email from certain sites or addresses

  • Remove inappropriate messages from the LSE Listserv archives

• Listowners are also entitled to take action against any list member who engages in unreasonable behaviour.

• The decision on what action is appropriate will be made by the IT Services on a case by case basis. The action taken will often depend on whether the infraction was innocent, inadvertent or intentional.

• If IT Services receives any complaint about a message sent to an LSE Listserv list, we reserve the right to remove the allegedly offensive message from our archives immediately and without consulting the originator of this message.

IT Services reserves the right to amend the acceptable use policy at any time without notice. If the policy is amended then all list owners will be informed and may distribute the information to list members.

If you have any questions or comments please contact us and we will do our best to resolve any problems or issues raised.