DEAFINTL Policies and Posting Guidelines

The purpose of deafintl is to allow discussion related to deaf and hard of hearing people in developing nations. This can be defined somewhat broadly. This file includes more information and clarification about deafintl list policies and about what topics are and are not appropriate to deafintl.

If you are new to deafintl, you are also encouraged to read the deafintl netiquette file before making your first post. ("Netiquette" is Internet shorthand for etiquette rules common to the Internet.) If you have experience with other on-line discussion groups, then many of the rules in the deafintl netiquette file will be familiar to you-- but some will be new.

Language policy

You are encouraged to post in English if possible. However, many deafintl participants know two or more written languages. You are welcome to make bilingual posts (e.g., the first part of your post could be in English and the second part could be the same text repeated in Spanish or some other language). If you are fluent in more than one language and would be willing to offer some translation assistance, please see our volunteer page.

Moderation policy

In the technical sense, this list is not moderated. That means that subscribers are able to post directly to deafintl without going through a moderator for approval. However, this list does have some guidelines about what topics are and are not appropriate, and these guidelines are explained further below. One of the listowners will intervene in the case of excessively off-topic discussion, flame wars, or other problems.

Posting guidelines

Some examples of topics appropriate to this list include, but are not limited to:

Sharing information about living conditions for deaf and hard of hearing people in developing countries. Examples include information about access to education, employment opportunities, social life, public and government services, technology, interpreter services, civil rights protections, and more.
Sharing information on what YOU are doing to help improve living conditions for deaf and hard of hearing people in developing countries. That could mean anything from giving leadership training to establishing a school for deaf children to raising money to benefit an organization in a developing country.
Keep in mind that other people on deafintl might want to start projects similar to yours but don't yet know how. Please explain HOW you were able to do your project. Where did you get your money? How did you find people you could work with? What mistakes did you make that you would do differently next time? What advice do you have for other people who want to do the same kind of project?
Asking each other for ideas and feedback on how to start a new project, or how to improve something you are already doing.

There are a few restrictions on this list.

Discussion, diaglogue, and even (respectful) debate related to working with and among deaf and hard of hearing people in developing nations is allowed on deafintl. However, deafintl is NOT meant for general socialization or chit-chat. This list is also not meant to help people find pen-pals. There are other resources on the Internet for both of these purposes.
Discussion and information related to deaf and hard of hearing people in developed (industrialized) countries is allowed. However, please keep in mind that the primary mission of deafintl is to serve as a tool of empowerment for deaf and hard of hearing people in DEVELOPING nations. That means that, generally, deafintl discussion is expected to focus on their concerns.
Discussion and information related to developing (impoverished) nations in general is allowed on deafintl. However, if you initiate discussion on developing nations in general, it is usually helpful if you put your information into some kind of clear context. Briefly explain why you thought this information would be relevant on deafintl. This helps keep discussion on track..
Advertisements, and anything that can be construed as advertisements, are NOT ALLOWED on this list. Violators will get a severe lecture from a listowner about spamming (mass-distributed unsolicited e-mail). Repeat violators will be booted from the list.
If you want to announce a book or other product for sale that you genuinely feel might be of interest to people on deafintl, please contact a listowner to confirm that your announcement would be appropriate for deafintl BEFORE you post it.
Solicitation of money from other people on this list is NOT ALLOWED. You ARE allowed to ask for ideas and suggestions on starting a fundraising campaign for your organization. You ARE allowed to share information about what you have been doing to raise money. You ARE allowed to ask for advice on how to improve and expand upon your fundraising efforts. However, asking for donations should not be the primary purpose of your post.
Please avoid html format, file attachments, and Mime format. Only make your posts in PLAIN TEXT. For more explaination, see the netiquette file.
Please quote sparingly or not at all. For more explaination, see the netiquette file.

If you have any questions about deafintl policies and posting guidelines, please contact a listowner for clarification. Instructions for posting to deafintl are available at this site if you need them.

Welcome to deafintl--I hope this discussion list will be a positive and productive experience for you!

Return to deafintl main page.

Return to Andrea Shettle's page.

Return to the International Deaf Education and Advancement Fund (I-DEAF) page.

This page was last updated on 31 January 2004 by Andrea Shettle.