Online communications systems guidelines

When communicating on OU systems do:

1. Remember that you are conversing with real people so the normal rules of social interaction apply.
2. Give proper acknowledgement when using quotations:
   • either in a publication (electronic or printed) from contributions to conferences, as these are regarded as the intellectual property of the authors
   • or where the user incorporates material into a contribution where that user is not the author.
3. Direct personal exchanges to a user's mailbox (i.e. an email), not to a public forum.
4. Ensure that any contributions made further the aims of the forum and are appropriate to the discussion.

When communicating on OU systems don't:

1. Contribute illegal or offensive material. Any material which is considered to be illegal or offensive may be removed from the system.
2. Use the remoteness of the recipients as an excuse to communicate in an anti-social manner. Examples of such anti-social behaviour are:
   • harassment or intimidation of another user
   • person-to-person aggression within conferences
   • deviation from the spirit of a conference
   • excessive or inappropriate use of jargon, banter or graffiti.
3. Make contributions containing personal comments about other users and their views in public forums.
4. Copy or forward private messages to another person without the author's explicit permission. This is a breach of confidentiality.

Complaints

If you feel that other users are not following the code of conduct, please follow the Online learning system complaints procedure.

The primary responsibility for the management of any conference lies with its moderator. The moderator must ensure that the conference meets the above guidelines and the OU computing code of conduct.