Rules of the conference

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the e-mail conference, it will have a moderator, who will screen all messages before they are posted to make sure they follow the basic rules and are relevant to the subject of the given conference. This is in no way to limit the views expressed by participants. We encourage and welcome a diversity of views, and we want you to speak your mind.
Your participation in the e-mail conference is contingent upon and constitutes your acceptance of the Rules that follow:
For purposes of these Rules, each person participating in the conference, whether simply reading materials posted, or posting any material or any link to any material, shall hereinafter be referred to as a "Participant". Similarly, FAO shall hereinafter be referred to as ''Sponsor''.

1. Personal Identification:
Each Participant should include his/her name and country of residence in any message posted to a discussion. A Participant should never represent him/herself as another person.

2. Conduct:
Participants may not post libellous or defamatory messages or materials, or links to such materials. Participants may not post messages or materials, or links to the same, that are obscene, violent, abusive, threatening, or designed to harass or intimidate another person or entity.

3. Liability and Responsibility:
Each Participant is solely responsible, for any materials, or links to any materials, that such Participant posts to e-mail conference. Each Participant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Sponsor of the conference from any and all liability, damages, costs or expenses, or any claim, action, suit or other proceeding arising out of either any posting that such Participant makes to e-mail conference or any unauthorized use of material posted to the conference by such Participant.

4. Accuracy:
The FAO as Sponsor of the conference, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of any statements made in or materials posted to the e-mail conference by Participants.

5. Attribution:
Regardless of whether they identify the entity by whom they are employed, Participants are assumed to be speaking in their personal capacity unless they explicitly state that their contribution represents the views of their organization.

6. Intellectual Property Rights and Fair Use:
Each Participant retains the intellectual property rights, including copyrights, over any materials, or links to any materials, of such Participant's own creation that such Participant posts to the Conference. However, each Participant authorizes other Participants to make personal and customary use of that work, including creating links to or re-posting such materials to other internet discussion sites but not otherwise to reproduce or disseminate those materials unless such Participant gives permission. Each Participant agrees always to identify the source and author of materials downloaded from the conference if such Participant re-posts them elsewhere. Any FAO materials downloaded from the conference will only be used outside the conference if permission has been obtained from the FAO and the FAO is given credit as the source of the material. Additionally, each Participant expressly authorizes the Sponsor of the conference and moderators of e-mail conference to reference, summarize, quote and disseminate all or part of such Participant's postings to the e-mail conference in any summary or other document(s) that may be subsequently prepared.

7. Nature of the e-mail Conference:
Each Participant recognizes and agrees that the e-mail conferences constitute official FAO conferences in accordance with FAO's Constitution and rules and all applicable conventions.
The Sponsor and the moderator of e-mail conference retain the right to refuse to post any message that they consider to be in violation of the above Rules, to publish the messages posted to the conference in whole or in part and to modify messages posted to the conference to ensure compliance with the Rules. The Sponsor may deny access to future e-mail conferences to any Participant determined, in the sole discretion of the Sponsor, to be in violation of the Rules. The Sponsor also retain the right to make copies of the messages posted to the conference as part of the normal process of archiving the discussions.