Taxation Section
- You must be a member of the Email
List to send a message to the list.
- To join the list you must first be a member
of the Section
- To update your email address send a message
to webmaster@msba.org with
both your new and old email addresses.
Email List RULES
The Maryland State Bar Association provides these Email
List as a benefit to its
members. The purpose of the Email Lists are
to facilitate communication between members of the various committees and sections.
The Email Lists are
to be used only for the discussion of related MSBA issues or other legal-related
discussions.
We will send these Rules of Etiquette (“Netiquette”) to the Email
Lists
on a regular basis as a friendly reminder for long-time users
and as valuable information for newcomers. The subject header
will be Rules of Etiquette.
If you have any comments, additions, deletions or changes to
these rules, please forward them to John Anderson, MSBA web coordinator.
His e-mail address is janderson@msba.org.
If you experience any problems with other members on the list
not adhering to these rules, please contact Pat Yevics, Director,
Law Office Management Assistance at pyevics@msba.org.
GENERAL DISCLAIMER
The MSBA is not responsible for any opinions or statements on
the Email List.
The MSBA disclaims all warranties with regard to the information
posted whether posted by the MSBA or any third party. This disclaimer
includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness.
The MSBA has no liability for damages and/or injuries including
but not limited to, special, indirect or consequential damages
or any damages whatsoever arising out of the use or performance
of any posted information. Defamatory, abusive, profane, offensive,
illegal or unauthorized copyrighted material is not permitted.
Persons posting any information represent and warrant that the
material is either original in all respects or that permission
to reproduce the materials has been granted by the copyright
owner. The MSBA reserves the right to terminate access to any
user who does not abide by these guidelines.
ANTI-TRUST ISSUES
Do not post queries or information, and refrain from any discussion
which may provide the basis for an inference that the members
agreed to take action relating to prices, production, allocation
of markets, or any other matter having a market effect. Examples
of topics which should not be discussed include current or future
billing rates, fees, disbursement charges or other items which
would be construed as “price”, fair profit, billing rate, or wage level,
current billing or fee procedures, imposition of credit terms. Do not post
regarding refusing to deal with anyone because of his/her pricing or fees.
Such discussions are strictly prohibited and the MSBA is not responsible for
any such discussions.
There is no organization too small or too localized to escape
the possibility of a civil or criminal antitrust suit, and the
penalties for violating federal or state antitrust laws are severe.
The government’s attitude toward
professional associations requires professional association members, as well
as professional associations themselves, to at all times conduct their business
openly and avoid any semblance of activity which might lead to the belief that
the association members had agreed, even informally, to something that could
have an effect on prices, fees or competition.
ATTACHMENTS
The majority of the Email
Lists provided by the MSBA do not accept
attachments. This allows Email
List server performance to remain high
and protects list members from virus attacks.
To share a file with list members upload your file to a free
file storage website such as FileFactory and
then share the link with list members. Note to list members: these
files may contain a virus. Keep your virus software up to date.
If you wish to send an attachment to an individual member of the list, you
may do so but not to the list. You should get permission from a member of the
list to send an attachment.
INAPPROPRIATE POSTS
Do not forward jokes or any other messages via the Email
List. You have no idea
where it will eventually be received. The Internet allows for
very easy forwarding and sending of information. If you would
not send out the jokes or message on your firm’s letterhead, then do not forward it.
Do not send anything via e-mail you do not want to see
in public
If you receive an email about a scam, missing person, once in a lifetime deal
or possible hidden danger that you want to forward to the list, don’t.
First test the validity of the message at www.snopes.com,
it might be an urban legend or chain letter. If you believe it is valid please
distribute it to your personal distribution list which your email software
will help you create. The exception would be if a valid message relates directly
to the Email List groups focus.
FLAMING
Do not "flame". "Flaming" includes the making of derogatory
comments, ridicule, excessive sarcasm, and innuendo. It is important to recognize
that respectful disagreement is not flaming. Every subscriber must be respected;
no subscriber should be ridiculed or belittled.
In no event should anyone send an e-mail that might be construed to contain
disparaging comments regarding another person or company, or that might compromise
the integrity of others.
INVITATION TO SOCIAL NETWORKS
Do not use the MSBA
Email List to invite the entire list to
join your social network (Facebook, Myspace, Linkedin, etc).
You may invite individuals to join your network but may not invite
the entire list.
PROMOTION/SOLICITATION
The MSBA provides all sections and committees with Email
List to assist members
in sharing information, ideas and resources.
The MSBA reserves the right to restrict promotion of products, services and
programs not specifically endorsed by the MSBA. Only MSBA staff are authorized
to post information about various MSBA programs, services and activities.
Only MSBA sponsored CLE are to be promoted
or advertised on the MSBA
Email Lists.
The MSBA does not provide e-mail addresses to outside vendors.
Any Job Postings should be sent to the Legal
Career Center.
RESPONDING TO POSTS
If you hit Reply most lists are programmed to send the reply only to the
person who sent the message and NOT the entire list. If you wish to send the
reply to the entire list, please hit Reply to All.
Several Lists are set configured to send replies
back to the list. These lists will have "List Type: Reply
To List" in
the footer of Email List messages.
In this case hitting the Reply button
will send your message back to the entire list and to contact
only the original author you will need to create a new message
for forward the message back to them.
If you are responding to a post on a list,
trim some of the original message. Avoid sending a reply that
just says “Me, too” or some other short response.
Keep messages short and to the point. If you are going to post
a long reply or in some cases, a long rant, please indicate
that in the subject header. Subject: Expert Witnesses - Long
Reply.
SHOUTING/EMPHASIS
Emails written in all caps are interpreted as “SHOUTING”. Use upper/lower
case type in your posts. (Spell check doesn’t hurt either <g>!)
The use of a row of symbols such as *&!@*^& denotes cursing and should
not be included in your posts.
SIGNATURES
Email Signatures are required for all members of the MSBA Discussion Email
List.
Anyone not using an email signature will be will be notified
and giving one week to add an email signature before being removed
from the list.
You should “sign” each email with at least your full name, firm
and telephone number. Autosignatures make this an automatic process. If you
use an autosignature, you should keep its length to under 6 - 8 lines. Do not
attach your vcard as part of your autosignature, as viruses can attach themselves
to vcards or may be interpreted as an attachment and blocked.
SUBJECT LINES
Use a subject that adequately introduces the topic of your message,
so people can quickly determine whether or not they will find
it of interest. If you are changing the topic of a previous post
you respond to, you should change the subject line of the post.
Do not send messages without a topic in the Subject box.
SUBSCRIBING TO AN MSBA EMAIL LIST
One must first be a MEMBER of the Email
List in order to post, and receive replies.
In order to join a particular open Email
List, go to http://www.msba.org/sec_comm/lists/index.htm.
You may subscribe to as many of the open Email
Lists as you wish
but you must subscribe to each one separately. Once you have
subscribed you may post and receive messages.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
If you believe that there is a technical problem with the Email
List,
do not post to the List. Send a private post to MSBA web
coordinator, John Anderson at janderson@msba.org.
UNSUBSCRIBING FROM AN MSBA EMAIL LIST
At the bottom of all e-mail messages from the Email
Lists is a link to unsubscribe. You may
unsubscribe at any time. You may also send a blank email to leave-listname@lists.msba.org or
send an email to janderson@msba.org with
your name, email address used on the Email
List and the List
name.
VIRUS SCANNING
Viruses are destructive, both in terms of the damage they can
do to computers, and in terms of lost billable time trying to
get one’s computer back
up and running. For this reason, participants of Email
Lists have an extra responsibility
to their fellow attorneys to employ a virus detection package,
and to regularly update the virus definitions, so it continues
to provide adequate protection.
If you discover you have a virus on your computer, you should immediately
contact John Anderson by telephone at 800-492-1964, ext 3036 and ask him to
post a warning not to open any emails with attachments sent under your name.
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