Rules & Guidelines

Thank you for being part of our online community ("MyCalSAE") - exclusive to CalSAE members. It was formed for the purpose of fostering learning, building relationships, and sharing information and ideas related to the association industry in a friendly and professional environment. A robust volunteer corps supports these activities and introduces new ideas and initiatives to the community.

To ensure the best possible experience for all members, some basic guidelines for participation in MyCalSAE have been established. By joining and using MyCalSAE, you agree that you have read and will follow these rules and guidelines.

Rule #1

Do not discuss, post, or comment on prices for products, services, jobs, events, or anything else -for those of your association, company, or any other organization. Associations have an important role in the marketplace and any discussion about pricing can cause potential trade restrictions, which should always be avoided.

Rule #2

Marketing and promotions of any product, service, or event are not allowed. The purpose of the community is to share information and build relationships - not to sell or advertise. CalSAE has many other ways for its members to advertise services, market jobs, promote events, sell products, etc., which can be found here.

Discussion Etiquette

This is a great medium with which to solicit the advice of your peers, benefit from their experience, and participate in an ongoing conversation. Please take a moment to acquaint yourself with these important guidelines. In order to preserve a climate that encourages both civil and fruitful dialogue, CalSAE reserves the right to:

Suspend or terminate access to MyCalSAE for anyone who violates the rules of MyCalSAE
Remove any post, page, or file that is deemed unacceptable to the purpose of MyCalSAE
Restrict or remove any member that has been found to have violated the policies of MyCalSAE

Reminder: Opinions expressed are not those of CalSAE and any advice you take is done so at your own risk.

Members are allowed and expected to:

Initiate and participate in discussions relevant to the purpose of MyCalSAE
Create and edit pages relevant to the purpose of MyCalSAE
Upload files in the library relevant to the purpose of MyCalSAE (and gain advanced permission for any copywritten materials)
Be respectful of differing opinions, backgrounds, and ideas
Maintain reasonable confidentiality about discussion opinions, postings, and ideas generated by MyCalSAE
Note, carefully, all items listed in the disclaimer and legal rules below, particularly regarding the copyright ownership of information posted
Remember that other participants have the right to reproduce postings to this site unless you specify otherwise
Post messages or documents only to the most appropriate community or library (do not spam several communities or libraries with the same message)
Post messages that add to the body of knowledge (CalSAE reserves the right to reject any message for any reason)

Members should avoid:

Posting derogatory or disrespectful comments about another member, group, or product
Creating pages that are not relevant to the purpose of MyCalSAE or editing pages without prior permission of its originator unless the page has been set-up for the purpose of collaboration
Downloading and circulating any uploaded files or contact information to persons outside of MyCalSAE without permission of the original poster
Discussing, expressly or implied, topics that could be potentially illegal or unethical such as product pricing, boycotts, or restricting trade

The Legal Stuff

This site is provided as a service for the members of CalSAE. CalSAE is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site by others. We disclaim all warranties concerning information posted on this site, whether posted by CalSAE or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchant ability and fitness. In no event shall CalSAE be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site.Do not post any defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials. Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. Also, the posting party grants CalSAE and users of this site the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material.Messages should not be posted if they encourage or facilitate members to arrive at any agreement that either expressly or implicitly leads to price fixing, a boycott of another's business, or other conduct intended to illegally restrict free trade. Messages that encourage or facilitate an agreement about the following subjects are inappropriate: prices, discounts, or terms or conditions of sale; salaries; profits, profit margins, or cost data; market shares, sales territories, or markets; allocation of customers or territories; or selection, rejection, or termination of customers or suppliers.CalSAE moderates the overall member community and regional communities within MyCalSAE, but does not on its own undertake editorial control of postings. However, CalSAE will take all appropriate action if any inappropriate posting is brought to their attention.CalSAE reserves the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by these guidelines.

My CalSAE is a service provided to CalSAE members as an online medium to ask questions and share knowledge within the professional community. Opinions and views expressed within the communities are solely those of the author and do not represent the CalSAE.

Please do:

use the listserves to share knowledge, build your reputation as an expert
include your name and affiliation in postings
be polite and respectful in your posts and replies
keep it clean (i.e., no profanity or obscenity)
give credit where credit is due by citing your sources
search before posting a question, it may have been answered already
report illegal or inappropriate postings you find within a community to info@mycalsae.org or 916-443-8980

Please don't:

talk about fees, it invites charges of violating antitrust laws
share Confidential Client Information
post defamatory, abusive, threatening, offensive or illegal materials - don't post anything you don't want the public to see
post promotional messages (e.g., products/services, job postings, firm/business acquisitions, programs not affiliated with CalSAE)
post unnecessary messages to the whole group; instead, send appreciative notes directly to the sender rather than posting to the whole group
send angry, critical, sarcastic or emotionally charged messages

CalSAE will:

create new forums as requested when there is sufficient interest by members
monitor forum postings and respond to user complaints about specific postings
remove a posting if it violates the code of conduct
remove a member from a forum who continues to violate the code of conduct after receiving a warning
occasionally display, copy, publish and distribute information posted within the forums for the purposes of marketing and encouraging member usage

The CalSAE doesn't:

edit postings
pay for postings to My CalSAE
review postings for technical accuracy

If you have questions, suggestions or problems using My CalSAE, please contact the CalSAE website department at info@mycalsae.org or 916-443-8980.

Bay Area Region