Statement of Purpose

This email list is a discussion forum for topics specific to the Mascoma towns in New Hampshire. It is not an "official" list set up by the town government. It is open to anyone who wants to participate.

The goal of this discussion list is create a sense of community and neighborhood for the residents of Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton and Orange. Announcements of community events open to the public and invitations to events like pick-up baseball games, informal gatherings, community dinners, and similar event postings are encouraged.

Posting Guidelines

The intent is to keep the discussion on and about the Mascoma towns and the Mascoma area. The issue doesn't need to be unique to the area, but it must be specific to one or all of the towns. Subscribers to the list have to agree about that simple constraint.

If in doubt about whether a topic is appropriate for our list, consider this: If there are state or national online forums, such as email lists, newsgroups, or blogs that address your issue, the topic is most likely better addressed elsewhere. Please keep discussion topics centered on the Mascoma area.

Some examples:

• An announcement of an event to be held in any Mascoma town is OK.
• Discussion of a Mascoma school district issue is OK.
• Discussion of legislation in Concord or Washington is OK if it addresses an issue that directly affects one or more of the Mascoma towns.
• An announcement of a pet lost in Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton or Orange is OK.
• Discussion of the national politics is only OK in the context of a warned town meeting resolution.
• Cutting and pasting, or forwarding, the content of emails or websites to the list is absolutely not OK.

General Discussion List Rules

• No abusive or threatening postings will be allowed. This discussion list operates on the assumption that list postings will be civil and respectful to other list members. Anyone engaging in what the administration of ValleyNet considers to be abusive language or threats directed towards another list member will be warned the first time, and will have posting privileges revoked after that. If the first incident is serious enough, the list member will have their posting privileges revoked immediately.
• This list is set up for the convenience of the community, so occasional business announcements will be tolerated (one-time announcement of a new business in town, information about a business service offered in conjunction with a public event, or a one-time listing about babysitting). In no case should any business (small or large) use the discussion list for ongoing business promotion, and doing so will result in a warning and the possibility of having posting privileges revoked.
• It is the intent of this discussion list to center on issues and events directly affecting the Mascoma towns and area. While anyone is welcome to subscribe to and read these discussions, we ask that only residents, representatives of town government, and representatives of organizations and businesses located in Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton and Orange post to this list. It is not a venue for general announcements about Upper Valley events from those not connected with our towns.
• It is inappropriate to post the content of any private correspondence to this discussion list without the express permission of all correspondents involved.

The administration of ValleyNet, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to warn, suspend, or permanently exclude any list subscriber for any abuse or infringement of these list rules and guidelines, depending upon the severity of the infraction.

To contact ValleyNet with comments or to bring specific issues to their attention, write to valleynet.administration@valley.net.