NANOG Mailing List Committee (MLC) Warning Process

1. Formal Warnings
   
   The MLC may issue formal warnings to posters who violate the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).
   
   Any MLC member may initiate this process by mailing the suggested warning text to the MLC's mailing list.
   
   The MLC shall then vote. The voting period shall end when all MLC members have voted, but no later than 72 hours after the voting commenced. At the conclusion of voting, the formal warning shall be issued if a majority of the MLC has voted in favor.
   
   All formal warnings shall include:
   
   
   • Explanation that this is a formal warning, and that repeated formal warnings for AUP violation may lead to loss of posting privileges,
   • A link to the AUP text on the NANOG site,
   • The specific AUP section(s) violated,
   • A detailed explanation of how the offending message violated the AUP.
   
   
   
2. Suspension and Revocation of Posting Privileges
   
   The MLC may at its discretion temporarily suspend or permanently revoke posting privileges of anyone who has been issued three or more formal warnings.
   
   Any MLC member may initiate this process by mailing a proposal, including the suggested length of the suspension and supporting evidence, to the MLC's mailing list.
   
   The MLC shall then vote. The voting period shall end when all MLC members have voted, but no later than 72 hours after the voting commenced. At the conclusion of voting, the suspension or revocation shall be issued if a majority of the MLC has voted in favor.
   
   
3. Appeals
   
   Formal warnings may not be appealed. Suspension or revocation of posting privileges may be appealed by any direct party of the action to the Steering Committee (SC). Within thirty days of receipt of an appeal, the SC shall decide to:
   
   
   • uphold the MLC's action,
   • overturn the MLC's action, or
   • remand the action back to the MLC for further review.
   
   
   
4. Other (aka informal) Warnings
   
   Due to their positions of authority, appointed or elected NANOG committee members should not send messages of censure or warning (other than those in section 1 above) to list posters regarding content, topic, or other aspects of their behavior on the list. The MLC has a formal means of doing this, and there is a history and a perception that informal warnings by those in authority have a chilling effect, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilling_effect
   
   
5. Emergency Action
   
   Should some member, MTA, MUA, or other agent cause actual technical threat to the mailing list or server mechanisms run by or for NANOG, the administrator(s) of those servers are expected to act unilaterally and immediately to protect the servers and services. Upon taking such action, they will notify the MLC as soon as practically possible, and notify the SC if this is felt to be appropriate.
   
   
6. Vacation Messages
   
   Should a list member send an automatic vacation message to the mailing list or directly to list posters, the list administrator will immediately set their subscription status on the mailing list to "No Mail" and notify the MLC of this action. The onus will be on the list member to restore their status on their return from vacation.