Article A. Policy Purpose
The purpose of this Electronic Communications Policy is to maximize the benefits of electronic communications for Oak Hill Collaborative, Oak Hill Makerspace, Oak Hill Robotics Makerspace, and all affiliated with the Collaborative in a joint communal effort towards beneficial goals in the Youngstown/Mahoning area, while protecting Oak Hill Collaborative and its employees from liability and/or performance challenges due to improper or unauthorized use of systems made available to facilitate operations under the Oak Hill brand.
Article B. Company Property
As a productivity enhancement tool, Oak Hill Collaborative (and all subsidiaries) provides and encourages the use of electronic communications. This includes but is not limited to the Internet, printing, faxing, scanning, and internetwork communications. Electronic communications systems owned by Oak Hill Collaborative and all messages generated on or handled by these electronic communication systems, including backup copies, are considered property of Oak Hill Collaborative. Any attempt to violate, circumvent, and/or ignore these policies can result in corrective action parallel to the consequences of the circumstance. This means that failure to comply once may result in a warning, forced log-off, or removal from the premises. Multiple infractions may result in immediate forced log-off or banishment from premises.
Article C. Authorized Usage
Oak Hill Collaborative electronic communications systems should be used solely to facilitate the interests and initiatives to benefit projects involving professional development activities, community development activities, or organization development activities. Unauthorized usage as defined by this use policy that is explicitly correlated with for-profit or private business activities, inappropriate activities (discussed below), or nonprofessional conduct must be discussed at length with Oak Hill Collaborative Executive Director.
Article D. Proper Usage
Employees of Oak Hill Collaborative and community members (generally referred to as “Friends of the Collaborative”) are strictly prohibited from using Oak Hill Collaborative computers, e-mail systems, and Internet access accounts for improper reasons not defined within the boundaries of authorized usage. Examples of improper usage include but is not limited to:
- Transmitting, retrieving, downloading, or storing messages or images that are offensive, derogatory, off-color, sexual in content, or otherwise consider inappropriate in a professional environment.
- Making threatening or harassing statements to another employee, a vendor, client, or another outside party.
- Transmitting, retrieving, downloading, or storing messages or images relating to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, citizenship status, age, handicap, disability, sexual orientation, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local laws.
- Communicating confidential Oak Hill Collaborative information to individuals inside or outside Oak Hill Collaborative to other organizations without specific authorization from Oak Hill Collaborative Staff.
- Sending or receiving confidential or copyrighted materials without prior authorization.
- Soliciting personal business opportunities or personal advertising unless it is in the interest of professional development activities, or otherwise discussed prior with Executive Director.
- Gambling, monitoring sports scores for sake of betting, or playing pay-to-win1 gambling video games.
Article E. User Identification
Where electronic communications systems provide the capacity to identify the activities of different users, these facilities must be implemented. For example, electronic mail systems must employ personal user IDs and associated passwords to isolate the communications of different users. Fax machines that do not have separate mailboxes for different recipients need not support user separation.
Article F. User Accountability
Regardless of the circumstances, individual passwords must never be shared or revealed to anyone besides the authorized user. To do so exposes the authorized user to responsibility for actions the other party takes with the password. Violation could result in discipline of both the authorized user and the person receiving the password, within boundaries parallel to the severity of the offense. If users need to share computer resident data, they should use cloud-based platforms, public server directories2, or other authorized information-sharing hardware. To prevent unauthorized parties from obtaining electronic communications, users must choose passwords that are difficult to guess.
Amendment F.1
Temporary passwords can be shared freely on the basis that the user name associated with it is known only between OHC staff and the user (who may have lost access to their account), and that this user name is not shared elsewhere. This is under the assumption that this is a one-time use password and once logged in the password for this account is immediately changed to one only known by the user.
Article G. No Expectation of Privacy
Employees should expect that while common courtesy and respect will be given, Oak Hill Collaborative may have access to all information created, transmitted, downloaded, received, or stored in Oak Hill Collaborative computers at any time, without prior notice. Members of the community should expect that their data may not be stored permanently, as operations may require the deletion of guest account sessions. It is for this reason that secondary storage is recommended. All affiliated with Oak Hill Collaborative should not assume that they have an all-encompassing expectation of privacy or confidentiality in such messages or information, or that deleted messages are actually removed from the information system at Oak Hill Collaborative.
Article H. No Premium Protection
Employees are reminded that Oak Hill Collaborative electronic communication systems are only protected and encrypted as needs see fit. If sensitive information must be sent by electronic communication systems, encryption, or similar technologies to protect the data fall to the responsibility of the user and not Oak Hill Collaborative. Likewise, our machines are only protected by standard security mechanisms. This is due in part to the fact that they are only secured as needs see fit – if any irreparable damages are done by viruses or similar malware it is due in part to unauthorized (or simply unwise) activities on behalf of the user.
Article I. Regular Message Monitoring
Contents of electronic communications may be monitored or logged and the usage of electronic communications systems will be monitored to support operational, maintenance, auditing, security, and investigative activities. Oak Hill Collaborative reserves the right to disclose any electronic messages stored on our machines to law enforcement officials without prior notice to any employees or users who might have sent or received such messages. Employees should structure their electronic communications recognizing the fact that Oak Hill Collaborative may, from time to time, examine the contents of electronic communications if deemed necessary. Terms of necessity are at Oak Hill Collaborative’s discretion. The Information Technology Director and/or Information Technology Department has the right to review the electronic communications of the employees and users on the machines they supervise to determine whether there have been any breaches of security, violation of usage policy, or unauthorized actions on behalf of the employee/user.
Article J. Statistical Data
Consistent with the generally accepted organization practice, Oak Hill Collaborative collects statistical data about electronic communications. Using this information, Information Technology personnel monitor the use of electronic communications to ensure there is ongoing availability and reliability of these systems. If during the collection and review of such information they find questionable, inappropriate, or illegal use of electronic communications these findings are required to be reported to the Executive Director.
Article K. Contents of Messages
Representatives and employees of Oak Hill Collaborative should refrain from the use of profanity, obscenities, or derogatory remarks in electronic messages discussing employees, clients, community members, etc. Such remarks, even made in jest, might create legal problems such as trade libel, defamation of character, or harassment/discrimination claims. Special caution is warranted because backup and archival copies of electronic communications might actually be more permanent and readily accessed than traditional paper communications. Therefore, the transmission of obscene or harassing messages to any individual is strictly prohibited.
Article L. Message Forwarding
Recognizing that some information is intended for specific individuals and might not be appropriate for general distribution, electronic communications users should exercise caution when forwarding messages. Sensitive Oak Hill Collaborative information must not be forwarded to any party outside the company without the prior approval of the executive director or related staff. Blanket forwarding3, without a purpose within the best interest of Oak Hill Collaborative, is strongly discouraged.
Article M. Handling Information about Security
Users must promptly report all information about security alerts, warnings, and suspected vulnerabilities to the appropriate manager/director. In extreme cases where the health and safety of others are endangered (i.e. doxing4), report this information immediately to the local authorities and then the Executive Director as accurately and quickly as possible.
Article N. Public Representations
No media advertisement, press release, Internet home page, electronic bulletin board posting, e-mail message, voice mail message, or any other public representation of Oak Hill Collaborative can be issued without prior approval from the Oak Hill Collaborative staff.
Article O. Archival Storage
All official Oak Hill Collaborative e-mail messages, including those containing a formal management approval, authorization, delegation, or handing over of responsibility, or similar transaction, should be archived/copied to individual user archive files for later reference.
Article P. Purging Electronic Messages
Messages no longer needed for business purposes can be periodically purged by employees/members from their electronic message storage areas (outbox, inbox, etc). Undeliverable messages should be automatically deleted and the addresses unsubscribed from the collective mail book. This is under the assumption that Article O is being followed and other, actively proceeding or otherwise important emails, are saved or archived.
Article M. Harassing or Offensive Materials
Oak Hill Collaborative computers and communications systems, with very minimal exception, are not intended to exercise the personal right to free speech. By using these technologies you are representing on behalf of Oak Hill Collaborative, and we wish personal opinions to not be mistaken as the shared belief of Oak Hill Collaborative. Sexually explicit words and images, ethnic slurs, racial epithets, religious or political statements, or anything else that might be construed as harassment or disparagement of others based on their race, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, religious beliefs, or political beliefs may not be displayed or transmitted. Unwanted telephone calls, e-mail, and internal mail messages are examples of harassment and can lead to disciplinary action. Users are encouraged to respond directly to the originator of such messages, and if no progress is made then they may be reported to the associated Director depending on the severity of the case. Oak Hill Collaborative retains the right to remove from its information systems any material or intellectual property it views as offensive or potentially illegal.
Article N. Establishing Electronic Business Systems
Although Oak Hill Collaborative seeks to implement high-quality name brand services such as Microsoft Azure and other well-known technologies, all additions to our existing information system must be discussed and agreed upon during a series of appointments with both the Director of IT and/or Executive Director. If, and only if, this additional technology is approved you may contribute to our Information System either financially aided by Oak Hill Collaborative or with your own funding. All contributions no matter the monetary value becomes the property of Oak Hill Collaborative and will be treated as such post-implementation.
Glossary
- Pay-to-win – A form of multimedia entertainment that entices its audience to contribute monetarily for in-game currency or premium benefits not available to normal users
- Public Server Directory – A locally hosted storage server accessible from the PCs connected to the network. Accessible from any computer in the building normally.
- Blanket Forwarding – Sending of the same email to more than one contact. Normally to promote marketing, more often than not suspected of being spam
- Doxing – The publishing of private or identifying information such as a home address on the internet, typically done with malicious intent
Contact Information
Executive Director: Patrick Kerrigan 330 – 406 – 0271 oakhillcollaborative@gmail.com
IT Specialist: Seth Brand 330 – 406 – 0731 anthony@oakhillcollaborative.org
IT Volunteer: Ralph Streb 330 – 817 – 6659 ralph@oakhillcollaborative.org
Disclaimer: Contact information shared above is done so for matters of convenience, and should not be spammed or distributed. Only contact if you have concerns or questions about this Electronic Communications Policy, or to report infractions.
