TCOPS Discussion and Support Group
The TCOPS Discussion and Support Group is an optional service. All members may use it in
accordance with these terms.
PURPOSE
This group exists to act as a personal and professional peer support network for the members.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership is restricted to people who self-identify as transsexual,transgender, cross-dressing,
or gender-queer, AND who are or have been law enforcement officers or law enforcement
support personnel.
The Group's membership is diverse, including but not limited to:
men, women, and others
officers at all levels of government:
federal, state, local, & other
officers in various roles:
probation officers, constables, rangers, deputies,
reserve officers, investigators, corrections officers,
military police officers, school resource officers,
forensic scientists, crime scene techs, other support staff
people of various nationalities:
The United States of America
The United Kingdom
Australia
New Zealand
other countries
people of various cultures, too diverse to enumerate
SECURITY
Many of our members live and work in places where there are no effective legal protections.
Membership in the group gives you access to confidential personal information which people
reveal in conversation, or in group files or photos. Do not disclose it without their express
permission, and even then, only at need. Under the wrong circumstances, disclosure of this
information can cause someone to lose a job, lose a career, lose a marriage, or lose custody of
children.
IMPORTANT: Secure your computer. Do not leave your computer accessible to others when any
TCOPS information is accessible on it. If you have access to the group, it is safest not to permit
anyone else to use your computer. If you DO permit someone else to use your computer, make
certain beforehand that you are logged out completely from your Yahoo! account, and that any
local files containing TCOPS information, INCLUDING PHOTOS, MESSAGES, and CONTACT
INFORMATION, are stored securely where the user cannot read them or copy them. If you do not
know for certain how to do this, then DO NOT PERMIT OTHERS TO USE YOUR COMPUTER.
Security violations will result in immediate suspension from the group, not as punishment, but to
deal with the security breach. A member responsible for a breach, if he or she is reinstated at all,
will only
be reinstated when he or she has demonstrated that the breach is closed and that he or she
understands computer security.
MODERATION
This group is moderated, by the group's founder and owner, Julie Marin, and also by other
volunteers. Any moderator who sees a violation of the terms of use may take action to prevent
further violations. Depending on the circumstances, that action may include cautioning the
offending member, warning the offending member, putting the offending member on moderated
status, or suspending the offending member temporarily, or removing the offending member
permanently from the group. Moderators will generally do the moderation publicly, so that
members can see that someone is addressing the problem, and so that newer members can see
the guidelines in actual practice.
In general, moderators prefer to intervene as lightly as possible. However, they are not required to
step up the ladder. Some behavior merits immediate moderation.
Julie Marin may modify any moderator's decision as she sees fit. Note, however, that she has
chosen people whose judgment she trusts to help her with moderation.
TONE
Courtesy
Courtesy is essential. It should be the foundation of all your communication in this group. Your
messages are read by a multi-gendered, multinational, multicultural audience. Remember that the
recipients are
human beings whose culture, language, and humor have different points of reference from your
own. Remember that date formats, measurements, idioms, and slang may not translate well, even
though everyone may be speaking English.
Presentation
Conduct yourself professionally. Remember that each time you post, you are essentially speaking
publicly, from a podium, into a recorder. Everyone can hear you perfectly and there is a
permanent record.
Anger
When You Are Angry: Slow down. Think before posting. Consider waiting overnight to reply. In
your replies, use phrases like, "This makes me feel angry because..." and not phrases like,
"You're a son-of-a-bitch."
Public Record
ALWAYS bear in mind that you are speaking to a diverse audience. Many members listen more
than they participate. Always remember that they are listening. Always remember that our more
hesitant members will choose to participate, or not, based on how they see members treating
each other.
ALWAYS remember that no one can see your smile or hear your tone of voice. The person
reading your message may read it days later, after a hard day at work and a fight with a family
member. With each message, work to strike a positive tone.
CONTENT
Suitable Content:
Suitable posts include, but are not limited to:
requests for advice and support
expressions of support and advice to members
conversation about our lives and experiences
announcements
news items directly relevant to the membership
notification of awards, honors and news concerning members
requests for information or networking
Prohibited Content:
The following types of communication are prohibited:
personal attacks
expression of stereotypes
racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of bigotry
spam (unsolicited commercial or religious messages)
political content, unless it is directly relevant to TCOPS members
Subject lines:
Subject lines should accurately describe the content, so that members can screen the content
they want to read. If you change the topic, change the subject line.
HUMOR and OTHER QUESTIONABLE TOPICS
Jokes and humor often don't translate across cultures. What is humor to one person can be highly
offensive to another. English is not the first language for some members, and even between
native speakers of English, dialect, slang, and colloquialisms can change in meaning. It's
probably best to label anything intended as humor, something like this:
Senator Smith has always been my favorite humanitarian. (JOKE!)
IMPORTANT: Labeling a joke does not make an offensive joke okay. It just makes it less likely to
be misunderstood. If the other member understands that you meant it as a joke, and STILL finds it
offensive, you should listen carefully and take the other member's opinion to heart until you
understand why the joke caused offense, and can articulate it to the satisfaction of the offended
person.
Sarcasm
Be ESPECIALLY careful with sarcasm. It's probably best to avoid it entirely, or label it explicitly,
something like this:
Yeah, THAT worked well. <--- sarcasm
Questionable Topics:
Go off-list to discuss them. If a topic is questionable and you want to discuss it with another
member who is interested, send e-mail directly to that person, and not to the list. (People often
refer to this as
"going off-list".)
THANK YOU
Thank you for following these guidelines and helping to make TCOPS a safe space for all of our
members to discuss the issues which matter to us.
The TCOPS Discussion and Support Group is an optional service. All members may use it in
accordance with these terms.
PURPOSE
This group exists to act as a personal and professional peer support network for the members.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership is restricted to people who self-identify as transsexual,transgender, cross-dressing,
or gender-queer, AND who are or have been law enforcement officers or law enforcement
support personnel.
The Group's membership is diverse, including but not limited to:
men, women, and others
officers at all levels of government:
federal, state, local, & other
officers in various roles:
probation officers, constables, rangers, deputies,
reserve officers, investigators, corrections officers,
military police officers, school resource officers,
forensic scientists, crime scene techs, other support staff
people of various nationalities:
The United States of America
The United Kingdom
Australia
New Zealand
other countries
people of various cultures, too diverse to enumerate
SECURITY
Many of our members live and work in places where there are no effective legal protections.
Membership in the group gives you access to confidential personal information which people
reveal in conversation, or in group files or photos. Do not disclose it without their express
permission, and even then, only at need. Under the wrong circumstances, disclosure of this
information can cause someone to lose a job, lose a career, lose a marriage, or lose custody of
children.
IMPORTANT: Secure your computer. Do not leave your computer accessible to others when any
TCOPS information is accessible on it. If you have access to the group, it is safest not to permit
anyone else to use your computer. If you DO permit someone else to use your computer, make
certain beforehand that you are logged out completely from your Yahoo! account, and that any
local files containing TCOPS information, INCLUDING PHOTOS, MESSAGES, and CONTACT
INFORMATION, are stored securely where the user cannot read them or copy them. If you do not
know for certain how to do this, then DO NOT PERMIT OTHERS TO USE YOUR COMPUTER.
Security violations will result in immediate suspension from the group, not as punishment, but to
deal with the security breach. A member responsible for a breach, if he or she is reinstated at all,
will only
be reinstated when he or she has demonstrated that the breach is closed and that he or she
understands computer security.
MODERATION
This group is moderated, by the group's founder and owner, Julie Marin, and also by other
volunteers. Any moderator who sees a violation of the terms of use may take action to prevent
further violations. Depending on the circumstances, that action may include cautioning the
offending member, warning the offending member, putting the offending member on moderated
status, or suspending the offending member temporarily, or removing the offending member
permanently from the group. Moderators will generally do the moderation publicly, so that
members can see that someone is addressing the problem, and so that newer members can see
the guidelines in actual practice.
In general, moderators prefer to intervene as lightly as possible. However, they are not required to
step up the ladder. Some behavior merits immediate moderation.
Julie Marin may modify any moderator's decision as she sees fit. Note, however, that she has
chosen people whose judgment she trusts to help her with moderation.
TONE
Courtesy
Courtesy is essential. It should be the foundation of all your communication in this group. Your
messages are read by a multi-gendered, multinational, multicultural audience. Remember that the
recipients are
human beings whose culture, language, and humor have different points of reference from your
own. Remember that date formats, measurements, idioms, and slang may not translate well, even
though everyone may be speaking English.
Presentation
Conduct yourself professionally. Remember that each time you post, you are essentially speaking
publicly, from a podium, into a recorder. Everyone can hear you perfectly and there is a
permanent record.
Anger
When You Are Angry: Slow down. Think before posting. Consider waiting overnight to reply. In
your replies, use phrases like, "This makes me feel angry because..." and not phrases like,
"You're a son-of-a-bitch."
Public Record
ALWAYS bear in mind that you are speaking to a diverse audience. Many members listen more
than they participate. Always remember that they are listening. Always remember that our more
hesitant members will choose to participate, or not, based on how they see members treating
each other.
ALWAYS remember that no one can see your smile or hear your tone of voice. The person
reading your message may read it days later, after a hard day at work and a fight with a family
member. With each message, work to strike a positive tone.
CONTENT
Suitable Content:
Suitable posts include, but are not limited to:
requests for advice and support
expressions of support and advice to members
conversation about our lives and experiences
announcements
news items directly relevant to the membership
notification of awards, honors and news concerning members
requests for information or networking
Prohibited Content:
The following types of communication are prohibited:
personal attacks
expression of stereotypes
racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of bigotry
spam (unsolicited commercial or religious messages)
political content, unless it is directly relevant to TCOPS members
Subject lines:
Subject lines should accurately describe the content, so that members can screen the content
they want to read. If you change the topic, change the subject line.
HUMOR and OTHER QUESTIONABLE TOPICS
Jokes and humor often don't translate across cultures. What is humor to one person can be highly
offensive to another. English is not the first language for some members, and even between
native speakers of English, dialect, slang, and colloquialisms can change in meaning. It's
probably best to label anything intended as humor, something like this:
Senator Smith has always been my favorite humanitarian. (JOKE!)
IMPORTANT: Labeling a joke does not make an offensive joke okay. It just makes it less likely to
be misunderstood. If the other member understands that you meant it as a joke, and STILL finds it
offensive, you should listen carefully and take the other member's opinion to heart until you
understand why the joke caused offense, and can articulate it to the satisfaction of the offended
person.
Sarcasm
Be ESPECIALLY careful with sarcasm. It's probably best to avoid it entirely, or label it explicitly,
something like this:
Yeah, THAT worked well. <--- sarcasm
Questionable Topics:
Go off-list to discuss them. If a topic is questionable and you want to discuss it with another
member who is interested, send e-mail directly to that person, and not to the list. (People often
refer to this as
"going off-list".)
THANK YOU
Thank you for following these guidelines and helping to make TCOPS a safe space for all of our
members to discuss the issues which matter to us.
| Copyright © 2008 -2010 TCOPS - Transgendered Community of Police & Sheriffs. All Rights Reserved. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| TCOPS Discussion Group - TERMS OF USE |
