The Montclair Watercooler Guidelines
What We’re About
The primary purpose of this group is to provide a forum for civil discourse on topics that are specific to Montclair and the people who live and work here. Our town is a special place, not only because it is where we have chosen to live or work, but also because it is filled with thoughtful and articulate people who care very much about what happens here. There is no other place where the individual voice can register his or her opinion on local issues in such an immediate, interactive way. Your views are important. There is no other posting board in which you can so readily get the answers you need for local resources. There is no better way for our many local organizations and volunteer groups to publicize their needs and their events.
It Bears Repeating
The membership of the Montclair Watercooler has increased dramatically in the last couple of years, so for newcomers and veterans alike we’re restating the Watercooler Guidelines. The Moderators oversee all activity on the Watercooler and we expect you’ll follow the Guidelines when you post messages. The Guidelines are the rules of the road developed over the years the ‘cooler has existed. We’re committed to local Montclair discussions about Montclair-related topics in a civil environment.
About the List - Moderation
The Montclair Watercooler is a bit different than most online forums these days. It is moderated, meaning a group of volunteers review each post for adherence to a set of guidelines prior to being posted to the list. If your post is not within those guidelines, the Moderators will return the post to you explaining why and asking you to consider changing it and reposting. We understand that this may bother many members, but we do believe it helps to keep the discussion focused, civil, and friendly. With that, let’s move on to those Guidelines.
Three Things
The full details of the posting guidelines follow below, but if you’re impatient and just want to get posting to the list, please keep the following three things in mind (all of the detailed guidelines can be rolled up into one of these three.)
1. Civility - Posts and replies should be civil. Please play nicely in our digital sandbox.
2. Noncommercial - This is a noncommercial list.
3. Things Montclair - Topics should be about things in and around Montclair.
Now for some details (by category)
1. Civility
As a rule of thumb, if you think your mom or dad would wince at one of your posts, it’s a good idea to think about putting your thoughts another way. Unlike anonymous online forums, it is Watercooler policy to identify all members by name. When you joined the list, we asked for a short bio and your real name. All introductions are posted when members are added to the list so everyone here can know who is a part of this community. We also like to think it helps to keep things pleasant. There’s no hiding behind an anonymous handle on the Watercooler.
The Moderators are all volunteers who are committed to keeping everyone on the Watercooler playing by the rules. Think of it as a great backyard barbecue—we want everyone to have a good time, yack their heads off about Montclair, not get too boisterous and please---don’t lean against the hot grill.
The Moderators try to insure that the discussions remain civil and focused on issues of local concern. We like to say the discussion should be about issues, not people. While the actions of public figures done in performance of their public duties are subject to fair comment, the actions of others, e.g., named professionals, individual business owners, volunteers, citizens, or employees, are not. If you address someone directly in a reply to a message, that is often an indication that the discussion has become more personal and not about the issue. In such a case, we ask that you contact that member directly, off the list. If you keep your comments in the 3rd person, we'll all know that you mean for it to go to the group as a whole. All personal notes will be returned for forwarding to the intended recipient. Please see the “Making the Most of the Watercooler” document for tips on how to do this.
From this policy, we also ask that specific negative comments about a service providers be sent directly to the member (off list). There are always two sides to a story and we believe that the this discussion is best handled off the list. Do feel free to post that “you had a poor experience with provider XYZ”, and ask that the member contact you off list for details. We find that works great.
Play nice, no pushing. All posts are the opinion of the person placing the message, The Montclair Watercooler accepts no liability for information posted.
Political Posts
During the political season in Montclair discussion and topics can often get heated. Therefore, we added a requirement that all political posts should include a signature (the first and last name of the poster).
2. The Watercooler is a Noncommercial List
Watercooler list-members decided early on that they didn’t want to be marketed to on the list and that it should be a safe haven (as best as possible) away from the commercial marketing efforts of those in business in and around town. You are allowed to sell your own items to other members on the list. How to do that and the other noncommercial rules follow:
We do provide for one fully commercial file area on the Montclair Watercooler. Any business is welcome to post their business card (file) there with any or all details about their business. Our members understand that if they look in the Business Cards folder in the Files section that they will see promotional content. For information on how to access the Montclair Watercooler file section, including the Business Cards folder, please see the “Making the Most of the Watercooler” document.
Recommendations for Service Providers in Montclair
Recommendations for local service providers are one of the most common posts on the Montclair Watercooler. We encourage and support this use of the Watercooler, but please remember that most every service type (medical specialty, household, automotive, eyebrow weaving, etc. ) has been discussed before here. In our attempt to reduce duplication on categories that have been run many times or even recently, we will often return a post of yours back to you and ask you to search the past messages on that topic. The added benefits to you searching the past messages are that 1) you will obtain the results right away and will not need to wait for replies, and 2) there will generally be a more complete set of recommendations to choose from. For details on how to search out past messages to find recommendations, see the “Making the Most of the Watercooler” document.
In the spirit of this being a community sourced list, please note the following for service provider recommendations that you post:
3. Things Montclair
Local Topics Rule: The Moderators stick to the goal of preserving discussions of topics and issues specifically related to Montclair, among people who have a stake in our life here. You don't have to be a resident of Montclair, but members do have to have some nexus with the community. That said, we’re not opposed to discussion of topics that expand into neighboring towns. Even though there may be other local resources for those locations, we do allow posts for these communities adjacent to Montclair: Bloomfield, Caldwell, Clifton, Cedar Grove, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Little Falls, North Caldwell, Nutley, Orange, Verona, West Caldwell, and West Orange.
It may be that some things may not be available within that area (hard to believe, isn’t it?). So, in cases where recommendations are made for products or services that are somewhat unique and/or only available outside (and reasonably near) Montclair, then the Moderators may, in their sole discretion, elect to post them.
Staying on topic, locally: Some topics of local concern lead to a description of the theoretical or the experiences that formed someone's opinion. As long as these are civil discussions related to local context (and don't violate the civility guidelines above or some other Watercooler guideline), they’re considered on-topic. For some posts which are not really Montclair, but are about things which may help you members (e.g. general tips or advice), we will often approve the post with an “Admin note” added requiring that replies be directed to the member only (off list). We’ll reject replies that aren’t. For this distinction, see the “Making the Most of the Watercooler” document. Discussions of non-Montclair topics of a philosophical, national, religious, state, or regional nature are considered off-topic for the Cooler. (If space aliens promoting cheap real estate in Ohio happen to land in Anderson Park, we’ll reconsider….)
Posting for Others
On the Montclair Watercooler we place great value the members all being named and introduced to one another. As stated above, we are not an anonymous list. Therefore, we do not allow posts for others - friends, neighbors, etc.. The moderators will make exceptions to this rule, typically in emergency type situations (e.g. a lost pet). The Moderators have the final say on such exceptions. We do encourage you to tell your friends and neighbors about the group, encouraging them to join - the more the merrier. Our main page on the web will get them started. Send them to: http://www.mtcwatercooler.org.
About the Moderators & What They Do
The list Moderators (a.k.a. Benevolent Despots, BDs, admins, or mods) are volunteers and list members as well. By the way, we have a rule that we may not approve our own posts (in case you were wondering). In addition to general list support, the Moderators discuss questionable or problematic posts among themselves to try to ensure a consistency in our decisions. Your thoughts are important and we do our best to give every post due consideration. Off-topic posts are rarely deleted without comment - they are returned to you, usually with suggestions on how to revise or refocus them so that they can be posted. We do at times get empty or spam messages from members. In such cases we will delete or notify the member as appropriate.
Service Levels
We BDs, like you, are very busy. Your post may not be approved right away, as there may not be a Moderator online all the time (go figure). That said, our goal is to live up to the following service levels. Posts are generally approved and published in 4 to 8 hours. Rejected posts are generally returned in 4 to 48 hours. New members are generally approved in 5 to 14 days after email received.
Challenging a Moderating Decision
When we return a message to you, we always provide a reason for doing so. We’ll also offer suggestions on how to get your message across in a manner that meets the Guidelines. If you disagree with that decision, you are welcome to make your case, but because we are all volunteers we don’t have the time for extended debates about each and every disputed post. To dispute a returned post, simply reply to that message describing your reasons why and we’ll respond. Ultimately, though, all decisions on posts rest with the Moderators. And please, we’re your neighbors and we like to be addressed nicely, too. (See reference to Mom and Dad above…. )
We Still Don’t Like Your Rules
Oh, you feisty Montclairians! If you want more latitude about what topics you can discuss and what language you can use, try these options:
We have created and support a Facebook group call the Montclair Watercooler Connections. On this group you can interact with other members as Facebook allows. We moderate that group a bit less than we do here, but do see the guidelines on that Facebook Group description. There, service discussions may be a bit more commercial. You may either search for Montclair Watercooler within Facebook or go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/111593506448/
And of course there are commercial blogs including, but not limited to:
Baristanet - http://www.Baristanet.com
Montclair Patch - http://montclair.patch.com/
The Current Montclair Watercooler Moderators
Mary Delaney Krugman, (2000) List Creator
Cary Africk, (2004 with a short break to serve as Town Councilman, now back full time)
Teri Gatto, (2006)
Jon Bonesteel, (2006) (and List Owner)
Kevin Courtney, (2011)
Jean Kidd, (2001) - Moderator Emeritus (retired)
Volunteer to be a Moderator
If you have interest in joining us as a volunteer, we’d be happy to hear from you. New Moderators are vetted by the current Moderators, although we sometimes reach out to other 'Cooler members for suggestions as well. Potential candidates are selected very carefully from the full list of members. New moderators are invited only with a full consensus of the BDs.
Candidates for Moderator must meet several criteria:
Most of all, Watercooler moderators should show a fundamental respect for the goals and purposes of the Watercooler as an independent town forum where anyone with a stake in Montclair can find useful information or discuss viewpoints on local issues.
In Closing
We are pleased that the 'Cooler has become the helpful resource and sounding board it has. But it is you, the member of the ‘Cooler community, who makes this list the great success that it is. We appreciate all of your efforts to make it a place where we can be neighbors and friends, while helping to make our community a better place to live.
What We’re About
The primary purpose of this group is to provide a forum for civil discourse on topics that are specific to Montclair and the people who live and work here. Our town is a special place, not only because it is where we have chosen to live or work, but also because it is filled with thoughtful and articulate people who care very much about what happens here. There is no other place where the individual voice can register his or her opinion on local issues in such an immediate, interactive way. Your views are important. There is no other posting board in which you can so readily get the answers you need for local resources. There is no better way for our many local organizations and volunteer groups to publicize their needs and their events.
It Bears Repeating
The membership of the Montclair Watercooler has increased dramatically in the last couple of years, so for newcomers and veterans alike we’re restating the Watercooler Guidelines. The Moderators oversee all activity on the Watercooler and we expect you’ll follow the Guidelines when you post messages. The Guidelines are the rules of the road developed over the years the ‘cooler has existed. We’re committed to local Montclair discussions about Montclair-related topics in a civil environment.
About the List - Moderation
The Montclair Watercooler is a bit different than most online forums these days. It is moderated, meaning a group of volunteers review each post for adherence to a set of guidelines prior to being posted to the list. If your post is not within those guidelines, the Moderators will return the post to you explaining why and asking you to consider changing it and reposting. We understand that this may bother many members, but we do believe it helps to keep the discussion focused, civil, and friendly. With that, let’s move on to those Guidelines.
Three Things
The full details of the posting guidelines follow below, but if you’re impatient and just want to get posting to the list, please keep the following three things in mind (all of the detailed guidelines can be rolled up into one of these three.)
1. Civility - Posts and replies should be civil. Please play nicely in our digital sandbox.
2. Noncommercial - This is a noncommercial list.
3. Things Montclair - Topics should be about things in and around Montclair.
Now for some details (by category)
1. Civility
As a rule of thumb, if you think your mom or dad would wince at one of your posts, it’s a good idea to think about putting your thoughts another way. Unlike anonymous online forums, it is Watercooler policy to identify all members by name. When you joined the list, we asked for a short bio and your real name. All introductions are posted when members are added to the list so everyone here can know who is a part of this community. We also like to think it helps to keep things pleasant. There’s no hiding behind an anonymous handle on the Watercooler.
The Moderators are all volunteers who are committed to keeping everyone on the Watercooler playing by the rules. Think of it as a great backyard barbecue—we want everyone to have a good time, yack their heads off about Montclair, not get too boisterous and please---don’t lean against the hot grill.
The Moderators try to insure that the discussions remain civil and focused on issues of local concern. We like to say the discussion should be about issues, not people. While the actions of public figures done in performance of their public duties are subject to fair comment, the actions of others, e.g., named professionals, individual business owners, volunteers, citizens, or employees, are not. If you address someone directly in a reply to a message, that is often an indication that the discussion has become more personal and not about the issue. In such a case, we ask that you contact that member directly, off the list. If you keep your comments in the 3rd person, we'll all know that you mean for it to go to the group as a whole. All personal notes will be returned for forwarding to the intended recipient. Please see the “Making the Most of the Watercooler” document for tips on how to do this.
From this policy, we also ask that specific negative comments about a service providers be sent directly to the member (off list). There are always two sides to a story and we believe that the this discussion is best handled off the list. Do feel free to post that “you had a poor experience with provider XYZ”, and ask that the member contact you off list for details. We find that works great.
Play nice, no pushing. All posts are the opinion of the person placing the message, The Montclair Watercooler accepts no liability for information posted.
Political Posts
During the political season in Montclair discussion and topics can often get heated. Therefore, we added a requirement that all political posts should include a signature (the first and last name of the poster).
2. The Watercooler is a Noncommercial List
Watercooler list-members decided early on that they didn’t want to be marketed to on the list and that it should be a safe haven (as best as possible) away from the commercial marketing efforts of those in business in and around town. You are allowed to sell your own items to other members on the list. How to do that and the other noncommercial rules follow:
- Members may not recommend or advertise their own company or one they have a relationship to (e.g. a spouse's company). This is in keeping with the non-commercial nature of this list. Members are of course free to contact members directly, off list.
- No signature tags/lines that are more than 2 lines long.
- Email addresses are sacred. Watercooler members, associates of those members, former members or others who capture (manually, automatically, or with specific software, programs or web-based or wireless-reliant technology), save, trade, sell or otherwise use the email addresses for communication outside of the Montclair Watercooler is strictly forbidden. Violation of this provision and such abuse of the Watercooler community can lead to the cancellation of membership in the Watercooler and an alert to Yahoo! Groups security.
- To sell an item or promote your own yard/garage sale, you can simply post a message with that information. The new Yahoo format also allows a better means to do this than it used to. Please note that we do not allow duplicate posts, as multiple posts would become excessive marketing and clog up the list for discussion of “things Montclair”.
- Help Wanted or Positions Wanted posts may be posted to the list also. Note that you may not post on the behalf of others (see “Posting for Others” below) except for family members or a caregiver you currently employ.
- Nonprofit (501c3) organizations may promote their events as this is considered noncommercial. Duplicate posts are not allowed.
- Commercial events may only be posted in the File Section Events folder. Then they can post a message referencing that file. Yes, we know that it is cumbersome and antiquated (among other things), but we think it helps to highlight that this is a noncommercial list. If you have a commercial event to post and still want to do it, please see that section in the “Making the Most of the Watercooler” document for details how.
We do provide for one fully commercial file area on the Montclair Watercooler. Any business is welcome to post their business card (file) there with any or all details about their business. Our members understand that if they look in the Business Cards folder in the Files section that they will see promotional content. For information on how to access the Montclair Watercooler file section, including the Business Cards folder, please see the “Making the Most of the Watercooler” document.
Recommendations for Service Providers in Montclair
Recommendations for local service providers are one of the most common posts on the Montclair Watercooler. We encourage and support this use of the Watercooler, but please remember that most every service type (medical specialty, household, automotive, eyebrow weaving, etc. ) has been discussed before here. In our attempt to reduce duplication on categories that have been run many times or even recently, we will often return a post of yours back to you and ask you to search the past messages on that topic. The added benefits to you searching the past messages are that 1) you will obtain the results right away and will not need to wait for replies, and 2) there will generally be a more complete set of recommendations to choose from. For details on how to search out past messages to find recommendations, see the “Making the Most of the Watercooler” document.
In the spirit of this being a community sourced list, please note the following for service provider recommendations that you post:
- Recommendations should be based on personal experience with the contractor or service provider and should reference the service he or she provided for you. The better the detail, the better other members may be informed, so feel free to expand on the work done.
- Include the contractor or service provider contact information including full name, location, and phone number. If they have a web site, you may also include that.
- Negative comments about service providers or past experience with them should be sent directly to the original poster - off list.
- We will allow all recommendations for service providers in the Northern NJ area as long as your experience with them has been for business done here in town. This does not apply to general posts or retail businesses.
- Want to “second” a recommendation that has already been made? That’s great, we encourage that, but please do include your personal experience in that “second” (see above).
3. Things Montclair
Local Topics Rule: The Moderators stick to the goal of preserving discussions of topics and issues specifically related to Montclair, among people who have a stake in our life here. You don't have to be a resident of Montclair, but members do have to have some nexus with the community. That said, we’re not opposed to discussion of topics that expand into neighboring towns. Even though there may be other local resources for those locations, we do allow posts for these communities adjacent to Montclair: Bloomfield, Caldwell, Clifton, Cedar Grove, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Little Falls, North Caldwell, Nutley, Orange, Verona, West Caldwell, and West Orange.
It may be that some things may not be available within that area (hard to believe, isn’t it?). So, in cases where recommendations are made for products or services that are somewhat unique and/or only available outside (and reasonably near) Montclair, then the Moderators may, in their sole discretion, elect to post them.
Staying on topic, locally: Some topics of local concern lead to a description of the theoretical or the experiences that formed someone's opinion. As long as these are civil discussions related to local context (and don't violate the civility guidelines above or some other Watercooler guideline), they’re considered on-topic. For some posts which are not really Montclair, but are about things which may help you members (e.g. general tips or advice), we will often approve the post with an “Admin note” added requiring that replies be directed to the member only (off list). We’ll reject replies that aren’t. For this distinction, see the “Making the Most of the Watercooler” document. Discussions of non-Montclair topics of a philosophical, national, religious, state, or regional nature are considered off-topic for the Cooler. (If space aliens promoting cheap real estate in Ohio happen to land in Anderson Park, we’ll reconsider….)
Posting for Others
On the Montclair Watercooler we place great value the members all being named and introduced to one another. As stated above, we are not an anonymous list. Therefore, we do not allow posts for others - friends, neighbors, etc.. The moderators will make exceptions to this rule, typically in emergency type situations (e.g. a lost pet). The Moderators have the final say on such exceptions. We do encourage you to tell your friends and neighbors about the group, encouraging them to join - the more the merrier. Our main page on the web will get them started. Send them to: http://www.mtcwatercooler.org.
About the Moderators & What They Do
The list Moderators (a.k.a. Benevolent Despots, BDs, admins, or mods) are volunteers and list members as well. By the way, we have a rule that we may not approve our own posts (in case you were wondering). In addition to general list support, the Moderators discuss questionable or problematic posts among themselves to try to ensure a consistency in our decisions. Your thoughts are important and we do our best to give every post due consideration. Off-topic posts are rarely deleted without comment - they are returned to you, usually with suggestions on how to revise or refocus them so that they can be posted. We do at times get empty or spam messages from members. In such cases we will delete or notify the member as appropriate.
Service Levels
We BDs, like you, are very busy. Your post may not be approved right away, as there may not be a Moderator online all the time (go figure). That said, our goal is to live up to the following service levels. Posts are generally approved and published in 4 to 8 hours. Rejected posts are generally returned in 4 to 48 hours. New members are generally approved in 5 to 14 days after email received.
Challenging a Moderating Decision
When we return a message to you, we always provide a reason for doing so. We’ll also offer suggestions on how to get your message across in a manner that meets the Guidelines. If you disagree with that decision, you are welcome to make your case, but because we are all volunteers we don’t have the time for extended debates about each and every disputed post. To dispute a returned post, simply reply to that message describing your reasons why and we’ll respond. Ultimately, though, all decisions on posts rest with the Moderators. And please, we’re your neighbors and we like to be addressed nicely, too. (See reference to Mom and Dad above…. )
We Still Don’t Like Your Rules
Oh, you feisty Montclairians! If you want more latitude about what topics you can discuss and what language you can use, try these options:
We have created and support a Facebook group call the Montclair Watercooler Connections. On this group you can interact with other members as Facebook allows. We moderate that group a bit less than we do here, but do see the guidelines on that Facebook Group description. There, service discussions may be a bit more commercial. You may either search for Montclair Watercooler within Facebook or go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/111593506448/
And of course there are commercial blogs including, but not limited to:
Baristanet - http://www.Baristanet.com
Montclair Patch - http://montclair.patch.com/
The Current Montclair Watercooler Moderators
Mary Delaney Krugman, (2000) List Creator
Cary Africk, (2004 with a short break to serve as Town Councilman, now back full time)
Teri Gatto, (2006)
Jon Bonesteel, (2006) (and List Owner)
Kevin Courtney, (2011)
Jean Kidd, (2001) - Moderator Emeritus (retired)
Volunteer to be a Moderator
If you have interest in joining us as a volunteer, we’d be happy to hear from you. New Moderators are vetted by the current Moderators, although we sometimes reach out to other 'Cooler members for suggestions as well. Potential candidates are selected very carefully from the full list of members. New moderators are invited only with a full consensus of the BDs.
Candidates for Moderator must meet several criteria:
- An active participant in the 'Cooler over an extended period of time;
- A demonstrated ability to respect and consistently abide by the 'Cooler guidelines;
- An interest in the many aspects of life in Montclair;
- A positive, thoughtful attitude;
- An ability to interact with a wide variety of personalities diplomatically;
- A facility with computers and the Internet;
- The ability to spend considerable amounts of time online;
- An ability to moderate the list objectively and neutrally and separate moderating tasks from their personal opinions;
- An inordinate amount of patience; and
- A commitment to teamwork and consensus decision-making.
Most of all, Watercooler moderators should show a fundamental respect for the goals and purposes of the Watercooler as an independent town forum where anyone with a stake in Montclair can find useful information or discuss viewpoints on local issues.
In Closing
We are pleased that the 'Cooler has become the helpful resource and sounding board it has. But it is you, the member of the ‘Cooler community, who makes this list the great success that it is. We appreciate all of your efforts to make it a place where we can be neighbors and friends, while helping to make our community a better place to live.