Internet and Social Media Policy

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  1. Introduction
    1. This policy sets out standards and rules for the publication of and access to information, and for communication via the Internet and similar public computer networks. It refers to all information that can be claimed to be AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. publications or as originating from within the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. and communication when representing the AUSTRLIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. This can include (but is not limited to), web sites, email, Social Media sites, forums and mailing lists.
  2. Policy Statement
    1. The AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. wishes to actively promote and encourage the use of the Internet to disseminate information in the normal course of its operations. It is important that the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC.:
      • Maintains its high reputation in the community by ensuring that information presented is clear, accurate, professional and of a timely manner;
      • Avoids material that is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise breaches any law;
      • Protects its intellectual property and does not infringe copyright restrictions of other entities; and
      • Maintains the privacy of its individuals.
  3. Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Devices
    1. AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. owned or provided Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities and devices are provided to assist members to conduct AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. official business, education and professional development more effectively and efficiently.
    2. AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. owned or provided ICT facilities and devices shall not be used for any inappropriate purpose, which may include but is not limited to:
      • any use that is unlawful, criminal or unethical, including usage outside permitted conditions and limitations
      • any use that bypasses established and/or official channels of communication as defined by AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. reporting relationships
      • transmitting salacious material or campaigning for personal gain
    3. No person shall use any AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. owned or provided ICT facility or device to create, download, store, view or distribute obscene, indecent, offensive or sexually explicit material or material unbecoming to common propriety, for example pornography. This shall equally apply to the use of any non AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. owned or provided ICT facility or device used at any AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. function or activity, for example; the use of a personal lap top computer by a member at a Squadron meeting.
    4. Unlawful and/or criminal usage of AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. owned or provided ICT facilities and devices is defined as use which violates State or Federal law and/or Criminal Code and any inappropriate, unlawful or criminal use of AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. owned or provided ICT facilities or devices or other devices as mentioned above, will be subject to criminal and/or AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. disciplinary processes.
  4. Websites
    1. Purposes of Web Sites
      1. AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. websites serve two primary purposes
        • Marketing – showcasing and promoting AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. to the general community.
        • News Information – providing information and resources for existing members.
      2. Each Web Site must have a clearly defined purpose relating to the role of the unit or level of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. that it is published for, be that Squadron, Wing, Region, Group or Federal, and include information for which that Unit is responsible.
    2. Types of Information
      1. For the purposes of this document, the types of information covered by this policy are:
        • Information on the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC., its structure, policies and history and operations;
        • Information on the Groups, Wings, Squadrons and other units of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC.;
        • Information on the activities of individuals and groups within the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC.; and
        • Other material as determined by the Council of the Australian Air League.
      2. The following guidelines provide the appropriate material for Internet publishing for each operational level of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC.:
        1. Federal
          1. General information relating to the:
            • History of the organisation
            • Aims and objects of the organisation
            • Structure of the organisation
            • Location of units within Australia
            • Contact information for enquiries to Groups
            • Types of membership and membership requirements
            • Uniform and badges
          2. Specific information relating to:
            • Names and contact details of Federal Staff
            • National events
            • Education, Air Activities, Field and Training information, syllabus changes and/or additions
            • AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. Manual, changes and/or additions
            • Federal Routine Orders
            • Federal Instructions
            • Federal Circulars
            • Federal documents
            • Any information deemed of interest at an organisation wide level.
        2. Group
          1. General information relating to the:
            • Location of units within their respective Group
            • Contact information for enquiries to Squadrons within their Group
          2. Specific information relating to:
            • Names and contact details of Group Staff
            • Group events
            • Group Routine Orders
            • Group Instructions
            • Group Circulars
            • Group documents
            • Any information deemed of interest at a Group wide level.
        3. Region
          1. General information relating to the:
            • Location of units within their respective Region
            • Contact information for enquiries to Wings and/or Squadrons within their Region
          2. Specific information relating to:
            • Names and contact details of Regional Staff
            • Regional events
            • Regional Routine Orders
            • Regional Instructions
            • Regional Circulars
            • Regional documents
            • Any information deemed of interest at a Regional wide level.
        4. Wing
          1. General information relating to the:
            • Location of units within their respective Wing
            • Contact information for enquiries to Squadrons within their Wing
        5. Specific information relating to:
            • Names and contact details of Wing Staff
            • Wing events
            • Wing Routine Orders
            • Wing Instructions
            • Wing Circulars
            • Wing documents
            • Any information deemed of interest at a Wing wide level.
        6. Squadron
          1. Specific information relating to:
            • Names and contact details of Squadron Staff
            • Results of squadron education / field examinations
            • Squadron events
            • Squadron specific involvement in recent events
            • Squadron Routine Orders
            • Squadron Instructions
            • Squadron Circulars
            • Squadron documents
            • Any information deemed of interest at a Squadron wide level.
    3. Special Purpose Websites
      1. From time to time it may be necessary to create special purpose websites or websites for recurring events such as the Australian Air League Review. In these circumstances the sites shall have a domain to signify that event, such as http://aalreview2014.airleague.com.au
  5. Social Media Pages
    1. Units may wish to create "Social Media" pages or other types of online presence on the Internet besides a traditional Website. The Council of the League recognises that Squadrons and other Units may find it easier to create and maintain a presence on Social Networking sites such as (but not limited to) Facebook and Twitter, and does not discourage these sites as a means to communicate to their existing members as well as recruit to new members.
    2. This does not however remove the need to have these pages approved and registered by the appropriate party as described in the paragraphs titled Approval and Monitoring (hereunder) to ensure that the same high standards are maintained for the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC.
    3. The following guidelines have been created to assist Units when using social media.
      1. Air League units on Social Networking sites should only represent actual Units as recognised by the Australia Air League, using the name that appears on their Charter.
      2. Units are encouraged to set the privacy of their site to control membership of the site and protect from unwelcome posts and comments. If comments are allowed, the Unit OC will appoint a moderator to regularly check the site for unwanted comments and remove them.
      3. Social Networking sites will often have membership requirements, such as a minimum age. For this reason Social Networking sites must not be used as the primary method of communication in the Unit, members are not to be pressured to sign up for a particular service in order to access communications and should not be encouraged to join unless they are the correct age and fulfill other membership requirements. For example, the minimum age on Facebook is currently 13 years.
      4. Officers have a duty of care to the members in their Unit, and should always act in the best interest of their cadets to maintain their privacy and set a standard of online behaviour when representing the League.
  6. Approval and Monitoring - website & social media page
    1. Prior to the establishment of any website (including Social Media page), approval MUST be obtained from the Officer Commanding (OC) of the Unit concerned. The purpose of this is to prevent sites being created by enthusiastic members, parents or Associate members - who then lose interest or leave the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC., leaving an orphaned site presenting an un-professional image for the Organisation.
    2. Application for approval will be made to the Group Executive Commissioner (or their delegate) before being forwarded to the AAL Webmaster via the Federal Operations Commissioner (FOC) using the Form 46 for this purpose as provided on the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. website. The FOC or delegate will maintain a register of all AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. sites. This register will detail the unit name, Internet address and contact details for the Webmaster. All units must notify the FOC of these details immediately a web site (including Social Media page) is made accessible on the Internet. While the role of actually creating and maintaining the website (including Social Media page) would be delegated to an appropriately skilled individual, responsibility for the content ultimately lies with the OC who will be responsible for monitoring the compliance of the website on an on-going basis.
    3. A Webmaster shall be appointed for each website (including Social Media page). The Webmaster will ensure that information on the Web Site or social media page is kept up-to-date, and look after the day-to-day running of the website or social media page. In the event that this person ceases membership of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. or the Unit then another Webmaster will be appointed and contact details advised to the FOC using the Form 46 for this purpose.
    4. Copyright
      1. No information published by the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. or software available for download shall breach the Australian Copyright Act, 1968 or International Copyright Treaties that Australia is a signatory to.
    5. Privacy
      1. The AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. shall do its utmost to protect the privacy of its members and visitors on any AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. web sites and social media.
    6. Minimum Requirements
      1. Links - Each Unit website must provide a link to the National Website (http://www.airleague.com.au/). Social Media pages must include links back to the relevant national social media (e.g. a Squadron Facebook page must link back to the National Facebook page)
      2. Contact Details - At minimum an e-mail link for contact with the Webmaster or point of contact, phone number, postal address or combination of the above.
      3. Last Updated Date - The date the individual page, or the entire Web Site was last updated.
      4. Copyright Notice - Whilst not required for a work to be protected in Australia (copyright is automatic) it serves to remind people that the work is protected by copyright. All AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. website should contain a copyright notice in the format "(c) 2013 Australian Air League Inc."
      5. Privacy Statement - With the advent of technology like 'cookies' and the publicity given to intrusion of computer systems and the like, Internet privacy is a major concern, and the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. believes that its policy on the submission of details to the site is important.
    7. Timeliness
      1. Webmasters should ensure that information on a Squadron or other web site (including Social Media page) is accurate and up to date. Consideration also should be given to the time taken to keep a site up to date, it may be more appropriate to create a simple site with contact details and information on the Unit, rather than maintaining a large site which can quickly become out of date.
    8. Information and Resources
      1. Information on the primary AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. website should be linked to, rather than maintaining a local copy on a separate website. This means that Webmasters do not need to ensure that the current copy is always available. A good example would be the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. Manual.
    9. Links
      1. External links may be displayed providing they are appropriate and meet the aims and objects of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC.
    10. Advertising
      1. Since the Council of the League provides free web hosting and sub-domain addresses to all units of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. it is felt that sponsorship or advertising on AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. websites is not required. Units may however, create a "credits" page/s thanking the Organisations that have supported the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. Examples would be RSL Clubs, local Councils and so on.
      2. AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. websites/social media pages shall not provide additional advertising on their web sites without approval from the Federal Operations Commissioner.
    11. Compatibility and Accessibility
      1. Web sites should be designed to work across all major Internet browsers (including mobile devices) and meet the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) specifications for Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML). Pages that force users to use a particular brand and version of browser, at a high screen resolution or download the latest browser plug-ins in order to view the pages will discourage visitors from viewing site.
      2. Due to the rise in popularity in mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets, webmasters should test their sites with mobile devices to ensure visitors can access information without issue.
      3. If web masters feel they must use the latest technology they should also provide plain HTML or "Lite" versions of their pages. A number of guides and tutorials on creating compatible Websites can be found online, contact the AAL Webmaster for details if required.
      4. Consideration should also be given to disabled visitors - who may visit using specialised browsers for the visually impaired. Information on Web Accessibility can be found on the W3C website at http://www.w3.org/WAI/.
    12. Removal of Non-compliant Web Sites and Social Media Pages
      1. Since the public display of accurate and appropriate material is in the best interest of all members of the League, it is essential that members will comply with the procedures detailed in this document.
      2. Where any member of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. publishes unauthorised material relating to the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. then the discipline procedures of Section Five of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. Manual may be applied.
    13. "Unofficial" and Personal Web Sites
      1. No member of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. shall create a web site (including Social Media page) described as an "Unofficial" web site for a particular Unit.
      2. The AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. Internet Policy provides for the creation of Squadron Web Sites, free hosting and sub-domains on the "airleague.com.au" domain. Therefore there is no need to have "Unofficial" sites presenting un-professional views of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC.
      3. Individual members may create their own personal web sites that make reference to their involvement in the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. and include some basic information about the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. and their Unit, however the information should be 'in passing' and not the dominant theme of the web site. For example a member may state their membership of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. in a personal website however they should not place detailed information regarding the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. on a personal website. Where any member of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. publishes inappropriate material relating to the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. then the discipline procedures of Section Five of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. Manual may be applied.
    14. Web Hosting and Domain Names
      1. The domain "airleague.com.au" has been registered by the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. and is administered by the Council of the Australian Air League. The Council of the Australian Air League provides web hosting and email for the Federal website and all units. These facilities are provided to all Units free of charge to encourage Units to create their own website. Units wishing to apply for websites and email should apply to the Federal Operations Commissioner on the appropriate form.
      2. Registration of Domain Names
        1. Sub-domains of the main Air League website are available to all units wishing to establish an Internet so therefore units should not register their own domain name. If a unit feels is has a compelling reason to register a domain name it should submit an application to the Federal Operations Commissioner who shall decide if such a move is warranted.
  7. Social Media Participation Policy
    1. Online social networking brings about a new range of possibilities for the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. Rather than being simply a means to publish information, social media is a powerful tool to raise the profile of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC., foster conversation and build community amongst members.
    2. Social Media encompass a broad range of online activities, including but not limited to;
      • Discussion forums such as Whirlpool and Google Groups
      • Information sources such as the online encyclopedia Wikipedia.
      • Blogging, such as Wordpress and Blogger, and microblogging sites such as Twitter
      • Social Networking Sites such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn
      • Photo and Video sharing websites such as Flickr, Instagram, YouTube and Vimeo
    3. The AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. recognises the importance of social media as a communication tool and that individuals have the right to participate in online communities and maintain their own social media networking accounts. However, if during their participation in social media, a member refers to their association with the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. or makes comments regarding the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. or refers to an affiliated person or any of their affairs they are required to adhere to the relevant Policies including Social Media Participation, Personal Safety and Code of Conduct.
    4. This Policy applies to all AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. members when identifying themselves as having an association with the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC.
    5. Interaction with Minors
      1. Whilst adult members of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. can communicate with cadets via pages and forums, they will not have direct one-on-one conversations with cadets via any form of chat or instant messaging programs; this is analogous to going into a room alone with a child and closing the door – an unacceptable behaviour. Exceptions to this policy would be when the adult member has a family relationship with the cadet such as parent, guardian or sibling.
    6. Conduct on Social Media
      1. Social Media sites are similar to normal face-to-face discussion in that it is a personal exchange of information, however with a lack of direct contact technology provides the potential for messages to be taken out of context or misinterpreted. Therefore, it is important to observe the everyday courtesies that would be expected in normal conversation.
        • Be polite and careful to clearly convey your message.
        • Avoid shorthand phrases and "text speak" that could be misinterpreted
        • Be aware of other person's views.
        • Be aware of cultural differences.
        • Be careful not to offend with the use of humour.
        • Do not use sarcasm.
    7. Unacceptable posts
      1. The AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. requires that when posting to any official AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. Social Media site or when discussing the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. on Social Media members observe the following criteria;
        • Not to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law.
        • Not to post any copyrighted material unless you own the material, or the copyright owner is correctly cited in the material. (The rules of copyright and plagiarism apply to electronic discussion groups just as they do in other forms of communication).
        • Not to post any material that could damage the reputation of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC.
    8. Compliance
      1. At times when participating in social media members may observe a suspected breach of this policy or negative, disparaging or inaccurate posts about the AUSTRLIAN AIR LEAGUE INC., its members or third parties associated with the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. These posts are to be brought to the attention of the Federal Operations Commissioner, Webmaster, League's Privacy Officer or their delegate.
      2. The AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. may monitor and review Social Media websites from time to time to ensure compliance with this policy.
    9. Breach of Policy
      1. A breach of this policy may result in the discipline procedures of Section Five of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. Manual being applied. Members may also be personally liable for offences committed under Commonwealth and/or State and Territory legislation.
      2. AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC. members may also be personally liable if they defame the reputation of the AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE INC., any member or third party
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