This statement (available also as a PDF file), approved in PYM plenary session, July 16, 2018, updates and replaces the website policy statement approved in 2007.
Purposes
The purposes of the official Pacific Yearly Meeting Website are to:
- Support communication within Pacific Yearly Meeting (PYM),
- Inform the PYM community, other Friends, and the world at large about relevant activities and events, and
- Introduce the general public to Friends and to PYM-affiliated Quarterly Meetings, Monthly Meetings, and Worship Groups.
Policies
1. Website Management
1.1. The PYM Website is under the care of the PYM Communications Committee, which is responsible for its technical maintenance, design, and content.
1.2. Communications Committee shall appoint and define the duties of “Editors” and other roles as needed to develop and maintain the site.
1.3. Editors are automatically ex officio members of Communications Committee if they are not otherwise already members.
1.4. Only the Editors may actually place and remove content on the Website.
1.5. The Editors may publish any content that serves the Purposes of the Website and is consistent with these Policies.
1.6 In case of uncertainty about the appropriateness of content posted or proposed for the Website, the Communications Committee as a whole will discern.
2. Content Guidelines: Friends Practices and Beliefs
2.1. The Website should reflect and serve PYM as a community and not necessarily Friends in general.
2.2. PYM’s Faith and Practice and foundational documents (e.g., Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation, policies, etc.) should serve as a guideline for what goes on the Website.
2.3. The Website also publishes material supporting the charges of PYM officers, staff persons, committees, or delegates; or Quarterly Meetings, local meetings or organizations within PYM.
2.4. The Website may contain statements about Friends’ practices and beliefs, as long as any such statement reflects the viewpoint or practices of a significant number of Friends, or is an important statement about Friends, either from the past or in the present. Such statements do not necessarily have to represent an adopted position of PYM, or even the views of any Quarterly Meeting or Member or Attender of a Monthly Meeting or Worship Group in PYM. Typically, attribution is given for statements by individual Friends or identifiable groups of Friends when published on the PYM website.
2.5. In cases where a statement might be mistakenly construed that it represents the considered opinion of PYM, when in fact it does not, an explicit notice, “This statement does not necessarily reflect the views of Pacific Yearly Meeting,” will be displayed near the statement.
2.6 From time to time, PYM might formally agree to publish a statement that does reflect a viewpoint that has been considered and approved by PYM. Such statements will be marked as such.
2.7 The Website may use links to outside organizations with which the PYM has a strong and comfortable relationship (such as organizations to which PYM makes financial contributions or sends representatives) or as the Editors determine to be in good order. On occasion, content from outside organizations may be published directly on the Website with appropriate attribution.
3. Content Requests:
3.1. All requests for publication on the Website should be submitted to the Editors (in some cases via the PYM Assistant to the Clerk).
3.2. Requests for publication of material should be made with sufficient lead time.
3.3 The Editors may suggest changes to, or reject entirely, proposed content that, in their judgement, does not conform to the purposes and guidelines of the Website.
3.4 Content placed on the Website should generally be attributed (name and role of the author) and dated when entered.
3.5 It is the responsibility of the submitter to inform the Editors when content becomes obsolete and should be changed or removed; nevertheless, the Editors may remove content at any time.
4. Privacy and Data Security
4.1. Communications Committee will develop a separate policy proposal covering web privacy and data security, which will go through the usual PYM seasoning process.
4.2. We intend that the Website comply with all applicable privacy and data security regulations, such as the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
4.3. We intend to reasonably protect the privacy of members of the PYM community while retaining the ability to share enough information to conduct and communicate the work of PYM.
5. Accessibility
5.1. Information on the Website should be accessible to people with disabilities, conforming as much as possible with generally accepted accessibility guidelines, such as the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
5.2 Material should be formatted as much as possible to allow quick viewing by visitors with average computer skills.