The Detroit Area Council (DAC) Website (http://www.dacbsa.org), hereafter
referred to as DACBSA.org will follow the BSA National guidelines for
local council websites. Much of the material contained within the DACBSA.org
guidelines are directly from the BSA National Standards.
The DAC is the primary means of delivering the Scouting program and
is the main point of contact between the organization and the volunteers.
Much of this takes the form of publishing or advertising. Just as in
other publishing and advertising, DAC has developed their own applications
of Internet and Web technology, and observes the rules and regulations
of the Boy Scouts of America, as required by their charters. The Rules
and Regulations of the Boy Scouts of America, No. 57-492, and the Charter
and Bylaws of the Boy Scouts of America, No. 57-491, are primary resources
for these policies and procedures. There are other guidelines issued
by the National Council to provide more specific and detailed guidance.
The DAC will review these as it applies to the DACBSA.org. The DACBSA.org
website is not intended to be the only form of communication but rather
a supplement to existing publishing and advertising.
Representation: While the National Council provides guidelines
by which it will acknowledge local councils' sites and refer others
to them, each of these sites is the product and possession of the local
council, and as such is representative only of the council that maintains
it.
National Council Standards: While local councils may establish
their own policies concerning their use of the Internet, the term approved
council Web site used in this document refers to any local council Web
site the National Council determines to have followed the numbered guidelines
below. The National Council will not acknowledge or provide links to
any council site that does not meet these eight guidelines. The guidelines
may be altered or amended to provide updated information, and councils
will be notified when that happens. The DACBSA.org website will conform
to these eight approval guidelines.
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The council must have direct control over the content of its
official Web site.
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The content of the council site must be appropriate to the Scouting
movement.
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The council site cannot contain links to any sites that contain
material that is not appropriate to the Scouting movement.
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The council site cannot contain any advertisements or commercial
endorsements.
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The council site cannot engage in the electronic sale of BSA
Supply Division merchandise or competing products.
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The council site cannot replicate any BSA publication currently
for sale through the Supply Division.
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Council sites must abide by all laws regarding copyrights, trademarks,
and other intellectual property, and by those pertaining to the
Internet.
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Council sites must consider the safety and privacy of their members
and participants by obtaining the necessary permissions to release
information about or images of any individual.
The information that follows supports these guidelines by providing
more specific information on practices and procedures that may be implemented
for producing and maintaining a site that successfully meets the guidelines.
Additional information is presented that extends into areas that the
guidelines do not address to cover topics and procedures that are advisable,
but not strictly requisite.
When considering whether to acknowledge or link to a local council
Web site, the National Council will assess the council's Web site in
comparison to the guidelines themselves (those given above) rather than
any ancillary advice or recommendations (such as that which follows).
Site Ownership: The council's membership and the general public
regard a council's official Web site as an authorized publication of
that council. Because the council will be held accountable for the content
of its site, the site should be wholly owned and controlled by the council.
The DAC has legal ownership of the domain name and site content,
and the server space is secured with a written service contract between
the council and the Internet service provider (ISP) that hosts the site.
This contract clearly indicates the DAC owns its own Web site content.
Domain name: The proprietary domain name (DACBSA.org) is registered,
and the "registrant" on file with the InterNIC (http://www.internic.net)
is the council. The "administrative contact" designated is an employee
of the council.
Content: The content of the site is owned by the DAC and has
a copyright statement on the site. In some situations, the DAC has reproduced
(with permission) material from other sources, but the site itself is
owned by the council. The copyright statement "(c) 2000 Detroit Area
Council, BSA" must appear at the bottom of each Web page.
Site Administration: The administrative components of a Web
site, namely its ownership and the procedures by which the content decisions
are made and implemented, are not necessarily evident visually in the
Web site itself. These procedures are documented and are part of the
administrative procedure of the council.
Site Hosting: The DAC has made arrangements for Web site hosting.
The Web site host has a written service agreement that guarantees the
council complete control over the content of its site. These clauses
are essential to maintaining reliable control over the council's Web
presence.
It's worth noting that there are a number of services that offer
"free" Web site hosting, but require sites they host to display banners
and/or contain links to other member sites, whether within a page or
in a separate window that pops open when the site is visited. These
services should be avoided entirely by the DAC and all units within
the council.
Domain Registration: The DAC has registered their own domain
names for the Web site, as this level of ownership is customary among
organizations similar in size and prestige to a BSA council. The registered
domain name includes a top-level (org) preceded by a second-level domain
name (dacbsa.org).
The council may, at its own discretion, issue third-level splits
on the domain (camp.dacbsa.org, districts.dacbsa.org) to its own districts
and/or facilities, or establish them for its own use, understanding
that the DAC may be held accountable for the content of any site housed
on a third-level split as if it were part of the council's own Web site,
even though the content may not be hosted at the same location. The
DAC is the only one authorized to issue these splits.
Control of Server Access: While it is common practice for
volunteers to develop files and programs for DACBSA.org, a professional
employee of the council is in control the content of the Web site by
maintaining administrative access (FTP, telnet, etc.) to the files on
the Web server as well as to the programmatic interface that provides
the ability to add or edit content on the Web site and its ancillary
services.
Control of Content: The DAC Web site is governed by the DAC
Electronic Communications Committee which includes both volunteer and
professional Scouters, and this committee defines the goals of the Web
site and determines the content and resources that will be published
in pursuit of those goals.
All materials destined for the council Web site should be reviewed
and approved by the top council professional staff before they are published.
At the very least, the council's Scout executive, public relations director,
or legal counsel should sign off on all content before it is presented
to the public as part of the council's site.
District and Unit Web Sites: Guidelines for district and unit
sites, and the decision as to whether districts and/or units may maintain
officially representative sites at all, are completely at the discretion
of the council. These sites are permitted, and if the council site provides
links to them, they must approved by the DAC Electronic Communications
Committee. The DAC will provide space for district to have web pages
containing information applicable to supporting the district calendars,
contact information, district-level marketing and service initiatives.
The district will be subject to the same guidelines as the council.
If the district has developed it's own Web site, the DAC will recognize
and link only to those sites that meet the council's guidelines. Guidelines
and advice provided in this document is appropriate for districts and
units as well.
District Sites: The degree of a district's identity to membership
and to the public should be the primary factor in deciding whether it
would be useful to have separate sites for each district. Specifically,
if the identity of districts to participants and supporters is such
that they identify themselves as members/supporters of "the X district
of the Detroit Area Council," having stand-alone sites to support district-level
marketing and service initiatives may be worthwhile. Otherwise, the
council will support its districts on the council Web site, accommodating
unique information for the districts (such as calendars, contact information,
etc.) in the district pages.
The council will provide districts "directory-level" Web sites (http://www.dacbsa.org/dac-districtname),
so that districts may have a self-contained module of information that
suits the needs and goals of the district, but the council will review
and monitor the information published by its districts just as closely
as any other information on the council site. In the situation where
the district has it's own Web site, the DAC will provide a link to the
Web site providing it meets the standards and guidelines presented in
this document.
Unit Sites: Many units lack adequate resources to develop
respectable and safe Web sites which can result in unit sites with safety
and liability issues. The DAC will not endorsed unit sites as officially
representative of the council. The council will provide links to sites
that provide content that is appropriate to the Scouting movement and
will carry the following disclaimer on the link page.
"Units as well as youth and adult members do not represent or serve
as agents of the Boy Scouts of America or the Detroit Area Council when
disseminating information over the Internet."
Unit sites must be under the direct control of a currently registered
adult volunteer. This individuals name will be kept by the dacbsa.org
webmaster for e-mail and other correspondence.
The Detroit Area Council does not supply host services for any Unit
website.
Accuracy of information and the elimination of redundancy is important.
All District events will be promoted and placed on the District website.
While we have many volunteers involved in the successful operation of
these events, it is important to have the information in a single location.
Reference information about events may be placed on other websites but
the single source of information will be the District website for District
events.
Interactivity: In these guidelines, interactivity means direct
communication via the Web site among a council's personnel, its membership,
and the public.
National Council Perspective: The National Council has chosen
not to provide contact information on its Web site because usually it
is more appropriate for people to contact their local council rather
than the National Council. Exceptions are made very rarely, on individual
pages where under normal circumstances the content makes it appropriate
for individuals to contact the National Council directly.
Conversely, local councils communicate directly and bilaterally with
program participants, volunteers, and the general public through other
media, and it would be is just as appropriate for the council to extend
this practice to the Internet. The lack of interactivity on the National
Council site should not be construed to imply a policy that applies
to councils.
Audience Location and Council Boundaries: Due to the world-wide
reach of the Internet, a local council can interact with the members
of other councils and with the public outside its geographic domain.
Communication across those boundaries could create or worsen problems
between councils. Councils are advised to avoid Web site content and
Internet communication that might affect another council adversely,
such as taking resources (sales, financial or volunteer support) from
other councils or "seeding" volunteer/professional disagreements over
interpretation of council policies or practices that differ. There will
be a disclaimer posted that the policies or practices are applicable
to the Detroit Area Council and may differ slightly from other councils
due to size and/or resources available.
To prevent such an incident from occurring, the DAC has adopted a
policy that early in any interaction we will determine the physical
location of the other party and when appropriate we will refer individuals
to the appropriate local council. (Note that the guideline prohibiting
electronic sale of Supply Division merchandise is intended to help protect
all councils' markets.)
Though a site visitor's location is not immediately evident, and
technology provides no definite way to determine it, here are a few
techniques that may be used to assist in determining the geographic
locations of the Internet correspondents:
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Any on-line form that enables the user to communicate back to
the council can ask (even require) the visitor to give their city
and state.
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A password may be provided to council members to ensure resources
in one or more "restricted" areas are viewed and used only by the
council's own members.
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In any dialogue (such as an e-mail exchange), it may be necessary
to ask.
On-Line "Conversation": Chat, guest books, and bulletin boards
are three forms of interactivity that will be avoided for the council
Web site because they require dedicated resources to monitor and control
them sufficiently.
Chat Rooms: These are on-line forums in which users "converse"
by typing messages to one another in real time. Recent advances have
also made it possible to audio- or videoconference on the Internet.
The first concern of the DAC is youth protection issues; also "chat"
makes it impossible for the DAC to control the text content of the sites.
Because conversations take place in real time, messages are immediately
posted to the site for others to view. Also, because chat participants
are anonymous, often there is much less discretion exercised than in
most forms of conversation.
The DAC will avoid "live conversation" technology altogether. If
it becomes necessary for a special purpose, protective measures will
be taken, such as
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the "chat" forum will be open only during certain time periods
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access to the forum will be restricted so that only those who
have been given a password may participate
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an authorized moderator will stay online and eject participants
who break the rules
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software counter measures will censor speakers on-the-fly.
Guest Books: Guest book programs allow site visitors to leave
a message, and are generally not a problem unless the log file (which
contains all the comments visitors enter) is visible to the public.
In that case, anyone can add text, graphics, and even programmatic components
to the council's Web pages that will immediately be viewable to other
visitors. If a guest book is used, the log file will be kept in a location
that is not visible to other visitors, but which must be downloaded
using administrative software (Telnet/FTP) in order to be read. The
council will then review the material before posting it to a publicly
accessible interface.
Bulletin Boards and News Groups: These are a form of chat
in slow motion: Users post messages and others may read and respond
at a later time. Bulletin boards have the same inherent risks as chat,
but since conversations do not occur in real time, there is opportunity
for better moderation. Users may be allowed to send their remarks to
a private section of the Web site, but the remarks will not be posted
to the site for others to read until the council has approved the content
for publication on the site.
Electronic Commerce: "Councils are prohibited from engaging
in the sale of BSA Supply Division merchandise or competing products
via the Internet." This does not prevent the DAC from promoting their
Scout shops or the merchandise they sell, but the actual purchase should
take place off-line.
Electronic sales of items other than Supply Division merchandise
or competing products is not prohibited. This function is placed on
hold until the council has the resources to develop a secure e-commerce
system.
Electronic sales of items will only be authorized when provided through
the council web server.
Website Promotion: Various organizations and search engines
solicit information about web sites to be placed on their "listings".
All requests for information about the websites affiliated with the
Detroit Area Council will be forwarded to the Chairman of the Electronic
Communications Committee or to the Detroit area Council, Director of
Administrative Services.
PRIVACY and YOUTH
PROTECTION
The Internet is perceived as a threat by some individuals, and they
are vehemently opposed to having their images or personal information
available to others. This perception is not unjustifiable, as demonstrated
by periodic media coverage of predators who exploit the Internet to
select, locate, and contact their victims.
Collecting Personal Information: The DAC will be discreet
when collecting personal information via the Web sites. Privacy is a
delicate issue on the Internet, and many people are reluctant to use
sites or interfaces that require them to provide personal information
such as their name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, etc.
The DAC will avoid using the Internet to gather this information about
users unless it is necessary to accomplish the user's goals. For example,
we would have to request a telephone number and contact name from an
organization that wishes to be contacted about starting a unit, but
it is not be necessary that they provide this information merely in
order to read information about starting a unit.
It is especially important to treat contact information carefully:
contact information will be used only for the purpose for which it was
provided. It is unethical and in some cases illegal to use this data
for any solicitation or communication outside the context in which it
was provided. The issue is particularly serious regarding contact information
for children under 13.
FTC Guidelines: The Federal Trade Commission recommends that
charities and companies that collect personal information from online
visitors use the following set of four standards-known as "fair information
practices"-in creating privacy policies to post on their Web sites:
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Notification. Visitors to the Web site should be notified as
to what personal information is being gathered, how that information
is used by the organization, and with what third parties, if any,
the organization will share it.
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Choice. Visitors should be provided with a means by which to
contact the organization or take other actions to ensure that their
personal information is not shared, if they so choose.
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Security. Users of the site should be notified of the means by
which the organization protects personal information, including
protection from any misuse, alteration, or access by unauthorized
users. Organizations should strive to ensure that the same level
of privacy protection is extended by any third parties with whom
they share individuals' personal information.
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Access. Web site users should have reasonable access to any personal
information about themselves that the organization holds, as well
as a means of correcting or amending the information if it is inaccurate
Providing Personal Information: Regarding e-mail specifically,
there remains the potential for a flood of correspondence to overwhelm
the council staff if e-mail addresses are published on the Web site.
The presence of e-mail addresses on a majority of council sites would
seem to suggest that this potential has not become an actual problem,
but the DAC is prepared to react, possibly by removing contact from
its site or even shutting down the mailbox, if problems do occur.
Visitors using e-mail as the means of communication must recognize
that they will not receive an immediate response. Incoming e-mail is
not reviewed as frequently as voice-mail. Therefore visitors should
use the most appropriate form of communication for the message and response.
Contact information will only be published for a reason-specifically,
whether there is a valid need for the members and/or the public to speak
directly with a given individual because of that person's role in the
organization. The council's policy addresses these three groups separately,
for these reasons:
Youth Participants and Parents: Contact information for youth
participants will not be provided on the Internet. If the DAC maintains
contact information for youth participants, these lists are kept entirely
off-line.
The DAC recognizes that there are computer programs that crawl the
Internet compiling lists of e-mail addresses that appear on Web pages.
These lists are often sold to e-mail marketers who regularly send unsolicited
advertisements, primarily for pornography and pyramid schemes.
Adult Volunteers: Contact information for adult volunteers
will be treated with caution, as it is likely this information will
be personal in nature (home addresses, residential telephone numbers,
and private e-mail accounts). It is not the intent to maintain this
information on the web site. If it becomes advisable to maintain this
information, it will be provide it in a password-protected area of the
Web site to which the general public has no access. Exceptions may be
made for those volunteers whom it would be necessary for third parties
to contact in order to obtain information about joining, starting, or
supporting individual units.
This information will be published only after obtaining written authorization,
and that the individuals can request the prompt removal of their information
at any time by contacting the Web Site Administrator or the Chair of
the Electronic Communications Committee.
Council Employees: Potential liability issues arise for the
council as an employer if a third-party exploits information such as
individual telephone numbers and e-mail addresses to harass or threaten
employees. For that reason, it is recommended that the council provide
only its main telephone number and generic e-mail addresses ("webmaster@council.org",
"info@council.org", "contact@council.org", etc.) on its Web site.
Personal contact information-home telephone numbers, addresses, and
private e-mail accounts-for council employees will be treated with the
same discretion as that of adult volunteers.
**** E-mail address links will be provided only with prior authorization
and only for currently registered adult volunteers and professionals.
It is recommended that a "free" e-mail account be established for scouting
related correspondence.
**** Photographs and Names: While the DAC will publish photographs
they own or have received permission to reproduce, they will still obtain
specific permission before using anyone's photograph on the Web site.
(Permission of the adult subject or of a parent/guardian in the case
of youth participants) .
This concern is separate from copyright ownership issues; the council
may have the right to use the photograph on the Internet, but the person
who is the subject of the photograph may be opposed to having their
likeness on the Internet. And so, while obtaining specific permission
for using an image on the Internet is not necessary to have the "right""
to do so, it is certainly a worthwhile consideration in order to maintain
good relations with members.
When using photographs of members, especially youth, it is also important
to consider their safety and privacy when choosing captions or ancillary
text. The DAC policy is that there will only be the "first name, last
initial" for youth under the age of 18.
WEB SITE CONTENT
The content of council Web sites generally falls into two categories:
marketing material presented to generate and direct public interest
in joining or supporting programs, and service material presented for
existing members. Both are valid and useful applications of Internet
technology.
Non-Exclusivity: Though the Internet is a popular medium,
and though its popularity continues to increase at an astounding rate,
it's important to remember that it is not yet a universal medium. While
the council's Web presence may support traditional channels of distributing
information, it should not replace them, and is treated as a secondary
(rather than preferred or exclusive) channel of communication with members
and volunteers.
Content Sources: It is important to know the original source
of all council Web site content and to be sure the council has permission
to use it. The only content the council owns outright are the text,
photos, illustrations, design, and programming developed by the council's
employees in the course of their jobs. Permission must be given by the
owner for using all other material.
National Council Publications: The National Boy Scouts of
America has authorized local councils to reproduce the content of any
BSA "bin resources" publication it feels is appropriate for the Web
sites' audiences. However, councils may not replicate any part of any
publication currently for sale through the Supply Division. The difference
between "bin" and "supply" items may seem unclear for those items the
council purchases but then redistributes without charge to its members.
Item numbers provide a reliable method of differentiation: bin items
have five-digit numbers separated with a hyphen (00-000) whereas Supply
Division items have four or five digits (the first is typically a 3
or 4) that are not separated by a hyphen (0000 or 00000). (The item
number is generally printed on the back cover or at the bottom of the
_top page.)
Specific exceptions to this rule have been made so that approved
council Web sites can link to certain Supply Division forms (medical
forms, tour permits, certain applications, etc.) that are posted on
the National Council site. Likewise, the Guide to Safe Scouting, a Supply
Division item, has been approved for approved council Web site links.
Such exceptions are rare, and generally focus on service to members
through the local council.
Content of Boys' Life and Scouting magazines is not to be reproduced
on the council Web site without first obtaining permission from the
Magazine Division. Many articles and images are included in the magazines
under limited license and copying them could violate copyright law.
Councils may employ "frames" technology to include either magazine's
pages from the National Council site into the council site, but should
never copy any magazine files or text excerpts or images without explicit
permission.
Third-Party Material: If a council wishes to include any content
(whether text, photographs, illustrations, design, or programming),
that is not developed by council employees or by third parties under
the terms of a contract or agreement with the council, it is important
to obtain written permission from the owner of that material. Even if
the material is owned by a volunteer or donor and is provided with the
understanding it will be used in the council's site, written permission
remains important.
In its simplest form, this written permission can be provided in
a letter that explicitly states that the owner will permit the council
(or the Boy Scouts of America) to use the material. It is also common
to indicate the duration (dates) for which the permission is granted,
the medium (media) in which the reproduction may occur, and any restrictions
that may apply.
Materials from Other Web Sites: Reusing material found on
the Internet is especially dangerous. It is all too common for amateur
Web publishers to take copyrighted material and reproduce it on their
own Web sites and say that it is "free" or "public domain." A written
agreement is prudent, regardless of any explicit disclaimer on a Web
site, before using any material downloaded from the Web. It is especially
important to obtain permission in advance for materials used on the
Internet. Unlike newsletters, which are distributed only to members,
the Internet is available to the public, and it is inevitable that the
owner will discover the use of their material on the Web site.
Photographs: For photographs taken by council personnel or
by photographers hired by the council, a "talent release" should be
obtained for every person shown in the photos. Appendix A is a talent
release form similar to that used by the National Council. This particular
release obtains permission for the Boy Scouts of America (the National
Council, any local council, district, or unit) to use the image in any
medium. It is especially important to obtain this release, with the
signature of a guardian, for youth.
While obtaining the permission of the owner (photographer) of an
image or obtaining talent releases for photographs taken by the council
is adequate to satisfy ownership issues, it is also prudent to obtain
the permission of the subject(s) specifically to use their likeness
on the Internet. See "Photographs and Names" on "Privacy and Youth Protection"
for more detailed information.
Links to Other Web Sites: In general, councils should be cautious
about linking to other Web sites. A user may follow a link from the
council's site to another, which links to another, and another ... and
the chain of links may lead to a site that contains unacceptable content.
Though experienced users recognize the ownership of Web pages, inexperienced
ones may feel the council is culpable for content they are exposed to
after clicking links that lead them several sites removed from the council's
site.
The safest course of action would be not to link at all. At the very
least, the DAC will review any site to which it provides a link to ensure
its content is appropriate to the Scouting movement, and is prepared
to delete links in a timely manner in the event the content of these
sites changes.
Another significant implication about links is that a link to a third-party
site implies an endorsement. It will be assumed that the council endorses
the content for use by its audience, which is primarily composed of
its membership. For this reason, the DAC will be especially cautious
about making links to sites of certain kinds.
National Council Web site: The DAC will provide a link to
the National Council site but the DACBSA.org site is the primary source
of information, in every medium, to individuals in its geographic area.
District and Unit Sites: The link to a district or unit site
connotes that the council has authorized that district/unit site and
that it is officially representative. While these links may be made,
the DAC will review these sites before providing a link and will monitor
the sites periodically.
Third-Party "Scouting" Sites: There are numerous Scouting-oriented
sites on the Internet that are not maintained or authorized by the BSA.
These sites provide a wealth of general-interest information on topics
of interest to members and program participants (camping, games, songs
and skits, crafts, etc.). Some of these sites also provide information
such as program helps, advice for leaders, requirements, procedures,
forms, publications, ceremonies, and other resources that would seem
to be of an official nature, but which are not authorized by the BSA.
In some cases, this information is misleading or incorrect, and could
cause conflict with members who refer to unofficial sources the council
"endorsed." Worse, these sites may suggest activities that are unacceptable
or unsafe by BSA standards, causing potential liabilities for a council
that "authorized" (by linking to) the site for use by its members. The
following disclaimer will be made anytime that there is a link to a
third-party "scouting" site: "The following link(s) are provided for
information purposes and are not endorsed by the Detroit Area Council.
In some cases, the information provided may be out of date, misleading
or incorrect."
Third-Party Commercial Sites: While many commercial sites
provide valuable information of a non-commercial nature, the DAC should
show extreme caution when linking to these sites to avoid the impression
that the council is endorsing commercial products or services. Annotation
often makes the difference, as in this example: A link to xyzboots.com
(the XYZ Boot Company's home page) appears to be a commercial endorsement.
If the sentence "The XYZ Boot Company provides excellent advice for
avoiding hiking injuries," and then linked directly to the page about
avoiding hiking injuries, you clarify that the council endorses the
information the company is providing rather than the product it is selling.
The following disclaimer will be made when linking to a third-party
commercial site: "The following link(s) are provided for information
purposes and are not endorsed by the Detroit Area Council."
Sites with "Free" Services: "Free" site components tend to
be commercial. Certain sites offer services such as statistics, hit
counters, guest books, animations, and the like to other Web sites.
Like the bogus "awards," sites and sites offering "free" Web space or
e-mail, the primary purpose of these giveaways is to advertise and plant
links to the "donor" site on a wide range of Web sites in order to draw
audience away from its "benefactors." Of course, there are plenty of
legitimate reference Web sites as well. The best approach when considering
linking to a site is to "click through" the site while asking yourself,
"Why are they offering this service? What do they want from me?" The
answer should tell you whether you want to link to the site or not.
Content and Links to Avoid
Advertisements and Banners: Councils are prohibited from
endorsing commercial products or services in any medium, including
the Internet. Banner advertisements for commercial products and
services are thus inappropriate for council Web sites. (NOTE: any
use of the Internet for fund-raising is subject to the same policies
and procedures as other fund-raising activities.)
Another popular type of banner on the Internet provides site
owners with free promotion on other Web sites in exchange for promoting
other sites on theirs. Though not strictly a commercial endorsement,
these banners remain unacceptable because they provide a highly
visible link from the council site to others, and the council does
not control either the graphic that is displayed or the site to
which it links - one or both may be patently inappropriate.
Web Site Awards and Certification: There are a number
of Web sites that offer "awards" or "certification" for other sites.
These awards/certifications often require the honoree to display
an URL or provide a click-through link that promotes the grantor's
site. In many cases, such "honors" are ploys to draw traffic to
other sections of the grantor's site, with a commercial or political
motive. These should be avoided.
Learning for Life Content: In 1998, Learning for Life
became a subsidiary of the Boy Scouts of America, and the National
Council has completely separated the Learning for Life and Exploring
programs from traditional Scouting programs in terms of its marketing
and materials. On the Internet, the National Council maintains a
separate Web site for all information about Learning for Life programs:
http://www.learning-for-life.org.
This effort should also be supported on the council level: Information
about Learning for Life and Exploring should be provided on an entirely
separate Web site-or, failing that, a self-contained site within
the council's Web space until a transition to a stand-alone site
can be made.
There should be no mention of Learning for Life or Exploring
on traditional Scouting sites, or vice versa, in terms of text content,
photographs, images, etc., and the sites should not promote or link
to one another after a period of transition has elapsed.
Appendix A - Talent
Release
I hereby assign and grant to the Boy Scouts of America the right
and permission to use and publish the photographs/film/video tapes/electronic
representations and/or sound recordings made of me this date by the
Boy Scouts of America, and I hereby release the Boy Scouts of America
from any and all liability from such use and publication.
I hereby authorize the reproduction, sale, copyright, exhibit, broadcast,
electronic storage and/or distribution of said photographs/film/video
tapes/electronic representations and/or sound recordings without limitation
at the discretion of the Boy Scouts of America and I specifically waive
any right to any compensation I may have for any of the foregoing.
Top of Form
Name:
Address:
City, State ZIP:
Phone number:
Photo session date:
BSA Council/Unit Number:
Signed:
Guardian:
Witness:
(if subject is younger than 18)
Appendix B - Copyright Permission Examples
Obtaining the right to republish material (illustrations, photographs,
multimedia, text, etc.) from other original sources is usually fairly
easy: Send a letter to the owner of that material requesting permission.
The letter's tone may be formal or informal, but it should contain these
elements:
-
A specific description of the material
-
A print-out or photocopy if applicable
-
The specific purpose(s) for which it will be used
-
When or how many times you plan to use it, if that might be an
issue
If the request is not on council letterhead, it would also be important
to indicate that permission is being sought for the council to use the
material, rather than for the individual author of the letter to use
the material.
It is important to understand that you do not have the right to use
these materials until you receive a reply from the owner that grants
permission. Also, if the owner sets any conditions or limitations, you
must abide by them. For example: if the owner granted permission for
the request in Example B below, but asked to be notified by e-mail of
the URL of any unit site that also used the images, you would be required,
as a condition of having the right to use the material, to send those
notifications. Or permission might be granted only for a limited time,
after which you could not use the material.
Finally, keep a copy of your request, along with the reply, on file
just in case there is ever a dispute.
Example A. Simple Request
I am seeking your approval for the XYZ Council of the Boy Scouts of
America to use three photographs of mountains and a lake from your Web
site at http://www.website.com/bobsmith/. I would also like to use the
descriptive text that accompanies them. I've attached print-outs from
the site to indicate the precise images and text to which I'm referring.
I would like to use these images on the "outdoor skills" page of
the XYZ Council's Web site (http://www.xyz-bsa.org).
Example B. Request for Multiple and Unlimited Uses
I am seeking your approval for the XYZ Council of the Boy Scouts
of America to use an illustration from page 34 of Teaching Archery (Doe,
John. Teaching Archery, XYZ Press, 2000). The illustration depicts a
young man stringing a bow. I've attached a photocopy to show the image
to which I'm referring.
If you can grant the council permission for unlimited use of the
illustration, we would use it in several ways: (1) I'd like to place
it on the "outdoor skills" page of the XYZ Council's Web site (http://www.xyz-bsa.org).
(2) Since some of our packs and troops use images from the council site,
I hope it would also be acceptable for them to use this image as well.
(3) We would like permission to use the photograph in a booklet on the
outdoor skills areas of our council camp. The booklet will be given
free of charge to our members. We will include an acknowledgement in
the form you prefer with each use of the illustration and we will be
happy to pay postage costs and reproduction costs, if any, for a print-quality
copy of the drawing.
These DAC standards were adapted from the Boy Scouts of America National
Council Web site and used as reference for developing the council standards.
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