ACBA Online Code of Conduct

This code of conduct applies to mailing lists, forums, and any other ACBA online activity.

• Stay on topic: We’re here to discuss beekeeping and related topics. This is not the place for discussions of partisan politics, religion, or other divisive subjects; there are other, better places to discuss those things. Discussion of them is not welcome (and best avoided even as jokes or asides, because those tend to incite others to post increasingly combative replies).
• Be nice: Always be courteous, respectful and polite to fellow community members. Personal attacks or negative comments on other people’s motivations are not allowed. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in public at an in-person meeting.
• Encourage diversity and participation: Make everyone in our community feel welcome and comfortable, regardless of their background or their beekeeping philosophy. Our online community exists to help others.
• Handle disagreements gracefully: Even if you’re frustrated, be sure you’re following the points above. Disagree with ideas, not people. In most cases, it’s better to say nothing than to argue with someone to press a point you’ve already made. If you have a dispute with another member, talk to the club officers rather than sharing it in public.
• Relevant advertising is allowed, within reason: We allow and encourage people in our area to advertise bees, bee-related products, and classes, but not to “spam” the list with repeated posts. One post per external class/item is usually enough (events sponsored by the ACBA itself may be promoted more heavily).

Guideline Violations

We don’t look for opportunities to punish people, but we need a fair way to deal with people who violate the rules.

1. First occurrence: A moderator will remind the mailing list as a whole of this code of conduct and the specific inappropriate behavior. Anyone violating the rules may have their messages moderated (i.e., require approval) for a 48 hour cooldown period.
2. Second occurrence: A moderator, after consulting with other moderators or the club officers, will send a private message with a warning that any additional violations may result in removal from the community. The member’s posts may be moderated for 7 days.
3. Third occurrence: Depending on the violation, the club officers may ban someone from the mailing list, or have their messages moderated, for an indefinite period of time.

These rules were adopted by the officers in April 2026, and are subject to change as necessary to maintain a civil, welcoming, useful discussion space.