In addition, we do not specifically endorse or promote the views of individuals, groups, or organizations whose names may be shared as resources; such references are for your information and investigation only.

The Austin Area Homeschoolers' announcement and discussion lists were created for AAH participants (and others interested in possibly homeschooling in the Austin area) to share ideas and information, trade stories, recommend resources, ask advice, offer support, discuss educational philosophy, announce impromptu gatherings, etc. 

Before you can become a subscriber to the AAH announcement or discussion lists you must follow these instructions:

1.  Read the rules and list descriptions below.

2.  Send an introduction letter to aah-subscriptions-owner@yahoogroups.com

Include in your introduction letter information about yourself, why you would like to join the list, and your phone number in case we have questions.

Also you must state that you have read and agree to abide by the list rules.

4. Then you reply to the Announcement and Discussion invitations. (Or just the AAH-announce if you wish.) Invitations expire after 7 days, so be sure to reply to them.

Once you are a subscriber to AAH-announce and have a Yahoo ID, you will be able to access the files and calendar area of the Announce list. We recommend you read the files first, then post your questions to the discussion list, and your intro to the announce list.

In the AAH-Announce files you will find how to also receive the AAH monthly newsletter.

AAH-ANNOUNCE

ONLY homeschooling announcements.
Subscribers will find the calendar, files, links, chat, photos, past announcements and polls for all the lists. 
    (Replies go back to the original sender).

AAH-DISCUSS

Hosts general discussions not always related to homeschooling. 
    (Replies go to the list) 

Policies & Participation Guidelines

I have learned silence from the talkative, tolerance from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.

          -- Kahil Gibran

These are the general policies and participation guidelines which govern the AAH mailing lists.  In addition, each individual list has its own Welcome File containing the posting guidelines specific to that list.  Please note that each of our mailing lists exists for a specific purpose and has a specific structure. 

We hope that you will find our community to be one that is helpful, supportive, and provides information that is worth your time and effort. 

Guidelines for Participation

Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive wear. Honorifics and formal politeness provide lubrication where people rub together.

Often the very young, the untraveled, the naive, the unsophisticated deplore these formalities as "empty," "meaningless," or "dishonest," and scorn to use them. 

No matter how pure their motives, they thereby throw sand into machinery that does not work too well at best.

          --Robert Heinlein in "The Notebooks of Lazarus Long" 

   1.  Our mailing lists are open to homeschooling (or those considering homeschooling) individuals who would like to participate in a civilized community where courtesy is the rule of the day. We are an artificially polite society and request that each member practice self restraint and personally maintain a high level of courtesy, forbearance and charity towards the other members of our community both on and off list.

   2.  While discussion is a normal part of day to day discourse and healthy social interaction our mailing lists are not general purpose chat-rooms.  Please do not use them as such.  If your message was meant for only one person or just a few and it doesn't benefit the group, don't send it to the group.

   3.  Flaming is not a part of our culture.

   4.  If you did not write the message then do not post it without first asking the approval of the author and the list owner. 

Note:  Homeschool related announcements are almost always approved for posting.

   6.  Don't start arguments.

   7.  If the list owner asks to take further discussion to private EMail or to another list, then please do so. Continuing a disruptive thread on-list after the list owner has made this request may result in suspension or revocation of your posting privileges.

   8.  Restrict your "me too" and private replies to PRIVATE Email. Do not send them to the list.

   9.  If you post third-party information cite the reference for the book,  journal article, or website it came from. Our mailing lists are not venues for passing along folklore as fact.

  10.  Don't hassle the list administrators. Our list administrators are  volunteers whose families and jobs are their primary responsibilities. 

  11.   Discussing how your religion or philosophies affect you or your family is OK.  Discussing anyone else's religion of philosophies is not OK. 

  12.   Do not post duplicate messages to both ANNOUNCE and DISCUSS.  Doing so will cause your future posts to be moderated.  Everyone on DISCUSS is required to be on ANNOUNCE.

  13.    Only offer suggestions or comments about the running of the AAH YahooGroups lists to the suggestion list at aah-suggestions@yahoogroups.com, but not to any other list or privately.  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aah-suggestions/
If you send your comments or suggestions to me personally, you are agreeing that I may forward them to the lists. 

  14.  Be as clear as possible in your subject line.

  15.  Our lists are not to be used to harvest email address.  If at anytime it appears that this is what you are doing, you will be subject to immediate removal from the list/s.  That means you are not allowed to take email address from the list/s and send private messages to other subscribers offering your services, or soliciting them in anyway what so ever.

   16.  A Yahoo ID is required.

All list subscribers must have a Yahoo ID. I don't care what information you give Yahoo.  That is at your discretion. 

Without a Yahoo ID and password: 
1. You can't get into the files or calendar areas. 
2. You can't change your email address.
3. You can't reset your mail if your mail is bouncing.
Therefore we require all subscribers to have a Yahoo ID and password.

Policies

Democracy is based on the assumption that a million men are wiser than one man. How's that again? I missed something. 

Autocracy is based on the assumption that one man is wiser than a million men. Let's play that over again, too. Who decides?

          -- from "The Notebooks of Lazarus Long" by Robert Heinlein. 

At YahooGroups, setting and enforcing posting guidelines and mailing list policies is left up to the discretion of the individual list owner(s). 

Our posting guidelines may make the AAH mailing lists a warm and accepting community where individuals can bring their questions and concerns.

The posting guidelines cannot cover every possible situation or unacceptable behavior. In the event that there is a disagreement with regards to what the guidelines state, intend, or otherwise cover, the decision of the list owner is final. Individuals who consistently refuse to abide by the decisions of the list owners, harass the list administrators, or otherwise cause disruptions in the community after being asked to abide by the posting guidelines may have their posting privileges suspended or revoked.  In extreme cases, the list owner may remove a subscriber from any or all of our mailing lists. 

Additional information regarding our policies: 

A.  Our mailing lists are governed by the acceptable use policies of YahooGroups.

B.  Participation is a privilege not a right.

C.  Each list owner is responsible for and has authority over his or her mailing list(s).  If you don't like how the mailing list is being run, you are welcome to start new mailing list with yourself as list owner.  You may post an announcement of your new group and invite our current subscribers to join your group. 

D.  YahooGroups does not involve themselves in the internal politics of mailing lists hosted at their site.

E.  Posting someone's private EMail to any of our mailing lists, either in whole or in part, with the intent or apparent intent to embarrass or otherwise cause harm is grounds for immediate removal from all AAH mailing lists.

F.  Posting inappropriate material, including but not limited to profanity, racial slurs, invasions of privacy, slander or libelous remarks, and/or sexually explicit wording or information is grounds for immediate removal from all AAH mailing lists.

(Note:  AAH-Newsletter requires that you give a VERIFIABLE name, address, and phone number in person at an AAH event.)