SAMBA Connect Online Community Rules & Etiquette

To ensure the best possible experience for all community members, we have established some basic guidelines for participation.

By using our community, you agree that you have read and will follow these guidelines. You also agree to reserve community discussions for topics best suited to the medium. This is a fantastic way to solicit the advice of your peers, benefit from their experience, and participate in an ongoing conversation.

Policy Violations: To preserve a climate that encourages both civil and fruitful dialogue, SAMBA reserves the right to moderate, modify or remove posts. We may suspend or terminate membership on all lists for members who repeatedly violate these rules.

If you have any questions, need administrative assistance, or need to report a violation, please contact us.

Professional Conduct & Respect

• Maintain Civility: Always treat others with respect, even if you disagree. Discussions are meant to stimulate conversation, not to create contention. Never use derogatory comments, ridicule, excessive sarcasm, or innuendo. Let others have their say, just as you have yours.

• Assume Public Visibility: Information posted on the communities is available for all to see, and comments are subject to libel and slander laws. Do not post anything that you would not want the world to see or that you would not want anyone to know came from you.

• Zero Tolerance for Abuse: All defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials and language are strictly prohibited.

• Private Messaging & Chat: Respectfully consider colleagues when sending private messages. Harassment of any kind through private messaging or chat will not be tolerated and risks account deactivation.

Patient Privacy & Legal Compliance

• Strictly No PHI (HIPAA Compliance): SAMBA Connect is not intended for the exchange of information regulated by HIPAA or state privacy laws. Never share Protected Health Information (PHI). Remove names, birthdates, addresses, and specific medical record numbers.

• Generalize Cases: When discussing cases for educational purposes, thoroughly anonymize all patient details to prevent identification.

• Follow FTC Guidelines (Antitrust): Do not discuss pricing, profit margins, wage information, boycotts, or other competitive information that could violate federal or state antitrust laws. For more information, refer to the FTC Antitrust Guidelines.

• Respect Intellectual Property: Only post content that you have personally created or have permission to use, and always properly attribute the content creator. Remember that SAMBA and other participants have the right to reproduce postings to these communities.

Scientific Integrity & Evidence-Based Content

• Scientific Validity: Share information based on current, peer-reviewed evidence.

• Cite Sources: Reference reputable sources (e.g., journals, government health agencies) when sharing data or studies.

• No Unproven Treatments: Do not promote speculative, unverified, or dangerous medical treatments.

Commercial & Promotional Rules

• Keep it Commercial-Free: Do not post commercial messages. Vendors are strictly prohibited from posting messages without written permission from the Executive Director or SAMBA President.

• No Spam: Do not distribute spam, solicitations, jokes, chain letters, petitions, pyramid schemes, or "once-in-a-lifetime" deals.

• Social Network Invitations: Do not use the community to invite the entire membership to join your personal social networks (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, etc.). You may invite individuals directly, but bulk invitations are prohibited.

• Learning Opportunities: Before posting an event, ensure the host is a SAMBA Affiliate and that the event poses no privacy concerns.

Posting Mechanics & Etiquette

• Keep it Focused: State the topic concisely and clearly in the subject line. This helps members respond appropriately and makes the archives easier to search.

• Post Appropriately: Send messages only to the most appropriate communities. Do not cross-post the same message to several communities. Only send a message to the entire community when it contains information that benefits everyone.

• Reply Clearly: Include only the relevant portions of the original message in your reply. Delete unnecessary header information and type your response before the original posting.

• Protect the Environment: To maintain a trusting space for our peers, do not forward messages from SAMBA Connect to outside message boards or groups.

• Sign Your Posts: Include a signature tag on all messages with your name, affiliation, location, and e-mail address.

• No Administrative Messages: Do not send "remove me from the list" messages to the community. If you need assistance, please contact us.