Guidelines for Area 37 Website and Internet
A.A. TRADITIONS AND THE INTERNET
Anonymity – As anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, we practice anonymity on our public website at all times. Last names and photographs of members are never to be used. No telephone numbers are listed except for answering services or intergroup telephone numbers. Only email addresses using aliases from the aa-mississippi.org domain name and addresses for central offices and intergroups that wish to be listed are posted.
Attraction not promotion – The primary purpose of our website is to help readers find information about the location, times, and addresses of meetings of Area 37 groups and districts so he or she can make direct, face-to-face contact with A.A. This website will not be used to establish or encourage email exchanges, chat meetings, or contacts that lead to similar online activities.
Self-support – In keeping with our Seventh Tradition, A.A. pays its own expenses and this also applies in cyberspace. Area 37 pays all expenses for its domain name (aa-mississippi.org), its hosting fees, and any necessary software.
Non-affiliation, non-endorsement – Linking to other A.A. websites will often have the positive effect of significantly broadening the scope of a website. However, even when linking to another A.A. site, care must be exercised since each A.A. entity is autonomous, has its own group conscience, and may display information that another A.A. group conscience might find objectionable. There is no way to know when this might occur. The Area 37 website shall be limited to linking to the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous, other official Delegate Areas, and sites established, maintained and officially adopted by groups and/or districts within Area 37.
Linking to non-A.A. sites – Not only are they much more likely to display non-A.A. and/or controversial material, but linking might imply endorsement, if not affiliation. Linking to non-A.A. websites is problematic and prohibited.
GENERAL SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES
Social networking websites are public in nature. Although users create accounts and utilize usernames and passwords, once on the site, it is a public medium where A.A. members and non-A.A.s mingle. Therefore, Area 37 does not use social networking websites.
CONTENT
Information contained within this website is provided by the various groups and districts within Area 37. These groups and districts are responsible for the maintenance and accuracy of this information. Any group information may be submitted, changed or removed from this website by the G.S.R. or D.C.M. submitting the necessary information to the Area Web Committee via electronic form, by clicking the webmaster’s email link at the bottom of any Area 37 Web page, or by sending the information to the committee chairperson’s regular mailing address as shown in the Area Roster.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Area 37 groups and districts may post flyers and announcements about AA related events in their community to the public Calendar of Events of the website provided that the webmaster, or a member of the Website committee, proofs the flyer for its authenticity before posting and that there is a disclaimer at the top of the page stating that Area 37 may not be responsible for the content or events.
PASSWORD-PROTECTED AREA
A password-protected area is available and should not be confused with the “public” area of the website. The purpose of the members-only area will be to archive anonymity-protected newsletters, minutes, the Area Service Manual, and other service documents as needed. The user name and password to gain online access will be distributed by persons attending assembly meetings and through the quarterly newsletter
