Search FOCOL: Link Guidelines & Social Media Policy

Rationale: Because one of Fox Cities Online's primary functions is to link to other websites, this policy is established to provide guidelines for which links will be included.

• Fox Cities Online will link to web resources, including websites, blogs, social networking pages, etc. of local business and nonprofit organizations in the Fox Cities area, and in the surrounding area when of significant interest to Fox Cities residents.
• Normally, Fox Cities Online will link to a home or entry page. In some cases, content pages within websites may be separately linked, e.g. event calendars, blogs, etc.
• Fox Cities Online will link to sites or pages of individuals operating closely held business or serving as organizational web presences. Fox Cities Online will not link to individual or family homepages, blogs or social networking pages having the purpose of expressing personal information or opinions.
• Fox Cities Online will not link to national websites of businesses and organizations with a local presence unless it is possible to make a link directly to information about the local entity.
• Fox Cities Online will not knowingly link to sites of clandestine or illegal organizations or businesses.
• Fox Cities Online will not link to local or regional sections of national web directories such as Yahoo or Google.
• The Executive Director is authorized to make exceptions to this policy in special cases, subject to review of the Board.
• Staff will establish standardized keyword entry formats to identify the source of links to social networking pages, blogs, etc.
• Linkage of a site from Fox Cities Online does not imply Fox Cities Online endorsement or support of the views, services, information or opinions presented or expressed on the site.

This policy was adopted by the Fox Cities Online Board of Directors on 3/25/2010.

Social Media Policy

FOCOL utilizes social media tools to further our mission to promote community through access to information by providing a comprehensive directory of Fox Cities websites, and hosting websites for local organizations.  With Board approval, FOCOL will establish an account and use any social media tool that provides a useful avenue for this purpose. 

Postings or comments that relate to events or organizations in the Fox Cities Online area, and those that reflect the mission and vision of Fox Cities Online will be allowed.  Postings  or comments of the following sorts may be removed if reported and confirmed:

• Obscene or racist content
• Personal attacks, insults or threatening language
• Potentially libelous statements
• Private or personal information submitted without consent
• Commercial promotions, organized political activity or spam
• Violations of copyright, trademark rights or other intellectual property right s

The Fox Cities Online page will “like” the Facebook pages of any organizational members of Fox Cities Online that have one.  Because a comprehensive list is maintained on the FOCOL.org site, no attempt will be made to “like” Facebook pages of all Fox Cities area organizations from the Fox Cities Online Facebook page.

Any willing Board members and the FOCOL Executive Director will be the page administrators for the Fox Cities Online Facebook page.  All administrators may post entries to the Facebook page as Fox Cities Online.  Administrators may also post entries or make comments on the Facebook page as themselves. 

Types of postings include, but are not limited to:  member site of the week; tips and hints for using FOCOL; announcements of new services; announcements of important FOCOL events, e.g. the annual meeting; announcements about problems with the main website or email service. 

The Facebook page is set up so that people other than the page admins can post on the wall and can also upload photos.  The page admins can delete any posts or photos.

The Executive Director of FOCOL will also maintain the Fox Cities Online Twitter account, called @FOCOLnotes.  Many of the Facebook postings will be revised and shortened to be tweeted there.   Board members may also tweet “as” FOCOLnotes.

-- Adopted by the FOCOL Board of Directors 3/22/12, revised 1/30/2013.