Guidelines
We ask that participation be limited to AA members only.
The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. Anyone
who has that desire may share in the meetings.
Please refrain from using any foul language
Click on the links below to jump to that section or scroll down this
page to read all of the Guidelines.
SITE
SCHEDULE
All times on the Staying Cyber Web site will be listed as GMT/UTC.
You may change the time displayed on the screen to your local time by
applying the correct offset from GMT after selecting MEMBER CONTROL PANEL
> FORUM PREFERENCES. The correct time offset for your area can be
determined by locating a time server on the internet.
All meetings will be open for sharing from Sunday until Saturday. The
meetings will be refreshed at the Technical Cyrvant's
convenience on Sunday.
Any solicitation for commercial business will be removed in accordance
with the AA Traditions, and this will include the posting of links to
commercial websites. We ask that links to commercial websites not be placed
in the member’s “signature” area.
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DISCUSSION
MEETING
The format for this meeting is a week long
Topic Discussion. The first member who comes in to the meeting at the start
of a new week may choose the topic for the meeting that week. We ask that
all sharing in this meeting be limited to the topic as it relates to your
alcoholism.
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12
& 12 MEETING (Step & Tradition)
The format for this meeting is a week long discussion on the Step or
Tradition selected for the week. One of the 12 Steps will be discussed
weekly except for the last Sunday of the month when one of the 12
Traditions will be the Topic. Steps will be discussed sequentially and the
Tradition selected will correspond with the current month (Jan-Tradition 1,
Feb-Tradition 2, etc.) We ask that all sharing in this meeting be limited
to the topic as it relates to your alcoholism.
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EARLY
SOBRIETY MEETING
The Early Sobriety Meeting of Staying Cyber was created so that those
new to sobriety would have a comfortable place to ask any question that
they might have.
Each week a topic will be chosen from a suggested list to start the
meeting. Those with less than one year may share on that or any other topic
as often as they wish. Many of the topics come from the book "Living
Sober" and we invite you to follow in the book.
Whether it be answering a question or sharing, we ask that those with
more than one year of sobriety limit their shares and stay on topic unless
answering a more general question so that all have an opportunity to participate
in the 12th step work.
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COFFEE
POT
The Coffee Pot is intended for general discussion on any topics not
necessarily relating to alcoholism including: jokes, greetings,
announcements, business meetings, etc., so that the meetings can stay
focused on the topics.
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POSTING
Posts are limited to three per 24 hours and to 500 words per post. The
24 hours period starts and ends at midnight, GMT 00:00 / UTC 00:00.
Staying Cyber links only to Alcoholics Anonymous or OIAA websites. Any
links or banners advertising products or sites not linked with Alcoholics
Anonymous will be removed. This includes links within the signature of the
member.
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MEMBERSHIP
The only other requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.
Anyone who has that desire may share in the meetings.
Anyone may read the various forums and meetings without registering. You
agree to adhere to the Terms of Service Agreement & to the Meeting
Guidelines by registering.
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REGISTRATION
Anyone is able to read at Staying Cyber but posting requires
registration. The “Registration” link is at the top right of the forum
page:
www.stayingcyber.org/forum/default.asp
Please read the terms before clicking the "Accept" button at
the bottom. You will be required to accept the Terms of Service before
continuing. Clicking on the "Accept" button will take you to the
registration page.
The only information required for registration is a name and a valid
e-mail address. Please take extra care when filling out the email address
as this must be done correctly for the registration process to work
properly.
A confirmation email will be sent once the information is completed and
the “submit” button is “clicked”. At this point the system will
automatically send a verification email to confirm that you are using a
valid email address. You will need to use the link in this confirmation
e-mail to activate your membership.
The Name and Location that you furnished at registration will be displayed with every post. First name and the first initial of your last name or a nickname/alias of your choice are recommended as a username. In keeping with the spirit of anonymity and the Eleventh Tradition please do not use your full given name.
If you or your Internet Service Provider use a
spam filter please make sure that your settings allow mail from the domain
stayingcyber.org. Please do this before you
register as the activation e-mail normally takes only a few moments to
reach you.The email reply is automatic and under
normal circumstances takes no more than 30 minutes. If you don’t receive
the email within that time, please email the techs at tech@stayingcyber.org.
Registration information and forum preferences may be edited by clicking
on the "Member Control Panel" link at the top right of the main
page at Staying Cyber.
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POSTING
INSTRUCTIONS
You must be logged in to Staying Cyber to post at any of the meetings or
in the Coffeepot. This site does not use “Internet Chat” for instantaneous
communication.
Your comments are limited to 500 words by forum software, and you are
not limited to the size of the text box.
In keeping with the Eleventh Tradition and AA anonymity, Staying Cyber reminds its members that it is an open site on the WWW. Anyone may read here, AA or not. Being a public site, no photos of AA members may be posted on the pages or via links. Hyperlinks may be used to connect with outside sources or display photographs of subjects other than AA member.
DO NOT use your TAB key, as it will take you out of the text box.Even though the text may either continue across the
text box or wrap depending on your browser, the forum will format the text
automatically. Paragraphs may be created by a “blank line” with a carriage
return <enter>.
In keeping with the Eleventh Tradition and AA anonymity, Staying Cyber reminds its members that it is an open site on the WWW. Anyone may read here, AA or not. Being a public site, no photos of AA members may be posted on the pages or via links. Hyperlinks may be used to connect with outside sources or display photographs of subjects other than AA member. No photos, cartoons or other graphic art images may be imbedded on the pages of Staying Cyber.
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DISRUPTIVE
POSTS
In accordance with the first AA tradition that "Our common welfare
should come first; personal recovery depends upon AA unity", this is an
AA related message board that encourages everyone to carry the message of
hope that AA offers.
If you have come to carry a message contradictory to the AA method of
recovery, we suggest you seek a more appropriate site. Posts that attack
the very nature of AA as well as continual or offensive posting that lead
to the disruption of Staying Cyber will be removed. “Continual and
offensive posting” includes personal attacks, flaming, and multiple
registrations.
Violations of the Terms of Service agreement or the Guidelines as
determined by the Staying Cyber Steering Committee may result in the loss
of posting privileges. Moderation of forums is an option available to the
steering committee. The Steering Committee is committed to
honoring the Fourth Tradition. We believe that a member being placed in
read-only status does not violate the Third Tradition.
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DIFFICULTY
VIEWING COMMENTS
If you are having difficulty viewing the entire page of comments on the
Coffee Pot and/or Meetings pages, it is may be due to the size of the pages
after several days of posting. This problem typically occurs in older
computers and / or browsers.
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HELP!
If you have a question regarding AA or if you're having a problem with alcoholism
and you would like help via email, please send a message to:
steeringcommittee@stayingcyber.org.
If you have a question or comment about the website please send a
message to:
tech@stayingcyber.org.
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7th
TRADITION
The Pass The
Hat page contains information on how Staying Cyber practices the 7th
Tradition. We are currently experimenting with online systems.
Our current operating expenses are:
Web hosting: 167.94/ year
Domain Registration: $10.00/ year, paid through August 2031
The balance of the funds, after prudent reserve, will be sent to GSO and
/ or OIAA.
If you have any questions you can e-mail the Treasurer at treasurer@stayingcyber.org
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11TH
TRADITION
A.A.'s principles and Traditions are observed on our web site. As
anonymity is the "spiritual foundation of all our Traditions," we
practice anonymity on Staying Cyber at all times. An A.A. web site is a
public medium which has the potential for reaching the broadest possible
audience and therefore requires the same safeguards that we use at the
level of press, radio, and film.
In accordance with the 11th tradition, it is strongly suggested that you
do not post personal information on the forums.
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CAUTION!
The Steering Committee would like to warn all members that posting ANY
personal information (E-mail or Postal addresses, phone numbers, etc.) on
the internet carries a risk. Search engines are increasingly intuitive and
the posting of personal details may have unintended consequences.
We have had many requests to remove identifying information from
archived posts, as the search engines have become very intuitive.
Frequently this request comes before a job interview. Be aware that while
the tech can remove posts immediately, the search engines “cache” their
results and their “copy” of the information can take weeks to remove.
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E-MAIL
Any time you post your e-mail address on a public Web site, you are
opening yourself up to e-mail from anyone who views the site as well as
e-mail spammers who use spiders that search web pages and collect e-mail
addresses for mass marketing.
Although many members are finding meaningful contacts through e-mail
exchange, some have also experienced unfortunate problems corresponding
with other members via e-mail. Should you choose to post any personal
information on the Staying Cyber web site it is entirely your decision and
you assume all risks.
ANY E-MAIL ADDRESSES OBTAINED IN THE REGISTRATION PROCESS ARE HELD IN
THE STRICTEST CONFIDENCE AND WILL NOT BE RELEASED TO ANYONE. The same holds
true for any e-mail addresses obtained when you e-mail a Steering Committee
member.
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ARCHIVES
The archives of our early Meetings, Coffee Pots, and Business Meetings
are available for reading, and all of the current meetings are saved. The
Coffee Pot pages are not archived due to the large size of the pages.
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OFFICERS & ELECTIONS
The new officers will begin their
respective terms beginning January 1 of each year.
IGR
(Elected for a 1 year term)
Jeanee63
Alternate IGR
(Elected for a 1 year term)
Trustees
(Elected for a 1 year term)
Yvonne - paul mc - SoberGal1
Treasurer
(Elected, term is at the discretion of the committee)
Tim V.
Techs
(Volunteers without term, approved by the committee)
Active: beth k, Glen H, Chris W, Steve M.
Inactive: Doug A, Mary W, Joe P, Barry L, Tim G, Miranda C, Andrew A., St. Pete Patty
All officers will comprise the Steering Committee and each shall have a
vote in any issue brought to the committee for a vote. This includes the
Alternate IGR as well as the active techs. An on-going business meeting is
held by members of the Steering Committee to govern Staying Cyber via the
steering committee forum.
You may e-mail any or all of the Steering Committee Members at the
following:
Steering Committee Members:
steeringcommittee@stayingcyber.org
IGR:
gsoliaison@stayingcyber.org
Treasurer:
treasurer@stayingcyber.org
Technical Cyrvants:
tech@stayingcyber.org
The procedure for the voting for officers is as close to the third legacy
procedure as we could get online.
For the annual election of officers, there will be a form for each office
that will remain posted for a two week nomination period prior to voting.
Members must "accept" a nomination by entering their name in the
form box corresponding to the office they wish to run for. All names that
are entered will be added to the list of candidates for that office. If
there is only one nominee for an office at the end of the nomination
period, the nominee will assume that office. An election will be held if
there is more than one nominee. Due to the time constraints of online
voting, the elections will be on the basis of “most votes wins”.
Voting will be done via a ballot form that generates an email to the
techs, and all e-mail addresses will be kept confidential. All members who
have been registered for 60 days prior to the nomination period are
eligible to vote (typically prior to October 1st of the current year). All
email addresses will be held in confidence.
Any member may suggest or recommend a new idea or change to the steering
committee by email to the steering committee. The recommendation will then
be discussed by the steering committee members. The person making the
suggestion or recommendation may be asked to provide additional input, and
will be notified by email as to the reasoning and decision of the steering
committee.
Suggestions may be implemented, modified, or rejected based on the
decision of the steering committee. Should it be deemed necessary, the
Steering Committee may convene a Business Meeting for further discussion
and voting by the membership.
The steering committee will always work toward the group conscience
using the guidance of the 12 Traditions. Changes will be made only with
substantial unanimity of the steering committee, and each Steering
Committee is encouraged to learn about Concept 5 and make their own
determination about what constitutes substantial unanimity.
The Group Conscience of Staying Cyber has expressed their desire that
the site be minimally moderated. In accordance with the Staying Cyber
policy on Disruptive Posts, posts that attack the very nature of AA as well
as continual or offensive posting that lead to the disruption of Staying
Cyber will be removed. Continual and offensive posting includes personal
attacks, flaming, and multiple registrations.
Moderation is never simple and any given post may be interpreted differently.
All Steering Committee members are expected to monitor the site regularly
for the purpose of maintaining site decorum.
A MINIMUM OF 1 YEAR SOBRIETY IS REQUIRED FOR ALL STEERING COMMITTEE
POSITIONS. ALL CANDIDATES MUST HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SITE FOR AT
LEAST 60 DAYS PRIOR TO THE NOMINATION PERIOD (typically prior to October
1st).
The following are the duties of the officers:
IGR:
This position represents our group with the Online Intergroup of Alcoholics
Anonymous (OIAA) and with GSO should it be necessary. OIAA (http://www.aa-intergroup.org/) is
a voluntary intergroup of online AA groups. OIAA is an AA business and
volunteer association that maintains contact with regional AA General
Services Offices throughout the world via its officers, committees, and
members.
OIAA is the face of online AA at many regional, national and
international AA gatherings. The IGR is Staying Cyber’s
representative to this group.
The IGR is responsible for voting at OIAA for Staying Cyber a well as
keeping the Staying Cyber membership updated on current business and
changes at OIAA. Working within a large, international group can be slow
and tedious, but updates on a regular basis to the membership at Staying
Cyber are expected. Joining in the volunteer efforts at OIAA to become
familiar with the other members and online AA is encouraged.
Information specifically dealing with the online format of AA from the
US/Canadian GSO (NY) should be posted regularly for the Staying Cyber
membership by the IGR. The IGR is expected to assist the Alternate IGR with
understanding and working within the format of OIAA. The IGR prepares the
Alternate IGR to step into the IGR position when their term is complete.
The IGR is a voting member of the Steering Committee of Staying Cyber.
Alternate IGR:
This is a preparatory position for service work. The primary duty of the
Alternate IGR is to learn the service position of IGR at OIAA from the
current Staying Cyber IGR. This position includes assuming the role of IGR
if the current IGR is unavailable to perform their duties at OIAA on either
a temporary or permanent basis. The level of communication and input on
votes at OIAA is to be worked out between the IGR and the Alternate IGR.
Alternates may join the discussion of business at OIAA on the meeting site
working within the rules and format of the OIAA business meeting. Joining
in the volunteer work available at OIAA is encouraged.
The expectation of the Alternate IGR is that they will assume the
position of IGR for a one year term at the end of their first term of one
year. No vote is required for the Alternate IGR to advance to IGR.
The Alternate IGR is a voting member of the Steering Committee of
Staying Cyber.
Trustees (4 Positions):
These positions are responsible for participating in the online Steering
Committee discussions on a regular basis and for discussing and voting on
matters as they arise. Trustees may volunteer to perform other duties in
assisting in the expansion of the site, proof reading, and simple text
editing in a word processor. This position requires no technical skills,
beyond being able to use a web browser and e-mail.
The Trustees are voting members of the Steering Committee of Staying
Cyber.
Treasurer:
This position will establish a PO Box or suitable delivery address to
receive 7th Tradition donations and deposit these funds in a dedicated
checking account. The Treasurer shall pay site operating expenses such as
server rental fees, domain registration, and technical services contracted
by the steering committee. After setting aside a one year’s anticipated
expenses prudent reserve, the Treasurer shall send excess funds to GSO-NY
and OIAA as a 50/50 split and be responsible for making a semiannual
financial report for the techs to post on the website so that it is
available to all members. This position requires no technical skills beyond
keeping a checking account and using e-mail.
The Treasurer is a voting member of the Steering Committee of Staying
Cyber.
Technical Cyrvants / web team:
The technical cyrvant duties include
administering and maintaining the Staying Cyber web site, refreshing the
weekly meetings, and responding to requests for password retrieval and
technical assistance. It may enlist the help of others or utilize non-group
expertise to solve problems.
This position is open to any member with knowledge of HTML and the use
of FTP and who is free to volunteer to assist in the maintenance of the
site. Approval for new site techs will require approval from both a
majority of the Steering Committee and a majority of the site techs.
These positions are considered to be "special workers" though
they do not receive monetary compensation for their service. As special
workers, their terms of service are at the discretion of the site techs and
the steering committee. Please e-mail the Techs for more info.
The active Technical Cyrvants are voting
members on the Steering Committee of Staying Cyber.
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Any of these Guidelines may be changed by a motion and vote by
the Steering Committee.
All Meetings : Weekly
Discussion, 12&12, Early Sobriety,The Coffee
Pot
Guidelines - Format & how the meetings work
Pass The Hat - How to contribute - 7th Tradition
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Archives -
List or search past meetings
AA
Links - Links to other AA related web sites
TOS - StayingCyber Terms of Service
HOME
HELP!
tech@stayingcyber.org
This page last
updated:
2-January-2011
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