Code of Conduct
Thank you for being part of our community. To ensure the best possible experience for all members, we have established some basic guidelines for participation.
The NIRI eGroups forum is a great resource which enables NIRI members to solicit the advice of their peers, benefit from their experience, as well as participate in ongoing conversation. By joining and participating in this online community, you agree that you have read and will follow the rules and etiquette guidelines, included within this Code of Conduct as well as NIRI’s Terms and Conditions. You also agree to limit discussions, shared files and content to the topic. Questions regarding the NIRI eGroups Code of Conduct should be directed to our member services department via the Contact Us link on this site.
This is a self-moderated forum. NIRI does not actively monitor eGroups for inappropriate content and instead relies on its members to "self-police" the site. NIRI encourages all members to engage by providing high quality dialogue that benefits and elevates the investor relations profession. eGroups is best used to solicit the advice of your peers, benefit from their experience, and participate in ongoing conversations in a non-commercial environment.
To preserve a climate that encourages both civil and fruitful dialogue, NIRI reserves the right to suspend participation in eGroups as well as terminate the NIRI membership of those who violate these rules.
Community Rules
Directly promoting products and services is the number one complaint of eGroups users. Do not post commercial or promotional messages for a product or service in which you or your employer has a business interest. Responses to conversations cannot mask a sales pitch. If you are considering making a posting but are unsure about the commercial nature of it, you should assume NIRI members will view it negatively as a commercial (spam) message.
You are welcome to post white papers and other thought leadership resources that other members would benefit from, provided that: 1) the resources don’t include promotional/commercial messages; 2) members would not be required to submit their email address or contact details in order to access that content; and 3) it is content that you have personally created or have permission to use and have properly attributed to the content creator. Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. When posting documents, please indicate if the item is not available for reuse. It’s also advisable to contact the owner of any material if you would like to reuse it.
Although eGroups access is limited to NIRI members, these forums should be considered public. Consequently, do not post material, non-public information about your company (or client companies).
NIRI eGroups is a valuable resource to stimulate conversation and, enhance knowledge of the practice of investor relations. The platform is a forum for all to have their say, just as you may. Respect your fellow NIRI members. Focus on the content of the posts and not on the person making the statement. Extend the benefit of doubt to newer members; there’s no such thing as a stupid question. The eGroups discussions are not a platform to create contention, do not engage in personal attacks. Service providers should respect the purpose of the community. The platform is not a place to promote the products and services that you provide. You can use NIRI’s dedicated Products and Services Marketplace for this purpose. Engage with your fellow NIRI members to share successes, challenges, provide constructive feedback, ask questions, and share your goals.
IR practitioners should use caution when discussing any products and services. Information posted on these discussion forums are archived and available for all to see, certain comments may be subject to civil lawsuits as well as prosecution under state and/or federal antitrust laws. If you’ve found a product or service helpful, please share your experience with the group in a respectful way.
Posts containing defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening and/or offensive language, or illegal materials are strictly prohibited and subject to removal. 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.
Access to eGroups is restricted to NIRI members. eGroups postings should not be shared with anyone outside of NIRI membership. This includes forwarding e-mails, taking screen shots, printing, posting to other social media platforms, or any other means of distribution.
Community Etiquette
State concisely and clearly the topic of your comments in the subject line. This allows members to respond more appropriately to your posting and makes it easier for members to search the archives by subject.
Send messages such as "thanks for the information" to individuals, not to the entire list. Do this by using the "Reply Privately" option.
Only send a message to the entire list when it contains information that everyone can benefit from.
Do not send administrative messages, such as “remove me from the list,” to the group. Instead, use the web interface to change your settings or to remove yourself from a list.
Penalties for Violations
Violations of the eGroups Code of Conduct may be punished by suspension from eGroups. Subsequent violations may result in expulsion from NIRI membership. Specifically, violations will be subject to the following penalties:
First offense: NIRI staff will issue a private e-mail warning to the poster. If the poster disagrees that a violation has been committed, the poster may appeal to NIRI’s CEO, who will refer the matter to the NIRI Ethics Council for a decision.
Second offense within 12 months of the first offense: NIRI’s CEO may suspend the poster from eGroups for 30 days; any appeal will be referred to the Executive Committee of NIRI’s Board of Directors.
Third offense within a two-year period: will be referred to the NIRI Board Executive Committee, which may suspend the offending poster from eGroups. The decision of the NIRI Board Executive Committee can be appealed to the full NIRI Board of Directors.
Any additional violation – ever – after a one-year suspension has been imposed: the offender will be immediately and permanently suspended from eGroups. The offender will be referred to the Ethics Council, which may recommend termination of membership by the NIRI Board of Directors pursuant to the procedures outlined in the NIRI Bylaws.
Terms and Conditions
Please see NIRI’s Terms and Conditions for legal disclaimers and the Privacy Policy for additional information.
Diversity and Inclusion
NIRI welcomes everyone regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or disability. NIRI is committed to providing a safe, productive, inclusive, and welcoming environment for attendees, volunteers, staff, and others engaged in programs, meetings, events, and activities, including chapter programs. Diversity is valued in governance, speaking, thought leadership and other roles within NIRI.