Still trying to digest the new social media policy. Even wondering if having a discussion about the policy may be a violation of the policy. (Sort of reminds me of one of those freak sheiks who was on TV last night saying that just having a discussion about Muhammad means the discussers should be penalized by death) I definitely get where they want to go and the validity of some of the concerns but have we gone too far?
Introduction:
TASO Social Media Policy
Social Media has become more accessible than ever and is changing the ways we communicate on a daily basis. The guidelines for functioning in an electronic world are similar to the values and ethics policies individuals are expected to live every day, whether you’re posting, Tweeting, talking with co-workers or chatting over the neighbor’s fence. Remember, your responsibility to TASO doesn’t end when you exit the court or playing field.
Purpose:
To assist TASO members in participating online in a respectful manner that protects the Mission and Reputation of TASO, the sports officiated by TASO and adhere to the policies of our organization. We have come up with a few guidelines to provide helpful and practical advice when operating on the internet as an identifiable TASO representative. These guidelines apply to members who create or contribute to blogs, wikis, social networks, or any other kind of social media. The list includes but is not limited to: Twitter, Yelp, Tumblr, Google+, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook pages/groups, or comments on online media stories.
Guidelines:
TASO members should exercise care in setting appropriate boundaries between their personal and public online behavior, understanding that what is private in the digital world often has the possibility of becoming public, even without their knowledge or consent. TASO strongly encourages all members to carefully review the privacy settings on any social media and networking sites they use and exercise care and good judgment when posting content and information on such sites.
Here are a few guidelines when operating on the internet.
• Read and familiarize yourself with the TASO Social Media policy and Guidelines.
• Any personal social media posts and comments must not potentially embarrass TASO, damage the TASO
reputation or tarnish its image.
• Never misrepresent yourself or TASO by making false or misleading comments or posts. All statements must be true and accurate.
• TASO members should NOT comment on any topic related to their officiating assignments to include:
o Specific game or match assignments, locations or dates, either past or future.
o The scores or outcome of any game or match.
o Teams or schools involved in any past, future or current assignments.
o Situations or events that occurred in a game or match.
o The officiating performance of other members, partners or officials in any association, sport or
level.
• Members should not be “friends” or “connections” with coaches, athletic directors, players or any other participants in the sport in which they officiate.
• Members should not create TASO specific Social Media profiles, or represent themselves as official TASO
websites, pages or blogs without the written consent of TASO.
Consequences of Violating the TASO Social Media Policy:
Inappropriate activity that is in conflict with this document’s guidelines may result in disciplinary action in accordance with TASO by-laws, ranging from private reprimand to expulsion, and may include fine, probation, suspension, reduction of any classification, or any combination of the above deemed appropriate by the decision making body.
Be smart about protecting yourself and your privacy. What you publish is widely accessible and will be around for a long time, so consider the content carefully. The Internet has a long memory.
Adopted: April 26, 2015
