Short version

In keeping with the Peace Corps Volunteer Handbook, the following policies will be strictly enforced. If a volunteer is found to be in deliberate violation of these policies, he/she will be blocked from using the site and could be subject to further disciplinary action by Peace Corps administration.

Simply put, the main wiki is to contain NO:

1. Volunteer location identifiers
2. Culturally insensitive remarks
3. Pornographic materials
4. Copyrighted materials
5. Any claims to represent the views of the US government or the Peace Corps

Invitations: Furthermore, while every member of the wiki technically has the ability to invite new members, only ICT GIG members should do so. Any users not invited by the ICT GIG account will be blocked, as will the account that invited the illicit user.

Attachments: We ask that you not upload attachments to the wiki, but use SharePoint for your attachments instead. For instructions, see the SharePoint Attachments page. There's a limit to how many the entire site can hold, and until we can get around that limit, your attachments will most likely be summarily deleted as they are discovered.

Posting Material Created by a Third Party: If you wish to post material created by someone else (i.e. another PCV), please do the courtesy of requesting consent from the creator. For editors of newsletters, you may wish to streamline this process by asking contributors to send their consent or non-consent along with their submissions.

That's the short and sweet version, but please bear with us for the fuller explanation below.

Full Policy

For the time being, the main wiki is strictly password protected, but that is subject to change. The ICT GIG is planning to open the site to public view (but password-protected editting privileges) in January 2008, at which time all content will be accessible by the billions of people who have internet access. There are certainly no plans to promote the site beyond Peace Corps Thailand (the site will be opened simply to make it more user-friendly for volunteers), but Google is sure to find it sooner or later.

However, the ICT GIG recognizes that there are several topics that will likely appeal to volunteers but should not be publicly accessible. To accomodate this, the wiki also has a secure area that will remain permanently restricted to registered Peace Corps users.

1. Volunteer location identifiers: To quote from the Peace Corps Thailand Volunteer Handbook:

"As a safety precaution, Volunteers are expected to omit from their Web sites and blogs informations about their precise living location or those of other Volunteers, as well as information about events to be attended by a large number of Volunteers. For example, Volunteers who live in remote areas should use care before placing the name of their towns or villages on their Website and, instead, should refer to the general area of the country where they live. For your own protection, it is also advisable not to provide information about your personal possessions. Volunteers should be aware of the risk of identity fraud and other security concerns connected with the posting of any personal information about themselves, family members and others on Web sites and blogs."

This policy will be strictly enforced on the main wiki website (those pages which do not begin with "securepcthailand.wetpaint.com"). As long as Peace Corps administration approves, however, this information can be safely posted on the secure pages.


Furthermore, volunteers are encouraged to use the secure pages for any information that may seem to fall in a shade of gray as far as this policy is concerned. For instance, consider popular destinations. It will likely be helpful for volunteers to share information about Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and other major cities and tourist magnets in Thailand. Such discussions might not give away any personal volunteer information, but will still likely reveal common volunteer patterns of movement. As such, they belong on the secure pages.

2. Culturally insensitive remarks: Again quoting from the PC Thailand Volunteer Handbook:

"Volunteers should remain culturally sensitive with respect to the material they post to any Web site or blog. Volunteers should be reminded that people in their host countries and members of the U.S. public may make inferences about the Peace Corps or the Volunteer's country of service based on the material a Volunteer posts to a Web site or blog. Volunteer-posted material on the Web should not embarrass or reflect poorly on the Peace Corps or the countries where Volunteers serve."

Hopefully all volunteers have a clear idea of what qualifies as culturally sensitive or insensitive, but if you're uncertain (for instance, you want to ask about something that's just given you massive culture shock), please use the secure pages.


3. Pornographic materials: Technically, the PC Thailand Volunteer Handbook's rules regarding pornography or other illicit web-based activities cover only Peace Corps provided internet services. Nevertheless, this wiki was not created for such activities, and they would most likely cause wetpaint.com to cancel our services. Do not use the wiki--either the public pages or the secures pages--for pornography, spam, chain letters, file sharing, or any other illegal activity.

4. Copyrighted materials: As the handbook says, "Volunteers should be be advised that posting materials to the Web which they have not authored or created may violate U.S., host country, or other applicable copyright laws." Besides, postings should reflect the volunteers' own experiences, not the thoughts of some random stranger. If you feel the need to reference outside sources, please write a citation and (when applicable) include a link to the external web page.

5. Claims to represent the views of the US government or the Peace Corps: As the home page disclaims, "This Web site is published by private individuals (who just happen to be Peace Corps Volunteers) and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Peace Corps or the U.S. Government." As such, we have no business claiming otherwise or trying to use the Peace Corps logo. Even forms generated by the Peace Corps administration that may eventually be posted on this site are posted by and for volunteers, and the Peace Corps administration cannot be held liable for those forms' continuing accuracy.