Proposal 6: Change the reference to “URLs” in the Weekly Lead Format letter and the GROW Mail List Guidelines to “links.”
Recommended Language:
In the Topic section of the Weekly Lead Format letter, change “URLs” to “links” and include examples to help weekly leaders understand the difference.
[Introduce the Topic of the Week – Remember that we do not include URLs links to sites outside GROW except links to the AA, Grapevine, and GROW websites.]
You may include URLs (e.g., http://www.g-r-o-w.com – no link – or http://www.aa.org/ – linked), but do not create the link that would automatically take the reader to that URL address. Some programs automatically create links when a URL is entered, so you will need to remove the link. If you need help with this, please contact a GROW Trusted Servant.
In the fifth bullet of the GROW Mail List Guidelines, change “URLs” to “links” and add a brief
message about how to get help if you do not know how to prevent automatic links.
We do not send attachments, chain letters, solicitations, virus alerts or announcements of non A.A. functions. We do not include URLs links to sites outside GROW except links to the AA, Grapevine, and GROW websites. You can use URLs (e.g., http://www.aa.org/), but do not create a link that would automatically take the reader to that URL address. Some programs create links automatically, so if you need help with this, please contact a GROW Trusted Servant.
Rationale:
In discussing whether to allow links to AA meetings on Zoom, participants talked about the security issues that GROW members have experienced in the past when messages contained links to websites outside GROW or AA. To address that, in April 2019, the business meeting approved a Group Conscience decision to add a statement about not using URLs in the Topic section of the Weekly Lead Format letter and in the GROW Mail List Guidelines. The prohibition on URLs did not include the GROW website or AA websites.
Our current discussion highlighted the point that the risk to GROW members does not result from the use of URLs in messages but from links based on those URLs. A member can type in a URL without linking to the questionable source. Then members can simply copy and paste the URL into their web browser without exposing the mailing list to viruses or malware.
This proposal addresses the distinction between using URLs alone and creating links from those URLs to an outside source.
Summary of Discussion
There were no substantive comments on this proposal, although several participants voiced their support for it.
Voting Results
Ten people voted on Proposal 6.5, all of them supporting the proposal. The vote was unanimous.
Therefore, Proposal 6.5 is adopted as a Group Conscience decision
Group Conscience Decision
Change the reference to “URLs” in the Weekly Lead Format letter and the GROW Mail List Guidelines to “links.”
Recommended Language:
In the Topic section of the Weekly Lead Format letter, change “URLs” to “links” and include examples to help weekly leaders understand the difference.
- [Introduce the Topic of the Week – Remember that we do not include
URLslinks to sites outside GROW except links to the AA, Grapevine, and GROW websites.]
You may include URLs (e.g., http://www.g-r-o-w.com – no link – or http://www.aa.org/ – linked), but do not create the link that would automatically take the reader to that URL address. Some programs automatically create links when a URL is entered, so you will need to remove the link. If you need help with this, please contact a GROW Trusted Servant. - In the fifth bullet of the GROW Mail List Guidelines, change “URLs” to “links” and add a brief message about how to get help if you do not know how to prevent automatic links.
We do not send attachments, chain letters, solicitations, virus alerts or announcements of non A.A. functions. We do not includeURLslinks to sites outside GROW except links to the AA, Grapevine, and GROW websites. You can use URLs (e.g., http://www.aa.org/), but do not create a link that would automatically take the reader to that URL address. Some programs create links automatically, so if you need help with this, please contact a GROW Trusted Servant.