Social Media Policy | Marathi Bhashik Mandal, Toronto, Canada
Purpose:
The Social Media Policy provides a guideline of usage to its “users” including audience, administrators, volunteers, committee members and anyone who comes in direct contact with any of Marathi Bhashik Mandal, Toronto’s (referred to as MBM’s) Social Media Channels. In general, the policy should provide a guideline as to what is acceptable and what is not acceptable, while using the social media channels of MBM Toronto. While the policy provides a guideline, it is not legally binding. MBM and its administrators own the rights to make exceptions in certain situations. In some cases there may not be any consistency in the administrator’s actions due to various reasons.
Revision:
A revised addendum: ‘Addendum 1’ is now available as per the decisions taken on May 17th 2020. This addendum extends the policy statement to newer issues that surfaced over the past 2 years. The addendum is now treated as a part of this policy and supersedes any overlapping provisions.
Distribution:
The MBM social Media Policy will be available for reading on its website: www.mbmtoronto.com or any of its social channels. In addition, certain social channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Meetup, Website (and any other existing / new channel that emerges in future) may contain a link to the policy description or a summary. The policy is expected to be read and followed by all its users of Social Media channels. This includes everyone who likes or subscribes to the Facebook page, Facebook group, Twitter, Instagram, Website or any other existing or future social media channel.
MBM Toronto’s History:
The Marathi Bhashik Mandal (“MBM”) is a non-profit, cultural organization serving the Toronto Metropolitan and surrounding area. It was established in 1968 by immigrants from Maharashtra, India to create a Marathi Community in GTA to foster, celebrate and share the vibrant Marathi Cultural Heritage. MBM organizes various social and cultural events throughout the year and encourages participation from all age groups. It provides a platform for members to showcase their talents and encourages local participation. Similarly, over the years, MBM has established itself to cater beyond being a cultural organization to a social organization. Along with its existing activities, MBM also tries to cater to Marathi speaking new comers to this part of the country.
Mission of MBM’s Social Media
Channels:
-Provide a forum to promote, advertise, market and sell MBM’s events and activities.
-Provide a platform for the Marathi speaking community residing in Ontario and surrounding areas of Canada or those who are definitely coming to the above mentioned places in near future or recently moved away from these place to interact, query, meet or develop social connections.
-Enable buyers and sellers to interact through a common platform, subject to not be overly disturbing or irritating to other users.
-Provide an ability to its users to broadcast important and genuinely verified information, which may be useful to others.
-Share arts, literature, photos or any other creation by its users subject to not overly disturb or irritate other users.
-Refer Addendum 1 for changes and amendments.
Core of Social Media Interactions:
Social Media channels, that MBM is presently utilizing is a way to interact with its users. The following set of questions should be the core of these interactions. All interactions must abide by these core guidelines. (In short, these are a set of questions, that a user will ask him or herself before interacting)
-Am I qualified to interact here? (Do I belong to this channel appropriately? -Am I acceptable to the effect of being called a member of this forum? Have things changed at my end that I haven’t notified)
-Am I posting information that I have verified? Am I not misleading the readers? (Internet is full of hoax information and our users are encouraged to verify anything before posting).
-Am I Interacting at the right place? (Is the current Social Media Channel of MBM Toronto the right place to post it?)
-Have I recently posted this? (Am I being too frequent in posting to the effect that my post disturbs or irritates the users of this forum?), or is there/will there be an event posted by MBM on the same date ?
-Have I followed the guidelines to post in an appropriate format? (Have I used the hashtags and other requirements that will help in better perception of my intent)
-Am I treating this forum as a means of accessing a database for my private promotions? If that’s what you want to do its better you contact the administrators first.
Core Belief:
The core of using Social Media channels of MBM, lies in responsible usage. This means:
-You as a poster or viewer take complete ownership of being fair and correct in the information that you post or share
-You as a poster of viewer take complete ownership of not being disturbing or irritating to the readers
You as a poster of viewer take complete ownership of not being in direct conflict/competition with any of MBM’s events
You as a poster of viewer take complete ownership of being true and not misleading the readers
-You as a poster of viewer take complete ownership of any consequences that may result out of any interaction caused.
Changes to Policy:
Changes to policy will be posted on MBM’s website or Social Media Channels, as and when published.
In charge:
The Social Media representatives of MBM constituted by an administrative team member (or AC team member) and an Executive Committee team member will be the primary controllers of all social media decisions. They will also be moderators to most social media channels and may involve others for specific initiatives. At times, other team members may be granted access to the moderator or administrator status as per the need.
Types of Social Media Channels:
Social media channels can be divided in 2 areas: Closed Groups and Open Channels
Closed groups: These social media channels provide a ‘team’ like structure where members can post their own content. As an example, a WhatsApp group is a closed group. These groups are usually private and only those within the group can see what’s being posted on the group. Others using the same social media channel, but not approved to be members will not be able to see these posts. The advantage of a closed groups is to provide a safe and secure place for members to interact. For instance, If I want to move from my residence and I am looking for realtors, I will find it comfortable to post in a social channel where I know the members are restricted only to a specific set of people, say all Marathi speaking people. If I post it in a forum which is open to anyone, it may pose a security threat to me.
MBM Currently has only 2 closed channel:
a. Facebook Group of MBM available at:
b. MBM Toronto’s Meetup Group:
In future, however, there may be more channels. All policy rules apply to any upcoming channels except in case mentioned through a change or exception.
Open Channels: These channels provide unilateral posts that subscribers get to view or comment on. They are more like websites but with a little more room for user interaction. Usually these channels are accessible even to those who are not subscribed. While those who subscribe get additional privileges.
MBM has several Open channels:
1. MBM Website (www.mbmtoronto.com)
2. MBM Facebook page (note that a facebook page is an open channel while a facebook group is a closed group): facebook.com/mbmtoronto
3. MBM Instagram: Instagram.com/mbmtoronto
4. Twitter Handle (a presence on twitter is often referred to as a handle): @mbm_toronto
5. LinkedIn and any other social media channels not covered here.
User Accessibility:
The question of user acceptance arises due to the fact that closed groups provide privileges to users to post any content. Similarly, the idea of MBM Toronto creating closed groups is to enable a safe and secure place for the Marathi speaking residents of its operational area. At the same time, the group posts published by the users should be acceptable to other members from a content perspective as well as from a frequency perspective.
1. Acceptance Criteria:
Users (subscribers or those who participate on any of the channels mentioned above or those which will be added in future (not pages)) can be accepted to be a part of a closed group (or in rare cases open channel) if they meet the below mentioned criterion.
-Anyone who is in presently in Canada and is associated to being Marathi speaking
-Anyone who is about to come to Canada in the next 3 months and is associated to being Marathi speaking
-Anyone who was in Canada, but moved out in the past 1 year and is associated to being Marathi speaking
-Any person added by the administrators for specific purposes (usually on a temporary basis)
2. Joining guidelines:
Anyone willing to join the closed groups are required to express their desire to join the respective groups through the social media channel specifics. As an example, users willing to join the facebook group will be required to click on the join group, so on and so forth.
3. Member approval:
The social media representatives will usually get the intimation of the joining request by a new subscriber. The social media representatives will then browse through a few parameters associated with the profile of the subscriber. Usually, Location, Photos, Checkins or other parameters are good to give a brief idea. If these parameters suggest that the new subscriber fits in the criteria mentioned above, he or she will be approved. However, there are some profiles where these parameters are not updated, hidden or private. As an example, a person residing in Mississauga wants to be a member of the facebook group. However his facebook profile still shows Thane, Maharashtra as his resident address and no other details are visible. In such cases, the social media representatives will have to check individually about their location through a message. Conversely, new subscribers awaiting approval can communicate with the administrators through messaging or email.
The administrators of the group will have full authority to ask questions through email, social media or any other way to check the information required to satisfy the criteria mentioned above, to their satisfaction. There is no perfect method to identify if a potential member fits the criterion and the administrators will have to use their discretion to reach a conclusion.
If the social media administrators are not convinced of the subscribers suitability to join a closed group, they can always refuse the new subscriber or keep him or her waiting.
Content Guidelines:
Kindly refer to Appendix 1: Revision May 2020. The section below stands revised
For open groups, the posts will be made by social media representatives and will already be in approval by the EC or AC.
For closed groups, the posts can be made by any of the subscribers. The posts are expected to follow the guidelines mentioned below:
-Posts made by subscribers could be anything that a subscriber posts, reshares from another page or any piece of information, question, query, feedback etc. which they post on any of the closed or open group or channel.
-Personal Queries (like questions about a service or product, includes information of all kinds) – can be posted without any specific limit. A response is expected from other users of the group, hence the user posting the post cannot disable the ability to comment or respond over that post. If comments are disabled by the poster, it may be treated as a malicious and misleading post and could be deleted by the Administrators.
-Information shares or reshares (from other groups or social channels) – must be relevant to the groups focus, not too frequent(refer addendum 1 for revised details) and also be verified to the posters satisfaction. If the poster is unsure of the relevance, frequency and authenticity of the information, it should be clearly specified in every post. There are many hoaxes floating over the internet and MBM should not be a place to share those. If the administrators find any evidence that a post is irrelevant or a hoax, they will have full authority to delete it as and when required. They may in the due process communicate with the original poster. Responsible resharing and Responsible posting is necessary.
-Service Product Promotions (information, deals about a service or product) – Limit of 1 advert every month (includes all kinds of promotions, except by the social media representatives promoting MBM’s events). As a general guideline, posts must be relevant to people in the Toronto or atleast Canada. Eg: An AC repair service in Toronto is appropriate to be posted on this forum, while a real estate advert in India should be avoided completely, because there are very few people who might want to read them (refer addendum 1 for revised details).
-All posts must be clear in their level of information. Secretive posts leading to generate interest will not be entertained due to the safety concerns involved. Eg: Most Multi Level Marketing posts depict a business that’s potentially very successful, but never mention the business name or address. These posts are not permitted.
– Members should refrain from using abusive language while communicating with any admin, office bearers of the Mandal or other members of the group. Any such incidence may trigger an action against the member Including (but not limited to) removal from the group indefinitely.
Members or sponsors of MBM may be granted additional permissions based on their discussions with MBM’s representatives.
MBM’s own or related posts about its activities or events or others:
a. MBM’s activity/event/survey posts can be posted without any limits
b. MBM’s Activity posts can be Pinned on facebook such that it always remains on top
c. Personal pictures or experiences shared by individuals related to MBM’s activities will be scrutinized by the Admins before posting
d. Admins will have the right to delete a post already approved without giving any explanation to the poster.
Priority:
At any given point in time, MBM’s activities will have the priority of using the social media channels in case of a conflict in terms of a date or other parameter. This forum is primarily meant to focus on MBM’s events and it deserves due priority for its events to be promoted. As an example, if there are events which an individual is promoting on MBM’s social media channel, and coincidentally a MBM event is also declared on a similar date, then the MBM’s event will be promoted using the social Media channel and the other event (Non MBM event) may be deleted.
Sponsored Posts:
Since MBM is a non-profit, it receives donations and sponsorships from various entities. MBM has all rights to promote their businesses without limitations. However, the final call of the posts and frequency will be managed by the EC/AC.
Disciplinary Action:
-Administrators own full authority to decide what action is to be done with a post or the status of a member or a potential member.
-If administrators receive complaints or issues about certain queries or the promotions
of products , services or members, they may delete, block or report to facebook.
-The Administrators will periodically clean the membership base of these forums by deleting individuals whom they find unsuitable as per the eligibility criteria’s. As an example, if an individual was accepted on the basis of the information that he or she was expected to arrive in Toronto, but in reality never arrived, the administrators in this case may revoke that individual’s access to these forums. Similarly, individuals who are already part of these forums could be periodically checked for their eligibility by communicating with them or asking questions/surveys etc. followed by suitable actions.
-The platform should not be used to defame, abuse or complain against any named person (tagged or un-tagged). -The administrators reserve all rights to delete any post or user material that does not abide by this.
-Revised information about this section is available in Addendum 1.
-If you have any concerns with any content, post or user material, it is your responsibility to communicate to the administrators via email prandsm@mbmtoronto.com.
No Responsibility:
MBM Toronto does not take any responsibility of the correctness of the information found on any of its social media channels. MBM Toronto also does not take any responsibility of any action by any of its social media users. We recommend to use caution when you communicate personal details on any social media forum. MBM does not guarantee that the forum will be accessible to promote your services, products or propagate information that you want to provide. Revised information about this section is available in Addendum 1.
Contacts:
The social media representatives can be reached at: prandsm@mbmtoronto.com
Addendum 1
Addendum 1 to Social Media Policy
At the time of writing this revision to the policy, the group had over 6000 members. Having said that, it becomes our responsibility to make sure that the group serves to everyone without being overpowered by popular content. Unlike most social media groups, this group is not focused on giving limelight to popular posts and topics. Instead, the group wants to encourage a query and resolution culture amongst its members. The core focus of this group is hence to encourage people to ask queries for their needs; and service providers or people with information are expected to comment as a reply to these query posts. Any post other than a genuine query is treated as a promotion.
What is a query?
Any post asking or inviting responses is a query. Queries could be asked without any limits of frequency per month. Although it should be noted that if the query is not genuinely seeking information, it may invite action from the admins and may be deleted.
What is a promotion?
Any post providing information is a promotional post. This information could be personal, business, hobby, profit, non profit, useful, news, art, jokes, quiz, fun, entertainment, cooking, politics or almost anything else not covered here. (Basically, any post that’s not a genuine query, is treated as a promotional post. It’s immaterial if the post is business or personal). Promotions can only be made once a month. So members are requested to use that one post responsibly. Eg. Using that one post for a sharing a joke will not let you post the promotion of your business later that month.
For eg. a query ‘Any good dentist near Central Mall Scarborough’ is largely encouraged and permitted without barriers or frequency limits of posting. Dentists and others who have genuine information are expected to comment as a reply to this post.
However, if a dentist decides to post about his/her business (an independent post, not a reply), it will be limited to one post per calendar month, because it is a promotion. The same dentist can however respond to queries that ask for dentists as a comment without any limits.
Needless to say, the Mandal can post as many posts promoting its events without any limits.
There are several other policy guidelines that we have in place:
– Reviews of a commodity / service can be posted only once per month. Any new review of the same product or service should be commented as a reply to the first review. Additional reviews may get deleted or any action deemed appropriate.
– Repetition of information is discouraged. So if person A posts some information, and person B also posts the similar information, one of them may get deleted.
– Members should refrain from sharing any content that may cause friction, hurt sentiments or create an unhealthy debate. Admins may at their discretion delete the post or it’s specific content.
– Members of the group are encouraged to use the ‘report to admin’ feature for any content they find inappropriate. Reporting doesn’t guarantee deletion, but is only a way to highlight a concern. Admins will make the final decision and action if needed.
– Admins have full authority to create new rules on a regular basis with consent provided by the Social Media representatives of the EC and AC, as per the need. These rules will be posted on the group and pinned to the announcement or similar section and these rules will be treated as an extension of the social media policy. Members are advised to keep checking the announcement section before posting on the group. As an eg. During the Covid pandemic there was a flurry of informative posts. To ensure the topic doesn’t overpower other genuine queries by people, a Covid thread was created, where all Covid related posts were to be made as a reply (comment).
– Members should refrain from using abusive language while communicating with any admin, office bearers of the Mandal or other members of the group. Any such incidence may trigger an action against the member Including (but not limited to) removal from the group indefinitely.
– Members of the group cannot assume or depend on the Facebook group/ any other social media channel as a reliable service for promoting /publishing their content. Content may include text, audio or video of any kind. Admins have full authority to delete or prevent a specific content to be published without giving a valid reason.
– Repetitively breaking the social media policy may attract disciplinary action from the admins (not limited to removal from the group).
– Any comment or post that divert the attention of our members from the Mandal’s events may get deleted and attract other disciplinary actions.
Contacts:
The social media representatives can be reached at: prandsm@mbmtoronto.com
