Proper website and internet etiquette is a new responsibility that is placed on schools and website developers as well as users. Schools especially need to be aware of the various responsibilities involved in having their own web site. The World Wide Web offers a vast amount of information and your school can be viewed by millions of people worldwide. This list describes the various legal considerations and guidelines that should be followed.

1. All material should be reviewed by appointed staff member and/or webmaster before being published to the Web. Multiple people should never have access to uploading information to any webpage on the site. Students should not be uploading pages to your site. In order to maintain the integrity and organization of the site, all information and webpages must go through the webmaster before being posted. This is a most important part of managing an internet site.  
2. Disclaimers
   Whenever an opinion is expressed that is not that of the school or the school district, it is a good idea to issue a disclaimer so that your school is not associated with any controversy that may arise. A disclaimer should also be used when links to other sites are used. PBC Disclaimer (http://www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/disclaim.asp)
3. Acceptable Use Policies
   An Acceptable Use Policy should be followed by all users who are accessing the internet. 
4. Parent Consent
   Because the internet is so vast, precautions must be taken and parents and students need to understand and acknowledge the rules and risks associated with use. It is best to get a signed permission form from the parents that explains how your school intends to use the internet.
   For students who are Accessing the Internet at school:
   Examples: Bellingham Public School Parent Permission Form, Houston's Independent School District
   For Publishing Student Work to the Web:
   Example: FloridaSMART Parent Permission Form,  Bellingham Public Schools Parent Permission Form both are excellent examples and they grant permission for their form to be copied and used by others.
5. No identifying information such as email, phone number or photographs of individual children should be published. Do not list the full name of the students. Group or class photos are acceptable. If an individual photo is to be used, a seperate parent permission form should be obtained from the parent.
6. Copyright Issues
   Copyright on the internet is a big issue. Because the internet contains so much information, many people assume it is free for the taking. Unless it is clearly stated that the photos and information are public domain it should be considered copyrighted and treated as such. It is great to get ideas from other schools or websites, just don't copy their graphics, pictures, logos, or information. Also regarding the district website (or school website if you are designing a club or class page), try not to be redundant. Rather than duplicate the information, provide a link to the website that contains the information.
   Regarding posting student work.... It is a good idea to include a copyright notice to make it crystal clear that the information is not allowed to be copied without permission. Always understand and be aware that even with the copyright and legal issues, there are people who may copy and use it. (The copyrighted maps on FloridaSmart.com have shown up on 100's of websites! People really do assume that if you have a graphic on your page, they can use it, even if you have a copyright notice!)
   A good source for Legal Issues for website management and publishing with schools is FNO.org - Keeping it Legal. 
7. Links to Other Sites
   Adding links to other websites is a great way to promote sharing of information, community business support, and more. Keep in mind though that these sites may change hands and could end up as a broken link or worse, link to a porno site! If you add links, the webmaster should check them often to make sure the information is still appropriate. Always be sure to include a disclaimer that you are not responsible for the contents of the sites that you link to in the chance that the information does change without your awareness.

Patti J. Tarell, the CEO and website design and online marketing expert of SurfSmart, Inc.,  FloridaSMART, FloridaSchoolWebsites.com, and 100's of other websites. She has consulted with many schools and school media specialist to assist with website standards and design. Click here to visit PattiJewel.com for a listing of her past and current projects.

Copyright © 1998, Patti J. Tarell