The Business Exchange

Community Standards

These Community Standards are here to help you understand what it means to be a member in good standing of the Business Exchange. Don't forget that your use of the Exchange is subject to these standards as well as BusinessWeek's Terms of Use.

What to Do

Thank you for participating! The Business Exchange works due to members like you and the content you add to share with others. It's a place to find like-minded people and exchange information on your favorite business topics.

• Do act professionally.
  We're a community of many types of people with a shared interest in business news and topics, who all have the right to feel comfortable and who may not always agree with one another. Please be polite, tolerant and respectful in your interactions with other members.
• Do submit articles, suggest topics, create a public profile, save links to favorite articles in the Your Activities page, and share with others.
  The more information you contribute and share on the exchange, the more valuable the exchange becomes to you. We encourage you to submit ideas for topics and articles and Blog entries relating to existing topics.
• Do link to the source: Good sources produce good articles.
  Please respect the copyrights of others. Please link to the original article at its source, and not an intermediary Web site like a search engine results page. Remember, by adding content you are recommending it to others.
• Do add content to the appropriate topic.
  You need to take responsibility for ensuring that what you upload is appropriately categorized in the proper topic. Can't find a topic to match your business interests? Become the curator of that topic by submitting your idea and help create it.
• Do invite others to join the Business Exchange.
  The more people who are part of the Business Exchange, the more valuable the exchange becomes to each of its members. Invite your valued friends and business associates to join the Exchange.
• Do enjoy the Business Exchange!
  Expand your personal knowledge base and help others expand theirs by adding and sharing good content. Become the curator of your favorite topic, adding key articles that can benefit others interested in that topic as you find them. Every member benefits from it when you do.

What Not to Do

In most circumstances, we like to give second chances, so we'll send you a warning if you step across any of the lines listed below. Subsequent violations can result in membership suspension or termination without further notice.

• Don't submit inappropriate content in the topic pages or your profile.
  This includes things that others would generally find to be offensive. If we find you doing that, your membership may be suspended or canceled and we'll take appropriate action which may include notifying the authorities. Remember, this is a business oriented community, appropriate business-like conduct is expected.
• Don't forget the topic.
  The right information in the right spot is the key to our success. So, please make sure you are submitting content under the proper topic name. Can't find a topic to match your interests? Become the curator of that topic by submitting a topic idea and if we think it makes sense we'll create it.
• Don't copy third party articles into the Business Exchange.
  Instead, if you've found an article or other content that you want to share with others, provide a link to the original content at its source.
• Don't vent your frustrations, rant, or attack other members.
  This is not a venue for you to harass, abuse, impersonate, or intimidate others. Share a reaction on the topic – not the people. If we receive a valid complaint about your conduct, we'll send you a warning, suspend or terminate your membership.
• Don't use the Business Exchange for commercial purposes.
  BusinessWeek is for personal use only. If we find you selling products or services through your profile, we will cancel your membership. If we find you SPAMMING our topic pages with commercial solicitations we'll cancel your membership. Any other commercial use of BusinessWeek, its technologies (including APIs), or accounts must be approved by BusinessWeek. If you have questions about commercial usage of BusinessWeek, please contact us.

Some Other Things to Keep In Mind

Other People (their content, their behavior)
You will see all sorts of things on the Business Exchange, some of which may offend you. You can submit content that you believe violates these community standards for review by clicking the "report" link found on each item.

Copyright Infringement
If you are the copyright holder of content found in our pages and you object to how it is being used here, please contact us. You may be tempted to post an entry in the reactions section about your content, but generally that's not the best way to resolve a possible copyright problem. We don't encourage playing out disputes in our public reactions.

Thank You for Participating in the Business Exchange

These guidelines are crafted to ensure that everyone within the community receives the experience they expect. The Business Exchange works best when we collaborate on adding fresh, relevant content, share reactions and sharing what is there. If you have any questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you via our feedback link.