COMMERCIAL POLICY - EDMONTON FREENET 

        (Approved by the Board of Directors July 1994) 

 

PRINCIPLES 

 

1. The Edmonton FreeNet recognizes and values the business 

   community as a vibrant and essential component of the 

   community, and intends to foster its active participation 

   in the Edmonton FreeNet. 

 

2. It is not the intention of the Edmonton FreeNet to 

   compete with existing commercial services but recognizes 

   that such conflicts may arise from time to time. 

 

3. The Edmonton FreeNet will encourage partnerships with 

   commercial services for mutual benefit. Where the 

   information provider seeks to realize financial gain from 

   participation in the FreeNet, sponsorship or revenue 

   sharing arrangements may be negotiated.. 

 

4. The Edmonton FreeNet may provide a means for offering 

   chargeable services. These services would be clearly 

   flagged for users. Billing would be the responsibility of 

   the information provider. 

 

5. The Edmonton FreeNet encourages commercial information 

   providers to participate actively in ways that provide 

   mutual benefit, through the provision of information, 

    contributions as forum managers or topic experts.  It is 

   not the intention that the FreeNet be used simply as a 

   medium for advertising. 

 

6. The Edmonton FreeNet retains the right to determine what 

   constitutes commercial participation appropriate to the 

   mission of the FreeNet 

 

 

 

POTENTIAL AREAS OF COMMERCIAL PARTICIPATION 

 

1. The Edmonton FreeNet will include information provider 

   services which support the business community such as 

   merchants' associations, Better Business Bureau, Chamber 

   of Commerce. etc. 

 

2. The Edmonton FreeNet encourages the use of services such 

   as electronic mail and electronic conferences by its 

   business members to test these technologies for business 

   use, but does not warrant the functionality of these 

   services for any specific purposes. 

 

3. The Edmonton FreeNet will improve communications between 

   businesses and the greater community by providing a 

   mechanism not only for the exchange of product 

   information but for public interest consultation and 

   ideas on goods and services in their sphere of expertise. 

 

4. The Edmonton FreeNet will encourage technological 

   literacy by providing opportunities for testing or 

   showcasing business and consumer applications of the 

   network.