Guidelines

Home Energy Pros' mission is to amplify the collective knowledge base of the home energy professional network by offering a space for sharing resources, ideas, and knowledge on home performance.

This community is focused on peer-to-peer interaction among professionals, and is not to be used for promotional purposes, except as expressly provided below. Content should be geared towards practitioners, rather than consumers.

Visitors can read all the content, but only Members can post. Anyone with an interest in home energy efficiency can apply for a free membership. All Members can post and comment in forum discussions, blogs, groups, videos, events and pictures. Each Member has their own page where their discussions, blogs, and activities are consolidated. Posts can be removed and membership can be suspended at any time for non-adherence with these guidelines or Terms of Service.

Here are some guidelines for engaging with the community in the spirit of openness, transparency, and collaboration:

PLEASE DO:
1. Fill out your profile. Post a picture. Smile!
2. Join the conversation. Create your own blog. Share your ideas with the community. But, please stay on the topic of home energy.
3. Post, read and add comments to other blogs, forums, discussions, and member pages.
4. Join groups and start new ones related to your specialty.
5. Post videos and news about upcoming events.
6. Invite your colleagues to join Home Energy Pros.
7. Be generous and give back. Comment as much (or more!) on others' content as on your own original contributions!
8. Check out the profile of other members. Get to know them.
9. Treat others with respect.
10. Quote something you find interesting: You may quote copyrighted work but the quote should involve an excerpt, not the whole article. Make sure to always give attribution and a link to the source.
11. Have fun!

PLEASE DON'T:
1. Try to sell your wares/company/product/etc., except as expressly provided for below. Be part of the conversation and add value and people will notice. Post press releases and other commercial news in the News & Announcements group.
2. Promote your event too much - post it up once on the events calendar and that will get the word out. You can use the Invite to Event feature to spread the word.
3. Spam people (i.e. posting the same message to multiple people or groups).
4. Defame, name-call, inflame discussions, or excessively criticize an idea/person. Constructive debate is welcome.
5. Be afraid. We are a friendly bunch. Ask questions. Connect.
6. Post inappropriate photos or links.
7. Feel like you must respond to every comment.
8. Feel personally slighted if not everyone responds to your comments or friend requests.
9. Employ a false identity or impersonate another member.

Content posted by members may be incorporated for educational purposes into our related websites such as Home Energy Saver or Home Energy Saver Pro.

We've provided a few specialized ways in which we support commerce:

• Events: Please post info about training, conferences, webinars or other events here.
• Videos: Post educational and training videos here.
  
• Job Board: We provide a Job Board for members to post jobs related to all aspects of the home performance industry including energy auditors, technicians, and weatherization pros.
• News & Announcements: This is the place to post company press releases, news and other announcements.
• Member Discounts: Share discounts and offers with members of Home Energy Pros in this group.
• Energy Auditing Equipment for Sale, Trade or Purchase: This group is for posting equipment for sale.

If you post about a product in which you have a direct financial interest, you must disclose that in your post.

Below are some additional principles that guide our approach to community management:

We encourage and support content that fits with the mission of Home Energy Pros.

We reserve the right to remove any post without prior notice. Messages are not permitted that are:

We encourage members to report content that does not meet the guidelines and misleading technical info that needs to be addressed to the moderator.

We reserve the right to move or de-emphasize content that does not fit into a certain part of the site.

We may delete an inactive group.

No one can pay to be featured on Home Energy Pros.

Home Energy Pros will not sell our member list.

The opinions, views, and ideas expressed within this community are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the sponsors. Information provided by Home Energy Pro members may not be appropriate for solving readers' specific problems. Readers should consult a certified professional for their own technical recommendations.

Thank you for being a member of Home Energy Pros!