Paul D. Pion, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology), co-founder, VIN
Today, I’m writing about the eighth item in the VINner’s Oath:
8 I will only contact a VIN colleague or consultant through VIN, unless openly invited to do so off of VIN. I will not provide anyone else with a VIN colleague or consultant’s information. I will not contact VINners with the intent of selling or promoting a service or product on or off VIN without their express inquiry and consent.
As we discussed in item 7 of the VINners Oath, much of the communication that takes place between colleagues, for instance through the message boards and Rounds, contributes to the VIN database, enriching the body of knowledge for all.
However, sometimes you may wish to contact another VINner directly. Perhaps you want to refer a client who has moved to their area or to comfort them with a personal story that you aren’t comfortable sharing publicly in their message board discussion.
There are ways to do this that protect the security of the VIN community and help maintain everyone’s sense of privacy and ways that violate the sanctuary the VIN community tries to provide to all colleagues.
The “right” way to contact other VINners:
You can email other VINners directly by clicking Email from within their profile. You can find any VINner’s profile by clicking their name in a message board discussion post or by searching for them in MyVIN (MyVIN > Colleagues > Search). This will allow you to send an email to that VINner through VIN without knowing their email address. The VINner you email will see your address and can choose to respond or not.
This tool does not allow you to email VIN consultants/Editors. If you want to ask a VIN consultant for medical advice, posting your case in the message boards benefits everyone. In addition, many VIN consultants are also busy with private or university careers, so asking them for personal help is similar to when pet owners call you to “just ask a couple of questions.”
If you have a need to contact a VIN Consultant/Editor with a request or question but are uncomfortable posting in the message boards, you can email me (Paul@vin.com), Becky (Becky@vin.com) or Tony Johnson (Tony@vin.com) and we will try to help.
The “wrong” way to contact other VINners:
Posting product or service advertisements on the VIN message boards is a violation of the VIN Ten Commandments. It is also not okay to contact other VINners with product or service promotions unless they have directly asked you to send that information.
At no time should you share information identifying other VINners or VIN consultants with non-veterinarians or non-VIN members. It may seem logical to tell a client, “Dr. Mark Kittleson on VIN said your dog needs…” However, logic becomes a problem when suddenly the client is contacting Mark directly or asking another veterinarian they are working with to contact Mark.
The Ten Commandments of VIN are VIN’s promise to you and all VINners. The VINners’ Oath is your promise to your fellow VINners. This, item #8 of that oath, expresses how you and all VINners are committed to keeping your VIN community a safe place to share information between colleagues.
Thanks for being a good citizen of the VIN Community.
Next, I will share my thoughts behind the ninth point of the VINner’s Oath:
9 I will help to make VIN better by providing suggestions and feedback.