Acceptable Use Policy

Star Trek: ACTD – Acceptable Use Policy

The websites, chat rooms, and other electronic services available to you here at Star Trek: A Call To Duty (collectively the “Network”) is provided by the individual staffmembers and server operations managers of Star Trek: A Call To Duty. In this document, “we” refers to Star Trek: A Call To Duty, “user” refers to you, and “AUP” refers to this Acceptable Use Policy. As a user, you are subject to the terms of the Star Trek: A Call To Duty Acceptable Use Policy, and its related addended rules and policies that may be published from time to time by Star Trek: A Call To Duty.

The Network is a private electronic service, and not a public chat network. Your right to speak freely here must be exercised with courtesy and self-restraint. When you utilize a component of The Network (be it a chat room, forum, etc), it is the same as entering any real privately-owned facility, like a restaurant or shopping mall. The manners and laws of real life apply the same here as in the real world, and we have the right to remove you if you choose to exceed the Acceptable Uses outlined below.

In the same manner that Gene Roddenberry believes in a future where humans can work with mutual respect for each other, we wish to promote communication in an atmosphere of mutual respect. While not always possible, we strive to create a safe, mostly family-friendly atmosphere of open discussion and socialization. We remind all of our users that you are entirely responsible and liable for all activities conducted through your usage of The Network. We require you to follow, at all times, the following Standards of Acceptable Use:

WE DO NOT TOLERATE HARASSMENT

We welcome all people who are 13 years or older, and all races, religions, genders, national origins, sexual orientations and points of view. We do not tolerate expressions of bigotry, discrimination, hatred, harassment or abuse, nor will we tolerate threats of harm to anyone, physical or otherwise.

Because we encourage discussion and exchange of ideas, we do not allow threatening, defamatory, abusive, tasteless or indecorous statements. For the same reason, we do not allow sexually explicit material in conversations, room titles, room topics or nicknames.

We invite people to open public rooms to faciliate their own topics of conversation, outside of the lounge(s) we provide. Creators (Operators) of such rooms must follow our Standards of Acceptable Use in choosing a room name, topic, and content. We reserve the right to limit the number of redundant open rooms, rooms not starting with a letter in the alphabet, rooms with extraneous characters such as !@#$%&, etc. or extremely long room names. Operators may use the /kick command only if a participant violates one of the Standards of Acceptable Use.

WE ALLOW ONLY LEGAL ACTIVITIES

Although this seems obvious, we will not allow any illegal activities. Specifically, we disallow advocation of illegal conduct or participation in illegal or fraudulent schemes. You cannot use our chat rooms (channels) to distribute unauthorized copies of copyrighted material, including photos, artwork, text, recordings, designs, or computer programs. Importantly, though, is that you are allowed to DISCUSS material, but you are not allowed to DISTRIBUTE it. Distribution includes the revealing of download site addresses, posting of URLs, and otherwise revealing of third party distribution sites of such copyrighted material. In addition, we do not allow the trading or swapping of images that are sexually explicit, obscene or vulgar. Because there can be no way of ensuring compliance with this section, rooms titled for the purpose of exchanging or swapping images are not allowed. Impersonating someone else, including one of our trained staffmembers, will not be allowed or tolerated.

Stalking of others, in our chat rooms or in another manner, is a serious offense. In many areas, such behavior is considered to be a criminal act. We reserve the right to release information to the proper authorities, because of a violation of our standards, or because of unlawful acts, if the information is subpoenaed, and if we deem it necessary and/or appropriate.

We cannot guarantee the content of comments that you will receive while you are online. Other people’s comments may be offensive, harmful or inaccurate.

While we conduct chats on a broad range of topics, we do not offer professional advice of any kind. Staffmembers and other discussion participants speak from their own experience and voice their own opinions when helpful for conducting a conversation. Staffmembers claim no professional or expertise or authority, and we claim no responsibility for their remarks.

WE ENCOURAGE OPEN DISCUSSION AND DISALLOW DISRUPTIVE COMMUNICATION

We do not allow posting or use of computer programs that contain destructive features, such as viruses, worms, Trojan horses, malware, spyware, etc. We also do not allow any unauthorized bots or unattended scripts on the Network, whether they are benign or destructive in intent. If you wish to run a bot on the Network, you must petition for its authorization to the Director of Network Operations, proving its benign nature, and also assuring such automated systems will not appear in any official Star Trek: A Call To Duty operations channel (including the general lounge).

We also discourage disruptive conduct: persistent off-topic comments in a topic-oriented chat session, statements that incite others to violate the Standards of Acceptable Use, or the physical act of “scrolling” — repeatedly hitting the Return key in a chat session — all are considered disruptive.

The use of ASCII art or macros that are excessively long (more than two lines of text), and the use of pop-ups or sounds in a repetitive manner that disrupts the topic or conversation in a room, are not allowed. Users inviting others to visit Web sites with content that do not comply with these Standards are considered to be in violation of our Standards.

Idling, or staying in a channel without saying or doing anything, is considered highly rude. Idling in the lounge for more than one (1) hour is prohibited, and will cause the Channel Management Bot (ChanBot) to kick you out. Idling in the mission rooms for more than two (2) hours is prohibited, and will cause the Channel Management Bot (ChanBot) to kick you out. This allows enough time for most background transcript recorders to catch a full one-hour mission, plus anything interesting before and afterwards. Idling in an unmanaged channel (e.g. OOC channels, OOM channels, or channels of your own making) for more than three (3) hours is highly frowned upon and is grounds for you to be considered running an unauthorized bot on the network.

WE DO NOT ALLOW UNAUTHORIZED COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY

We encourage communication between our members, but posting or transmitting of unauthorized or unsolicited advertising, promotional materials, or any other forms of solicitation to other users, using any aspect of the Network, except in those areas that maybe designated for such a purpose, is not allowed.

Your right to privacy is addressed in our Privacy statement.

We reserve the right to immediately terminate or suspend access to the Network for conduct that we believe interferes with other peoples’ enjoyment. We also reserve the right to amend or change these guidelines at any time and without notice.

When in doubt about appropriate behavior here, remember that the Network is an electronic world, but the people here are real, and come from diverse backgrounds of beliefs, viewpoints, and feelings.

MOTION-PICTURE STANDARDS

Currently we are using two (2) rating standards for our services. As time goes on these will be further defined. Please refer to the MPAA website: http://www.mpaa.org/movieratings/about/index.htm

LOUNGE – General Non-Mission-Related Channels

RATING G – “G:”General Audiences-All Ages Admitted.”

This is a film which contains nothing in theme, language, nudity and sex, violence, etc. which would, in the view of the Rating Board, be offensive to parents whose younger children view the film. The G rating is not a “certificate of approval,” nor does it signify a children’s film.

Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated films. The violence is at a minimum. Nudity and sex scenes are not present; nor is there any drug use content.”

To further clarify, words such as damn, hell, and ass are not acceptable. Any other derogatory words are also unacceptable. We expect users of our Lounge to act accordingly.

MISSION – Mission-Related Channels

RATING PG-13 – “PG-13:”Parental Guidance Suggested under the age of 13 years old. Some Material May Not Be Suitable For Children.”

This is a film which clearly needs to be examined or inquired into by parents before they let their children attend. The label PG-13 plainly states that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, but the parent must make the decision.

Parents are warned against sending their children under 13 years of age, unseen and without inquiry, to PG-13-rated movies.

The theme of a PG-13-rated film may itself call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity in these films. There may be some violence or brief nudity. But these elements are not deemed so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-13-rated film.

The PG-13 rating, suggesting parental guidance, is thus an alert for examination of a film by parents before deciding on its viewing by their children.

Obviously such a line is difficult to draw. In our pluralistic society it is not easy to make judgments without incurring some disagreement. So long as parents know they must exercise parental responsibility, the rating serves as a meaningful guide and as a warning.”

To further clarify, words such as damn, hell, and ass are acceptable. Any other derogatory words are not acceptable. We expect users of our mission rooms to use discretion with borderline words.