Zoo Admin

Front Gates => Forum Rules & Guidelines => Topic started by: Yellowrose on April 10, 2009, 02:32:20 PM

Title: TERMS OF SERVICE
Post by: Yellowrose on April 10, 2009, 02:32:20 PM
Terms of Service

The Zoo Admin Network provides the services to you, the visitor, based on it's Terms of Service outlined here. When using the services provided by the Zoo Admin Network, you are subject to these posted terms. Usage of the services on the network's sites denotes acceptance of these terms. The TOS may be changed at any time and without direct notice to individual visitors, so it is recommended that you check back with this page at any time you have questions or concerns.

Registration Requirements

In order to view messages on the Zoo Admin Network message boards without user restrictions, no registration is required or necessary.

In order to post messages on the boards, and use other advanced services, you must register with Zoo Admin Network using a valid e-mail address. Upon registration, an Activation Key in the form of a URL will be mailed to the address you provided. You must visit this URL using the web browser of your choice to activate the account. No posting privileges are granted until the account is activated.

The Zoo Admin Network does not require you to use your real name or other identification that can be easily traced to you, and the e-mail address you provide will be kept private.

In order to register on the Zoo Admin Network, registrants must be 13 years of age or older. The Zoo Admin Network does not knowingly collect any information from any users under 13 years, and if it is found that an underage user has fraudulently registered, their account will immediately be terminated.

Content Notice

By viewing the site content, you agree that all content on the Zoo Admin Network Message Boards is the responsibility of the person from which the content originated. You agree that neither the Zoo Admin Network owners, its sponsors or affiliates are responsible for all content that you personally post or upload. The Zoo Admin Network does not directly control any content posted on the boards, and does not guarantee the truthfulness or quality of any content. You agree that while using the the Zoo Admin Network message boards, you may be exposed to content that is offensive or objectionable, and that you will in no way hold the Zoo Admin Network nor its sponsors or affiliates liable in any way, shape, or form for any harm or loss that may come to you or others as a result of viewing this content. The Zoo Admin Network is not responsible for screening content before it is posted, although an offensive language filter is installed on the system that will reject certain words. Posts that may contain certain words deemed offensive or used most often in an offensive way will be deleted from the boards as soon as they are noticed by Zoo Admin staff members.

Account Responsibilty

Users are solely responsible for protecting their accounts from access by others. You are strongly encouraged to select a hard-to-guess password and not re-use that password on any other sites where it may be read by the owners or administrators of that site.

While it is acceptable for users to maintain multiple accounts on the Zoo Admin Network, the Zoo Admin Network can and does track multiple shared accounts from a single or multiple computers as one account in terms of TOS violations. If the TOS is violated severely enough to warrant the banning of one account, all known accounts shared between a single or multiple users who use the same computer may also be banned for the actions of the violating account at the administrators' discretion.

Because of this rule, it is highly recommended that board users do not share their accounts with others, nor share their computers used to access the site with others, as the actions of some other person could easily directly impact all known shared message board accounts.

Privacy and Release of Inforamtion

Under normal circumstances, the Zoo Admin Network will never release your provided information to any third party without a court order requiring us to do so. However, in cases of certain severe and/or repeated TOS violations or illegal activities, we reserve the right to forward any and all known information about you and your accounts to your ISP (including libraries, schools, and places of employment), e-mail service provider, your ISP account owner (if someone else is actually paying for it), and any parties whose copyright has clearly been infringed upon by your actions on the boards.

General Member Conduct

You agree that you will not use this service to perform the following actions:

Offensive Posting

Posts of a patently offensive nature are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to:

Censor Bypassing- (word filters)

The Zoo Admin Network message boards are programmed with a list of words that are considered vulgar under any context, and these words are not allowed to be posted. Attempting to bypass the censor by misspelling, inserting spaces or symbols, transposing letters, using look-alike symbols, or any other method is not allowed. The only acceptable method of posting one of these vulgar words is to completely obscure it, making it impossible to determine what the word is without context. Additionally, certain words are prohibited from being used in topic titles and user information pages; bypassing the censor to post those words where they are restricted is also disallowed and your account may be terminated.
For example, if "gris" is a banned word:

Flaming - (Insulting Other Users)

Posts clearly insulting other board members, individually or as a group, directly or indirectly, are not allowed.This includes, but is not limited to:

Trolling - (Inciting Flames)

Posts intended solely to annoy and/or offend other posters by going against the clear nature of a board or topic are not allowed.This includes, but is not limited to:

Illegal Activities

Posts that violate or incite others to violate the law are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to, asking for or providing, in any way, shape, or form:

Spamming

Posts that clearly advertise a service or product are not allowed, unless the forum provides an advertising board. This includes, but is not limited to:

Users are allowed to include a web site address in a signature, request comments on their personal site in a social setting, or providing only once an interesting or relevant link to another site provided those links content meets with the standards set by the Zoo Admin Network Owners and Administration Staff.

Off-Topic Posting

The main purpose of the Zoo Admin Network Message Boards is to provide discussion forums for the Zoo Tycoon series of computer games. Topicality is expected and will be enforced on all boards, so take the extra time to post on the proper board.

Disruptive Posting

Posts that disrupt the message boards for other users, intentional or not, are prohibited. This includes, but is not limited, to:


Flooding, Invading, and Board Wars

Users will be immediately banned (along with any associated accounts) for:

Impersonation

Users will be immediately banned (along with any associated accounts) for impersonating other boards users by creating and/or using a message board account with a name clearly intended to impersonate, mock, or antagonize another user, or otherwise falsely claiming to be another message board member. Users who knowingly allow their accounts to be used by friends or family members will also be subject to this rule. Registration is free and it is strongly recommended they register and obtain an account of hteir own even if using your computer. If your computer is used by more then yourself always remember to log out before allowing some to use the computer.

Unauthorized Access

Accessing or attempting to access any Zoo Admin Network user account not belonging to the user in question without permission is prohibited. Accessing another user's account in this manner is grounds for immediate loss of all known accounts.

Harassment/Stalking/Privacy

Continual harassing behavior directed towards a certain individual or group with the intent of creating an intimidating, offensive, or hostile environment on the boards, with or without use of explicit or implicit threats is strictly prohibited. Posting private information without permission is also prohibited. Requesting someone's age is also prohibbited, unless it's done by the board administration/staff.

Bugs and Exploits

Using exploits or tricks in the Zoo Admin Network code to gain privileges, access, or abilities not clearly intended by the board design is prohibited. While you are more than welcome to try and find any exploits away from the public eye, making them public or using them for personal benefit is grounds for immediate loss of all known accounts and repoting of your actions to you ISP.

Usernames, Profiles, and Forms

Violating any of the above rules with a username or any part of the user profile (signature, quote, e-mail, IM) is considered a severe violation.

Signature Images

If you use an image in your signature, please keep it within 468 x 60 pixels. Most image editors will tell you how large the image is, in terms of pixels. Signature images that do not conform to ZA standards will be removed by the staff. Signature images for contests will be applied by an Administrator. These contest images will be in addition to a members signature image and will be removed if that member wins another contest. Only those who have won a contest are permitted 2 signature images. All others will be removed by the staff..

Other

Any other activity that is clearly detrimental to the flow of conversation and normal activities of the boards and its users may also be deleted and severe consequences may be enforced. Remember we try to provide a safe and family friendly environment for our members and guests and anything we deem unacceptable in this setting can and will be removed at the discreaion of the board staff.


Terms Violations

Topics and message posts that violate the TOS will be deleted from the boards, and additional penalties may be applied at the moderator's discretion. Re-posting deleted violations (yours or those of others) is also considered a violation.

Messages and topics may be removed at any time and for any reason at the sole discretion of the Zoo Admin Network and its designated moderators and administrators. User accounts may be warned, suspended, or revoked at any time and for any reason at the sole discretion of the Zoo Admin Network and its designated moderators or administrators. All determinations of what is "acceptable" and "unacceptable" content will be determined solely by the Zoo Admin Network and whoever it designates as moderators and staff. You agree that the decision of the moderators and administrators is final, and you may not legally contest their rulings.

Intentional, repeated, or severe violations are cause for the banning of your account, all use of the boards from your IP address or your entire ISP, and the Zoo Admin Network contacting your ISP or other relevant parties concerning your activities.


Copyright

This document is copyright to Zoo Admin Network 2007 -2009 and may not be copied or reproduced without explicet written consent of the Zoo Admin Network