The Atlantic Online | Forum Rules and Conditions (original) (raw)

Thank you for your interest in Post & Riposte, The Atlantic's online discussion forum ("Post & Riposte"). Post & Riposte exists to foster discussion on articles that appear in the print edition of The Atlantic Monthly and in Atlantic Unbound, our online journal, and to permit its members to join with other readers in discussion on topics of your choosing. To ensure a civil forum community, users are required to follow certain rules. These rules, applicable for Post & Riposte specifically, are in addition to the Terms of Service and Legal Disclaimer for The Atlantic Monthly and The Atlantic's Web site, which may be found via this hyperlink and which are applicable to your use of Post & Riposte except to the extent inconsistent with these rules.Use Indicates Agreement with These Rules and Accuracy in Registration

In using Post & Riposte, you agree to be bound by the following rules and conditions. You further agree that all information you provide in your registration is accurate. If you do not agree with these terms, you should not register or participate in Post & Riposte.

Principles of Post & Riposte

The Atlantic Monthly has always been an invitational forum and never an ideological pulpit; the same holds true for our presence online. Above all, we ask simply that you voice your opinions in a tasteful manner, respecting the many others from around the world who form this online community.

You might want to spend some time following discussions ("lurking") before you participate. Discussions are more rewarding when users post messages relating to the discussion topic and avoid repetitive or excessively lengthy posts. Posts to Post & Riposte are publicly visible to all visitors; however, registered members may select up to five users whose posts they do not wish to see. Simply add their names to the bottom of your forum preferences screen and their posts will be blocked.

If you ever wish to give us feedback on the magazine, our site in general, or on Post & Riposte in particular, visit our feedback page. You can find information on submissions and sending letters to the editor of The Atlantic Monthly here.

Users Are Legally Responsible and Liable for Posts

You agree that you are fully responsible and legally liable for the content that you post or made through the use of your name and password. If your password is lost, you may generate a new password by clicking the "Lost Password" button in the forum. If it is stolen, contact The Atlantic by e-mail.

The Right to Move, Edit, or Delete Posts

The Atlantic Monthly believes in free expression and active and open debate; we do, however, expect users of Post & Riposte to follow rules that protect other users and persons from the invasion of their rights and privacy. The Atlantic Monthly has no obligation to monitor the forums, or any submissions or other materials that you or other third parties transmit or post on Post & Riposte. The Atlantic Monthly does, however, have the right, but not the obligation, to monitor Post & Riposte and the materials you transmit or post. Should you violate or allow another person to use your account to violate any of the following rules, The Atlantic Online reserves the right to move, edit, or delete your post or discussion thread:

• Posts that are defamatory, libelous, unnecessarily antagonistic, or an invasion of privacy or violation of the rights of another user, person, or party.
• Posts that are obscene, abusive, harassing, threatening, off-topic, unintelligible, or inappropriate, as determined by the moderators of Post & Riposte.
• Posts that are in violation of copyright, trademark, or intellectual property laws, as determined by the moderators of Post & Riposte. Simply because material is available on the Internet does not mean it is in the public domain; most materials are protected by law. In addition, simply including attribution does not permit users to post copyrighted materials on the forum; only extremely short excerpts or hyperlinks are generally permitted.
• Posts in violation of local, state, United States or international law.
• Posts promoting, soliciting for, advertising for, referring to, or hyperlinking to commercial products, programs, or services; including contests, chain letters, pyramid schemes, or commercial enterprises. Post & Riposte is designed for discussion and debate.
• Posts which are submitted repetitively, without any bearing on the discussion topic, or otherwise deliberately disrupting the forums ("spamming").
• Posts which attempt to impersonate or fraudulently represent another user, person, or party.
• Posts which are in a language other than English.
• Posts which include viruses, "Trojan Horses," or any other contaminating or destructive feature that may damage another person's computer.
• Posts which include graphics, audio, movies, JavaScript or programs, or other binary files. The forums are designed to be text-only.
• Posts which are determined, solely under authority of The Atlantic Monthly and third parties employed or directed by it, to be otherwise objectionable. Post & Riposte is a privately-held, privately-maintained forum. The Atlantic Monthly has the right, but not the obligation, to remove any material from the forum which we, at our sole discretion, feel is not appropriate.The Right to Remove Users

Every message in Post & Riposte is automatically labeled with your user name ("login name"). The Atlantic Monthly reserves the right, in our sole discretion, to remove the posting privileges and/or eject a user permanently from the discussion forum for:

• Violating the posting rules set forth in the previous section.
• Impersonating or fraudulently representing another user, person, or party.
• Theft or fraudulent use of another user's account or password.
• Using an invalid or outdated e-mail address in one's forum preferences.
• Registering a new account with a free e-mail address.
• Using words or phrases as part of one's login name that are determined by The Atlantic Monthly staff to be obscene, threatening, or otherwise offensive.
• Registering more than one login name at a time.
• Violating any portion of the terms of service set forth herein. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We look forward to seeing you in the forum.