The Traverse Community Network is a community-centered computer network offering local and global information and intercommunication.

TCN ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

Purpose: it is the purpose of this policy to explain the rights and responsibilities you have as a member of the Traverse Community Network (TCN).

Rights and Responsibilities

Members have certain rights and privileges. Infringement of the rights of others may result in loss of network privileges.

Rights

These rights include:

1. Privacy. All members have the right to privacy in the e-mail and files. Attempts to read another person's electronic mail or other protected file is a violation and will be treated as such. Please be advised, however, that security is technically difficult to achieve. The Library and/or TCN is not responsible if electronic communications or files become public.

2. Equal Access. Users have equal access opportunities to as many network services as their technology allows. Activities that monopolize a computer or the network will be discouraged. You have a right to temporary use of disk storage space in an amount which may vary from time to time dependent on the number of users and the amount of total disk space available.

3. Safety. To the greatest extent possible, users will be protected from harassment or unwanted, unsolicited contact. Users must be aware that there are sources available on the Internet that potentially could be offensive to certain users.

4. Intellectual Freedom. The same standards of intellectual freedom endorsed by the American Library Association for traditional media apply to all electronic media. No viewpoint will be restricted on the network. Any statement of personal belief is representative of the author's viewpoint and not that of the Library or the Network administrators. The Library and/or TCN is merely a distributor of information and has no editorial control over the content distributed or disseminated on the network. Users are responsible for the material that they access. Parents or guardians are responsible for monitoring material accessed by minors.

Responsibilities

Along with the rights and privileges of TCN membership come certain responsibilities. Members need to familiarize themselves with these. Failure to abide by them may result in the loss of network privileges.

Successful operation of the network requires that all of its members regard it as a shared community resource and that members conduct themselves responsibly.

Your responsibilities can be summed up by three major themes: use the network as it is intended to be used, use it legally; and most of all, respect the rights and privileges of others.

Specific Guidelines:

1. Use must be consistent with the purposes and goals of TCN.

(This is a community resource dedicated to equal access to all.)

2. Members may not use TCN for any purpose that violates the law.

(This includes federal, state or local laws and includes obscenity statutes, tampering with computer hardware or software, introducing viruses, and destruction of files.)

3. Members may not interfere with, harass, or disrupt other users, services or equipment.

(This includes, but is not limited to, distribution of unsolicited advertising, so-called chain letters, "spamming" or installation of illegal files such as .suid or .rhost files or hidden subdirectories.

4. Members must respect the privacy of others.

(Your mail, files and password are yours. Someone else's mail, files and password are theirs. You may not represent yourself as some other member. Posting personal communications to a public forum without the original author's prior consent is prohibited.)

5. Members must respect the legal protection provided by copyright law and license agreements related to content, text, music, computer software, and any other protectable materials.

(If you do not have a right to it, you may not use it.)

6. Members must not use TCN to gain access to or the use of resources for which they are not authorized.

(Again, if you don't have permission to go there, don't.)

7. Members may not use TCN for commercial or for-profit activities.

(You can post personal ads. You can't promote your business.)

8. Members are responsible for keeping their disk usage below the maximum size allotted.

Fine Print

1. The Library and/or TCN assumes no responsibility for any direct or indirect damages arising from the use of its connection to Internet services. The Library and/or TCN is not responsible for the accuracy of information found on the Internet.

2. These policies are not intended to be exclusive or exhaustive and do not attempt to detail all of the behavior required by its members.

3. The Network Administrator reserves the right to monitor and remove user fills which are in violation or in contravention of acceptable use.

4. The Traverse Area District Library Board of Trustees is the final authority on questions of acceptable use of TCN.

5. If you feel you have been aggrieved, please contact the system administrator (tcpublib@traverse.lib.mi.us) and you will receive a response within 24 hours.

Revised: 13 June 1996