Note: OSUWeb.net is available only to current students, faculty, and staff of The Ohio State University.

General policy:

We ask that members respect the customs and conventions of the forums in which they participate (mailing lists, newsgroups, IRC, etc.). OSUWeb.net can not possibly monitor or referee all behavior, mailings, postings, etc. that take place on our systems - nor would we want to. We will intervene when it is required to ensure the continued operation and quality of the service.

One example of an inappropriate use of a Personal Dial-Up account is "parking" on line. Parking is leaving the computer connected to the Internet while no active work is being done. This is unfair to other users as it unnecessarily ties up modems. Please be friendly and considerate of other users by "logging off" when you are not actively using your computer. This gives other OSUWeb.net Members access to the Internet without busy signals and helps keep the monthly price low. The busiest times for Internet usage are Monday-Thursday from 8 P.M. to 11:30 P.M. Please take extra care to ensure you are not staying connected unnecessarily during these peak hours and know that others are doing the same.

Currently, accounts have a "fifteen-minute idle timer" that should automatically disconnect the line if it is not being used actively. However, Members cannot be assured that their line will always be disconnected when they are idle, as some of the newer programs available sometimes keep the computers connected in order to update news, stock prices, e-mail, etc. It is a Member's responsibility to disconnect the telephone line when the session is finished and be sure that the programs do not reconnect by themselves.

Appropriate language:

Rude and vulgar language is usually not appropriate for civilized discourse. OSUWeb.net recommends that you not use this language anywhere on the Internet, but especially not in newsgroups.

Newsgroups:

Be thoughtful when selecting newsgroups for your postings. Make certain the entire contents of your posting are completely relevant to the selected newsgroups. When crossposting to multiple groups, think twice before posting to more than two or three groups. Sleep on it before posting to more than five groups, and don't even think of posting to more than 10 groups.

Spamming is the term used to describe bulk posting to hundreds or thousands of newsgroups and will result in immediate suspension of your account. OSUWeb.net reserves the right to add or delete newsgroups at our discretion.

Inappropriate commercial use:

The Internet, like most places, has its own set of customs. Regarding commercial activity, Internet users don't take kindly to unsolicited commercial e-mail or advertising that is more hype than information. Many newsgroups have their own individual guidelines regarding commercial postings. When in doubt, monitor a newsgroup for several weeks, or ask a regular poster how the readership responds to commercial postings. Responding to an explicit request for information is usually OK, but consider sending mail directly to the requester instead.

Copyright:

In a world where making 1,000 copies is just as easy as making one copy, it is easy to forget about copyrights. When sharing information on the Internet, respect the intellectual property rights of others. Do not post text from publications verbatim without permission. Do not digitize and distribute photographs from magazines, books or other sources. Do not make copyrighted software available on the Internet. When quoting from copyrighted material, try to include a reference so others can locate the complete work. OSUWeb.net reserves the right to take action if we become aware of copyright infringement activities.

Chain letters and pyramid schemes:

Chain letters are annoying and pyramid schemes (chain letters with money) are illegal. Do not promote these activities on OSUWeb.net or the Internet in general. Sending a chain letter, with or without a request for money, will be cause for immediate disconnection of service.

Hacking:

OSUWeb.net forbids active searches for security problems in our system or in other systems. If you suspect a problem with our services (or others), we would appreciate a friendly e-mail message from your own account. There is no need for you to break into our system to demonstrate the problem.

Fraudulent or abusive behavior:

Fraudulent behavior such as, but not limited to, the forging of newsgroup postings or electronic mail is forbidden. Harassing or abusing others through e-mail or news is also prohibited. If you are at the receiving end of this behavior, please contact OSUWeb.net immediately.

Censorship:

As a matter of policy OSUWeb.net does not "censor" any of the material available via the Internet. We believe that adult users are fully capable of determining what materials they choose to access and that adequate tools exist for parents themselves to selectively restrict their children's access to such materials which they themselves deem to be unsuitable. (See our Downloads page for suggested blocking software.)

Billing:

All student customers and home-use customers should address billing questions to UNITS customer service at 614-688-HELP (4357) or toll-free at 1-800-678-6003. Administrative customers may address billing questions to 614-688-3013.

Credit:

Within the first 30 days of initial account creation, customers can cancel service without charge (see Cancellations, below). If service is cancelled after the first 30 days of service, billing will be pro-rated for partial billing cycle.

Cancellations:

All accounts must be canceled in writing (e-mail to units@osu.edu; fax to 614-688-3425; US Mail to UNITS, 320 W. 8th Ave., Columbus, OH 43201-1230) prior to the end of the billing cycle. There is a small fee to change a user/log-in name. (Please call or check our website for the current fee.) There is no fee for password changes.

Right of Refusal:

Not withstanding any other provision of these guidelines, OSUWeb.net reserves the right to decline service to any user for any reason, including, but not limited to, inappropriate postings and mailings, uploading and the inclusion of objectionable material in personal WWW pages.

If OSUWeb.net deems that the above guidelines are not being followed, for any reason, we reserve the right to terminate the offending account IMMEDIATELY without refund. If you have any questions, please e-mail us at units@osu.edu or give us a call at 614-688-HELP (4357) or toll-free at 1-800-678-6003.

The Ohio State University's Computer Policies:

In addition to the policies listed above, OSUWeb.net users must abide by The Ohio State University's computer use policies.

As users we must:

* Respect the privacy and rules governing the use of any information accessible through the computer system or network, even when that information is not securely protected.
* Respect the ownership of proprietary software. For example, do not make unauthorized copies of such software for your own use, even when the software is not physically protected against copying.
* Respect the finite capacity of the systems, and limit your own use so as not to interfere unreasonably with the activity of other users.
* Respect the procedures established to manage the use of the system.

Those who cannot accept these standards of behavior may be denied access to the relevant computer systems and networks. Violators also may be subject to penalties under regulations of the University and under laws of the State of Ohio or the United States of America to the extent applicable.

Note: The Ohio State University Policy on Responsible Use of University Computing Resources was adopted by the university on 5/10/2000. The policy is available at:

http://www.cio.ohio-state.edu/policies/use_policy.html

As a function of applying to use OSUWeb.net services, you have agreed to adhere to this policy.