Terms and Conditions
Purpose:
The Zeitgeist Movement's Forum, IRC and Voice Chat are made available, for free, for Members of The Movement to share ideas. The term Member is defined as: A person who supports a social group and shares common values and initiatives. Please understand that this is not an "open-forum" environment and that these communication mediums are not intended for the expressions of any persons other than those who support The Movement and communicate in the context of issues related. While constructive criticism - with positive intent - is always welcome, it should be respectful of The Movement and its Users at all times. The definition of respectful lies with the judgment of the Moderators and Administrators based on the interpretation of our rules, etiquette and guidelines (see below).
We make this explicitly clear because, since the inception of this Website and its communication mediums, a relatively large degree of hostile opposition, harassment and spam has occurred. In order to keep our members/users free from being abused and have their time wasted, we must make it clear that anyone acting in an outright negative capacity against the social direction denoted in our materials will not be welcome here. If you are new to The Movement's ideas and are unclear; have questions or curiosities, then these communication mediums are not provided for your interaction until you agree to Membership/User status. This means that you have read the materials, watched the videos and honestly/sincerely support The Zeitgeist Movement overall, and would describe yourself as a Member to others.
Once again, these services are provided free of charge to those who have positive and supportive intents. They are tools for The Movement’s Members, not the public at large. Persons using these services, who do not reflect this basic disposition, will have their access revoked.
Overview:
These rules were written in an effort to assist/protect members in our communication mediums, to allow everyone to participate without prejudice or intimidation and encourage everyone to focus on civil communication methods.
Please note that all communications may be logged for reference.
Information Flow:
The flow of information within The Movement's communication mediums (IRC, TeamSpeak, Forum,Wiki) works in a Tier System, moving in responsibility from the USER, to the general MODERATORS, to the GLOBAL MODERATION TEAM. The Global Mod Team's central role is in navigating/applying administrative issues related to policy. This team is trusted with the privileged Administrative Access required to work with issues such as Account Suspensions.
Conduct:
1. Please treat everyone with respect. Insulting, derogatory and/or any other disrespectful discourse is inappropriate and unacceptable.
2. Please do not engage in personal attacks (arguing with and/or attacking the person instead of addressing the topic) and try not to respond to such attacks, except to redirect the discussion to the topic.
3. Respect the specific category/channel designations within the forum, IRC and Teamspeak and their descriptions. If you cannot find an appropriate category for something and you feel that it relates to The Zeitgeist Movement, submit a reply in the Using the Forum Software category, in the thread New Category Suggestions - Submit Here, suggesting that a new category be created. For IRC and Teamspeak, contact an operator or admin for assistance.
4. Respect a Moderator's decision to lock a topic, move a topic, delete a topic and/or prohibit further discourse, or request users move a particular discussion to another channel in IRC or Teamspeak. When topics are deleted, a placeholder will typically be left with the same or a modified title and a note stating that it was deleted (if you cannot find a topic, it does not necessarily mean it was deleted).
5. Please do not "bump" threads (replying with the word “bump”, or something similar, merely to move a thread to the top of the list), or repeat posts in IRC or Teamspeak (sometimes referred to as “flooding”). Users check the Recent Discussions because they prefer to view the most recent topics, not the topics that you want them to see. If you feel a topic deserves to remain visible, either post a suggestion in the Using the Forum Software category, or create a page for it in the wiki. Threads that are continuously bumped may be locked. Similarly, try not to duplicate threads (see below – General Advice, #2).
6. Do not post an individual's contact information unless it is already publicly available (such as for elected officials), or you have been given explicit permission from the person to do so. Also, use discretion before posting your own contact information such as phone numbers. Private messaging is the best way to exchange personal info, if necessary.
Moderator Enforcement Protocol:
The above rules/guidelines apply to posts, text chats, emails and any other activity conducted within The Zeitgeist Movement's website forums, IRC and VOIP mediums.
Summary:
Generally speaking, when a general user is believed to be in violation of these rules, and the user has an honest record of prior use, they will first be warned, publicly, in the platform on which the violation occurred, when the nature of the violation does not require immediate action, and when the violation does not appear to be intentional. They may also be warned privately, by personal message, chat, or other means.
If violations are repeated after an initial warning, the user will be suspended. Any suspension on any official platform will result in suspension from all platforms. The length and requirements of a suspension are decided by the administrator/mod acting. Reinstatement will generally be granted when the user acknowledges the nature of the infraction, makes all necessary amends, and agrees not to repeat the violation. Repeated violations and suspensions, which are deemed to indicate an unwillingness to respect the rules, will result in indefinite suspension.
In cases where a user believes that a suspension has occurred due to a misinterpretation, or when a user requests reinstatement, email globalmods@thezeitgeistmovement.com
The creation of additional accounts for the purpose of disputing or avoiding enforcement of the rules will be considered an intentional violation, and may result in indefinite suspension. See below for more specifics.
Account Suspensions:
The following is to show how Moderator decisions are made as far as suspensions. Basically, there are “experienced” users, which have over 150 posts or more, over a time period of more than a month, and there are “inexperienced” users which have less than 150 posts.
In the event of a rule violation, a warning is given in advance, privately or publicly. If this given warning is thus violated, then a suspension will then occur. The length and requirements of a suspension are at the discretion of the Global Moderation Team. Reinstatement will generally be granted when the user acknowledges the nature of the infraction, makes necessary amends, and agrees not to repeat the violation. Repeated violations and suspensions, which are deemed to indicate an unwillingness to respect the rules, will result in indefinite suspension. Also, the creation of additional accounts for the purpose of disputing or avoiding enforcement of the rules, will be considered intentional violation, and may result in indefinite suspension.
Public Notice:
All Suspended users with more than 150 Posts over a time period of more than one month prior to being suspended are listed in the Moderator's “Public Moderation Discussion” Category in the sticky thread called “List of Suspended Users “. Each entry will give an explanation/example of the violation/action taken. Those with less than 150 Posts will not be recognized/posted publicly when suspended. The issue of Public Notice also only applies when originating from the forum, not the IRC or TeamSpeak.
Conflict Resolution/Reporting:
USER > USER: Report the user to the Moderator of the specific medium, if possible. For the forum, this can be done by selecting the Report to moderator button located at the bottom right of each post/reply. USER > MODERATOR: Send any complaints/issues you may have with a Moderator to globalmods@thezeitgeistmovement.com. The team will review the issue and work to resolve it.
License:
Content posted here is provided under the Creative Commons License: License. By posting content here, you the public a perpetual, royalty-free, license to publish it here under the terms of the Creative Commons License. In accordance, we accept no obligation to delete or modify content posted here, and will do so at our sole discretion. This is a publicly accessible web site. While we will not disclose your email address, password, or contact information to any other parties, information posted to the forums, wiki, and community section is publicly viewable, and if you post contact information there, anyone will be able to view it. All information posted here will be made freely available to the public. By creating an account here, and posting information, you consent to the use of your user name, and any information you post, as public information. You agree not to provide personal information, unless you are willing to make it publicly available, and are authorized to do so. You agree that all information you post here will be public domain, and you grant the public an unlimited, royalty free license to use the information you post.
General Advice:
1. If there is a "sticky" thread at the top of a category titled Please Read Before Posting… (or similar), it’s highly recommended that you read it before posting any new threads to that category.
2. Before starting a new topic, search the forum for previous threads on the same topic.
3. Avoid hijacking another user's thread. Hijacking is typically defined as posting an unrelated and/or irrelevant reply which then leads to the thread going off-topic, typically. If you have a new or unrelated topic you’d like to present, then create a new thread. Similarly, if you create a thread, and decide to introduce a new subject, create a new thread. Doing so will make it easier for others to locate relevant topics/threads.
4. Before you ask general questions about The Zeitgeist Movement, or The Venus Project, please read all of the Q&A content on the main website, www.thezeitgeistmovement.com.
5. Please do not post information that you may later wish to delete. Once published under the license, it will not be removed or altered.
The Zeitgeist Movement's Forum, IRC and Voice Chat are made available, for free, for Members of The Movement to share ideas. The term Member is defined as: A person who supports a social group and shares common values and initiatives. Please understand that this is not an "open-forum" environment and that these communication mediums are not intended for the expressions of any persons other than those who support The Movement and communicate in the context of issues related. While constructive criticism - with positive intent - is always welcome, it should be respectful of The Movement and its Users at all times. The definition of respectful lies with the judgment of the Moderators and Administrators based on the interpretation of our rules, etiquette and guidelines (see below).
We make this explicitly clear because, since the inception of this Website and its communication mediums, a relatively large degree of hostile opposition, harassment and spam has occurred. In order to keep our members/users free from being abused and have their time wasted, we must make it clear that anyone acting in an outright negative capacity against the social direction denoted in our materials will not be welcome here. If you are new to The Movement's ideas and are unclear; have questions or curiosities, then these communication mediums are not provided for your interaction until you agree to Membership/User status. This means that you have read the materials, watched the videos and honestly/sincerely support The Zeitgeist Movement overall, and would describe yourself as a Member to others.
Once again, these services are provided free of charge to those who have positive and supportive intents. They are tools for The Movement’s Members, not the public at large. Persons using these services, who do not reflect this basic disposition, will have their access revoked.
Overview:
These rules were written in an effort to assist/protect members in our communication mediums, to allow everyone to participate without prejudice or intimidation and encourage everyone to focus on civil communication methods.
Please note that all communications may be logged for reference.
Information Flow:
The flow of information within The Movement's communication mediums (IRC, TeamSpeak, Forum,Wiki) works in a Tier System, moving in responsibility from the USER, to the general MODERATORS, to the GLOBAL MODERATION TEAM. The Global Mod Team's central role is in navigating/applying administrative issues related to policy. This team is trusted with the privileged Administrative Access required to work with issues such as Account Suspensions.
Conduct:
1. Please treat everyone with respect. Insulting, derogatory and/or any other disrespectful discourse is inappropriate and unacceptable.
2. Please do not engage in personal attacks (arguing with and/or attacking the person instead of addressing the topic) and try not to respond to such attacks, except to redirect the discussion to the topic.
3. Respect the specific category/channel designations within the forum, IRC and Teamspeak and their descriptions. If you cannot find an appropriate category for something and you feel that it relates to The Zeitgeist Movement, submit a reply in the Using the Forum Software category, in the thread New Category Suggestions - Submit Here, suggesting that a new category be created. For IRC and Teamspeak, contact an operator or admin for assistance.
4. Respect a Moderator's decision to lock a topic, move a topic, delete a topic and/or prohibit further discourse, or request users move a particular discussion to another channel in IRC or Teamspeak. When topics are deleted, a placeholder will typically be left with the same or a modified title and a note stating that it was deleted (if you cannot find a topic, it does not necessarily mean it was deleted).
5. Please do not "bump" threads (replying with the word “bump”, or something similar, merely to move a thread to the top of the list), or repeat posts in IRC or Teamspeak (sometimes referred to as “flooding”). Users check the Recent Discussions because they prefer to view the most recent topics, not the topics that you want them to see. If you feel a topic deserves to remain visible, either post a suggestion in the Using the Forum Software category, or create a page for it in the wiki. Threads that are continuously bumped may be locked. Similarly, try not to duplicate threads (see below – General Advice, #2).
6. Do not post an individual's contact information unless it is already publicly available (such as for elected officials), or you have been given explicit permission from the person to do so. Also, use discretion before posting your own contact information such as phone numbers. Private messaging is the best way to exchange personal info, if necessary.
Moderator Enforcement Protocol:
The above rules/guidelines apply to posts, text chats, emails and any other activity conducted within The Zeitgeist Movement's website forums, IRC and VOIP mediums.
Summary:
Generally speaking, when a general user is believed to be in violation of these rules, and the user has an honest record of prior use, they will first be warned, publicly, in the platform on which the violation occurred, when the nature of the violation does not require immediate action, and when the violation does not appear to be intentional. They may also be warned privately, by personal message, chat, or other means.
If violations are repeated after an initial warning, the user will be suspended. Any suspension on any official platform will result in suspension from all platforms. The length and requirements of a suspension are decided by the administrator/mod acting. Reinstatement will generally be granted when the user acknowledges the nature of the infraction, makes all necessary amends, and agrees not to repeat the violation. Repeated violations and suspensions, which are deemed to indicate an unwillingness to respect the rules, will result in indefinite suspension.
In cases where a user believes that a suspension has occurred due to a misinterpretation, or when a user requests reinstatement, email globalmods@thezeitgeistmovement.com
The creation of additional accounts for the purpose of disputing or avoiding enforcement of the rules will be considered an intentional violation, and may result in indefinite suspension. See below for more specifics.
Account Suspensions:
The following is to show how Moderator decisions are made as far as suspensions. Basically, there are “experienced” users, which have over 150 posts or more, over a time period of more than a month, and there are “inexperienced” users which have less than 150 posts.
In the event of a rule violation, a warning is given in advance, privately or publicly. If this given warning is thus violated, then a suspension will then occur. The length and requirements of a suspension are at the discretion of the Global Moderation Team. Reinstatement will generally be granted when the user acknowledges the nature of the infraction, makes necessary amends, and agrees not to repeat the violation. Repeated violations and suspensions, which are deemed to indicate an unwillingness to respect the rules, will result in indefinite suspension. Also, the creation of additional accounts for the purpose of disputing or avoiding enforcement of the rules, will be considered intentional violation, and may result in indefinite suspension.
Public Notice:
All Suspended users with more than 150 Posts over a time period of more than one month prior to being suspended are listed in the Moderator's “Public Moderation Discussion” Category in the sticky thread called “List of Suspended Users “. Each entry will give an explanation/example of the violation/action taken. Those with less than 150 Posts will not be recognized/posted publicly when suspended. The issue of Public Notice also only applies when originating from the forum, not the IRC or TeamSpeak.
Conflict Resolution/Reporting:
USER > USER: Report the user to the Moderator of the specific medium, if possible. For the forum, this can be done by selecting the Report to moderator button located at the bottom right of each post/reply. USER > MODERATOR: Send any complaints/issues you may have with a Moderator to globalmods@thezeitgeistmovement.com. The team will review the issue and work to resolve it.
License:
Content posted here is provided under the Creative Commons License: License. By posting content here, you the public a perpetual, royalty-free, license to publish it here under the terms of the Creative Commons License. In accordance, we accept no obligation to delete or modify content posted here, and will do so at our sole discretion. This is a publicly accessible web site. While we will not disclose your email address, password, or contact information to any other parties, information posted to the forums, wiki, and community section is publicly viewable, and if you post contact information there, anyone will be able to view it. All information posted here will be made freely available to the public. By creating an account here, and posting information, you consent to the use of your user name, and any information you post, as public information. You agree not to provide personal information, unless you are willing to make it publicly available, and are authorized to do so. You agree that all information you post here will be public domain, and you grant the public an unlimited, royalty free license to use the information you post.
General Advice:
1. If there is a "sticky" thread at the top of a category titled Please Read Before Posting… (or similar), it’s highly recommended that you read it before posting any new threads to that category.
2. Before starting a new topic, search the forum for previous threads on the same topic.
3. Avoid hijacking another user's thread. Hijacking is typically defined as posting an unrelated and/or irrelevant reply which then leads to the thread going off-topic, typically. If you have a new or unrelated topic you’d like to present, then create a new thread. Similarly, if you create a thread, and decide to introduce a new subject, create a new thread. Doing so will make it easier for others to locate relevant topics/threads.
4. Before you ask general questions about The Zeitgeist Movement, or The Venus Project, please read all of the Q&A content on the main website, www.thezeitgeistmovement.com.
5. Please do not post information that you may later wish to delete. Once published under the license, it will not be removed or altered.
