Acceptable Use Policy

The following guidelines are to help all the users of the web site to share opinions in a constructive manner.  Document editors and forum moderators will use these guidelines when deciding what content should feature on our site.

Articles

Articles published on the web site should be consistent with the vision and values of St Mary's.

The author should ensure to the best of their ability that information is accurate, truthful and appropriate for the intended readership.

The author should ensure that they are not infringing any copyright restrictions (on text or images) when writing articles for this web site.

Forums

Forums are provided as a facility for site members and visitors to exchange views and messages. All users should recognise that comments made in the forums reflect not only on themselves but also on St Mary's as a whole. Forum messages must not be used to bring St Mary's into disrepute.

Forums are social environments and the normal rules of social interaction apply. The remoteness of the recipients is not an excuse to communicate in an anti-social manner.

What is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour will normally be obvious to all, and will in any case be determined at the discretion of the forum moderator.  But just in case, here are some of the things that would not be acceptable:

• Inappropriate, offensive or obscene language
• Personal criticism, sarcasm or belittling of other users
• Harassment, intimidation or aggression 
• Lying or giving deliberately misleading information
• Deviation from the spirit of a conversation

Users should not contribute to a forum topic unless their contribution is intended to further the aims of the topic.

Forum messages reflect the views of the individual, not St Mary's.  However the spirit of a discussion topic should be consistent with the values and vision of St Mary's, and discussions that are considered inappropriate for this environment may be removed.

Personal exchanges should take place directly (i.e. using e-mail), not by posting to a forum.

Copying or forwarding of private information to a forum posting (without the original author's explicit permission) is a breach of privacy and should not take place.

Forum moderators are able to remove any messages that do not meet the above guidelines, or for any other reason.

 Play nicely!