Internet Usage Policy

Effective as of 2/1/2000:
Any usage over 300 hours per month on a residential dial-up account and 500 hours per month on a commercial dial-up account will be considered excessive usage. We feel that these limits are more than adequate. If you are on the consumer level account and do not feel that this is a sufficient amount on online time for you, contact us. We can upgrade your account to our Business plan that allows you 500 hours at $42.95 per month.

Acceptable Use Policy
You may use your account for communications, research, public relations, education, and entertainment. This statement describes certain uses which are consistent with the purposes of the Internet. It is not intended to exhaustively list all such possible uses or abuses. We expect our subscribers to respect the culture and civility of communications and discourse on or through the Internet. We expect our subscribers to maintain respect for privacy, legal issues, and courtesy to other Internet users and network resources.

Ethical Guidelines

We expect you to:

• Obey all federal and state laws regarding your use of the Internet and information obtained or transmitted through the Internet
• Respect the ownership of information including copyright and license agreements
• Be courteous in your use of the Internet and network resources
• Respect the opinions of others and their right to voice those opinions
• Respect the culture and civility of communication and discourse on or through the Internet

Legal Issues

You may not use your account:

• For any purpose which violates US federal or state laws
• To interfere with or disrupt network users, services or equipment including distributing unsolicited advertising, propagating computer worms or viruses, and using the network to make unauthorized entry to other computational, information, or communications devices or resources
• To transmit threatening, obscene, or harassing materials

Network Integrity or Efficiency

You may not use your account:

• In a manner that precludes or significantly hampers its use by others
• To send messages likely to result in the loss of recipients' work or systems
• To send or respond to "chain letters"
• To broadcast message to lists or individuals that have not explicitly expressed an interest in such messages, particularly where such use causes congestion of the networks or otherwise interferes with the work of others
• To intentionally develop programs that harass other users or infiltrate a computer or computing system and/or damage or alter the software components of a computer or computing system

Courtesy

You must be courteous in your use of the Internet. Please:

• Respect the privacy of other users; for example, you should not intentionally seek information on, obtain copies of, or modify files, other data, or passwords belonging to other users, or represent yourself as another user unless explicitly authorized to do so by that user.
• Respect the legal protection provided by copyright and license to programs and data.
• Use the Internet in ways consistent with ethical guidelines and accepted community standards; malicious use is not acceptable.
• Follow the Acceptable Use Policies of any networks you may use as an FTP or Telnet site.
• Be aware that many networks are production or communications networks that many people rely on for business, education, or communications; uses that significantly interfere with the ability of others to make effective use of the network are not acceptable.
• Assume that information and resources are private to the individuals and organizations which own or hold rights to those resources and information unless specifically stated otherwise by the owners or holders of rights; it is not acceptable to use your account to access information or resources unless permission to do so has been granted by the owners or holders of rights to those resources or information.

Commercial Use

Traditionally, the Internet has not been used for commercial or advertising purposes. Many networks, sponsored by government or educational institutions, still have stringent restrictions on commercial use. While the opportunities for commercial use are extremely attractive, there are accepted methods of accomplishing commercial objectives. Other Internet users must seek out or ask for the information.

You must appropriately market, advertise, or circulate public relations for your products or services; for example, you may create a World Wide Web site to advertise products or services and give support or ordering instructions, or you may start a news group to open a forum for discussion. Other Internet users may then choose to view your Web pages or participate in discussions.

Unsolicited advertising is not acceptable. Advertising is permitted on some mailing lists and news groups if they explicitly allow advertising. Announcements of new products or services are acceptable.

This page used with permission by Info Avenue Internet Services.