draft text ... please review this together with the paragraph on penalties in this other thread
I've number these to ease discussion. They might need to be in a different order, too.
Article 2: Member Rights and Responsibilities
¶1: We enforce the following rights and responsibilities:
1. You may post under one registered screen name if you are 13 years of age or older. It is your responsibility to provide a valid email address and to state truthfully your age for board access or entry into any forum with age restrictions.
2. You may create and register characters for use in the There and Back Again forum (a role-play forum) as long as you first record them in the RP Character Registry. LINK It is also your responsibility to post there in a way that does not prevent other characters from participating nor unnecessarily stifle the creative options of other posters.
3. You may post in languages other than English in your threads, ranks or signature texts, as long as the foreign language is not being used to conceal an insult against other posters or a violation of board rules. Posts in foreign languages should be translated upon request, preferably by several members, and the translations of posters should be trusted.
4. You have the right to post in our Thinking of England forum (a forum restricted to those who are 18 years of age or older) without fear that information will be revealed irresponsibly or maliciously in other forums or outside Board77, but also the responsibility to post prudently and not expose yourself to unnecessary harm. It is also your right and your responsibility to keep that forum free of ridicule, provocation, or demeaning posts and to report violations of our by-laws to the administrators.
5. You have the right to post without fear of intentional insults that target your nationality, ethnicity, religion, native language, gender, age or sexual orientation, and an absolute responsibility to refrain from prejudicial language yourself.
6. You have a right to post without confronting advertising spam, pornographic pictures, sexually explicit conversation outside of the age-restricted forum, and pictures or conversations of an offensively violent or distasteful nature. You have a responsibility to use good judgment in your own posts and keep them free of gratuitous advertising, spam that would annoy any reasonable person, and pictures that would disgust or dismay any reasonable person.
7. You have the right to post on Board77 without fear of viruses placed there deliberately by other members. Your own computer should be free of internet viruses and you may not deliberately inflict damage on the board or the internet access of its members by hacking or deliberate introduction of viruses.
8. PM capability is a privilege and it can be turned off if it is used to harrass other members of the board.
• You may not use the board to solicit or encourage the participation of members in illegal activities, but this shall not impinge on a member's right to speak freely regarding the shortcomings, ethical or practical, of any given law.
9. If you are accused of violating the by-laws you have a right to a Hearing, the right to appeal a Hearing under certain circumstances, and the right to petition for the reversal of a ban under certain circumstances. It is your responsibility to abide by the decisions of our juries and to use proper procedure when contesting the decisions of administrators or jurors. You should refer to Article 4 of our Charter for a full explanation of your rights under any dispute procedure.
10. If you believe that any of the above rights are being violated, you may petition the administrators for redress.
¶2: We strive to create a culture and atmosphere that will also ensure the following rights for all members of Board77:
11. The right to be treated with courtesy and respect by all posters regardless of their status and therefore the responsibility to treat others likewise
12. The right to express one’s thoughts on any topic, no matter how controversial, but with respect, forbearance and consideration for the context, the feelings of others, and the value of contrasting viewpoints, and without making personal attacks against other posters, as this is necessary for worthwhile conversation among adults.
13. The right to use adult language that is generally acceptable in written media, coupled with the responsibility to refrain from unnecessary cursing or obscenities. We encourage everyone to use language that is clear and contributory (not spam or netspeak) without our having to restrict the expressions that are generally found in adult conversation.
14. We have a forum, LINK, where you can resolve personal disputes without disrupting the rest of the board. You have the right to post free of such disruptions from others and the responsibility to resolve your own personal disputes in a productive fashion.
15. Because we are a member-moderated board, you will have the opportunity to serve as an administrator, mediator or juror and even to run for elected officce. It is also your responsibility to participate in the governance of the board whether simply by voting when a quorum is needed, or by serving in some official capacity.
Our purpose in establishing these member rights and responsibilities is to build a vibrant, diverse, supportive community where both conversation and signature pictures reflect our personalities, our humor, our genuine opinions, our artistic appreciation, our creativity, and above all our mutual friendship.