Vineyard.NET's Acceptable Use Policy

• Ensure security, reliability and privacy of Vineyard.NET's systems and network, and the networks and systems of others

• Avoid situations that may cause Vineyard.NET to incur civil liability

• Maintain the image and reputation of Vineyard.NET as a responsible provider

• Preserve the value of Internet resources as a conduit for free expression

• Encourage the responsible use of net resources, discouraging practices which degrade the usability of network resources and thus the value of Internet services

• Preserve the privacy and security of individual users

System abuse is strictly prohibited. Vineyard.NET, Inc may terminate or modify service immediately and may bill for any resulting support charges if the client engages in system abuse. Following is a list of actions which are defined to be system abuse. The examples named in this list are non-exclusive, and are provided solely for guidance to Vineyard.NET customers. If you are unsure whether any contemplated use or action is permitted, please send mail to policy@vineyard.net and we will assist you.

Please note that the actions listed below are also not permitted by Vineyard.NET customers even when conducted using facilities belonging to other Internet Service Providers.

• General Conduct

  1. Customers are prohibited from transmitting on or through any of Vineyard.NET's services, any material that is, in Vineyard.NET's sole discretion, unlawful, obscene, threatening, abusive, libelous, or hateful, or encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any local, state, national or international law.

  2. Vineyard.NET services may only be used for lawful purposes. Transmission, distribution, or storage of any information, data or material in violation of United States or state regulation or law, or by the common law, is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, material protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, or any other statute. Vineyard.NET reserves the right to remove such illegal material from its servers.

  3. Customers are prohibited from engaging in deceptive marketing policies, such as those defined by the Federal Trade Commission Deception Policy Statement.

  4. The customer is responsible for keeping his billing data with Vineyard.NET up-to-date and accurate. Furnishing false data on the signup form, contract, or online application, including fraudulent use of credit card numbers, is grounds for immediate termination, and may subject the offender to civil or criminal liability.

  5. The resale of Vineyard.NET products and services is not permitted, unless specifically provided for and documented in a written agreement between Vineyard.NET and the customer.

• System and Network Security

  1. Customers may not attempt to circumvent user authentication or security of any host, network, or account (also known as "cracking"). This includes, but is not limited to, accessing data not intended for the Customer, logging into a server or account the Customer is not expressly authorized to access, or probing the security of other networks (such as running a SATAN or using a similar tool).

  2. Customers may not attempt to interfere with service to any user, host, or network ("denial of service attacks"). This includes, but is not limited to, "flooding" of networks, deliberate attempts to overload a service, and attempts to "crash" a host.

  3. Customers may not use any kind of program/script/command, or send messages of any kind, designed to interfere with a user's terminal session, via any means, locally or by the Internet.

  4. Customers may not impersonate Vineyard.NET staff.

  5. Users who violate systems or network security may incur criminal or civil liability. Vineyard.NET will cooperate fully with investigations of violations of systems or network security at other sites, including cooperating with law enforcement authorities in the investigation of suspected criminal violations.

• Email

  1. Harassment, whether through language, frequency, or size of messages, is prohibited.

  2. Customers may not send email to any person who does not wish to receive it. If a recipient asks to stop receiving email, the customer must not send that person any further email.

  3. Customers are explicitly prohibited from sending unsolicited bulk mail messages ("junk mail" or "spam"). This includes, but is not limited to, bulk-mailing of commercial advertising, informational announcements, and political tracts. Such material may only be sent to those who have explicitly requested it. Adding or attempting to add other users' email addresses to any Internet mailing list is also prohibited.

  4. Customers may not forward or otherwise propagate chain letters (multiple forwarding) of any type, whether or not the recipient wishes to receive such mailings.

  5. Malicious email, including but not limited to "mailbombing" (flooding a user or site with very large or numerous pieces of email), is prohibited.

  6. Attempting to cancel, supersede, or otherwise interfere with email or USENET posts other than one's own is not permitted.

  7. Forging of header information is not permitted.

  8. Vineyard.NET accounts or services may not be used to collect replies to messages sent from another Internet Service Provider, where those messages violate this Acceptable Use Policy or the Acceptable Use Policy of that other provider.

  9. These rules apply to other types of Internet-based distribution mediums as well, such as RLG's Ariel system (a system for sending FAX-like documents over the Internet). USENET postings have their own regulations; see below.

• USENET

  1. Vineyard.NET provides access to an uncensored newsfeed. As such, Vineyard.NET does not control the content of the newsgroups available to its customers. Vineyard.NET is not responsible for the content of any USENET posting, whether or not the posting was made by a Vineyard.NET customer.

  2. Postings to USENET newsgroups must comply with the written charters or FAQs for those newsgroups. Advertisements should only be posted in those newsgroups whose charters/FAQs explicitly permit them. The poster is responsible for determining the etiquette of a given newsgroup, prior to posting to it.

  3. Customers are prohibited from posting the same or similar message to large numbers of newsgroups (excessive cross-posting or multiple-posting, also known as "USENET spam").

  4. Customers are prohibited from posting chain letters of any type.

  5. Customers are prohibited from posting binary files to newsgroups not specifically named for that purpose.

  6. Customers are prohibited from cancelling or superseding posts other than their own, with the exception of official newsgroup moderators performing their duties.

  7. Customers are prohibited from forging header information. This includes attempting to circumvent the approval process for posting to a moderated newsgroup.

  8. A customer may not solicit mail for any address outside of Vineyard.NET, with the intent to harass an individual, organization, or collect replies after Vineyard.NET service has been terminated.

• Individual Accounts (Dialup Users Only)

  1. Vineyard.NET dialup accounts are intended for use by a single individual.

  2. Multiple simultanious logins are prohibited.

  3. Password security is the responsibility of the individual user. Good passwords should be a minimum of five characters long, contain at least one number or symbol, and are not based on any dictionary word or common name. Please read the password FAQ for more info. Customers may not share passwords or accounts with others.

Reports of activity in violation of this policy may be sent in e-mail to policy@Vineyard.net.