Acceptable Use Policy

• Thou shalt not spam Usenet.
• Thou shalt not send junk email.
• Thou shalt not break the law.
• Thou shalt not abuse the Net.
• Thou shalt not peeve the Admin.
• Thou shalt behave like a clueful human being.

Just because something does not appear on the following list does not mean that it is permitted. See above regarding breaking the law, abusing the Net, and peeving the Admin. If you have any questions, ask! However, even before you ask, the following things are flat-out prohibited:

• Spam. See our Spam Policy below for details. We mean it!
• Spam our users. We have a very aggressive postmaster who really hates spam.
• Distribute warez, stolen software, or whatever else you want to call it.
• Distribute illegally copied music and movies. (We detest the RIAA too, but the law is the law)
• Commit other violations of copyrights and other intellectual property rights.
• Spread viruses, worms, or trojans (intentionally or otherwise).
• Distribute information on how to create or disseminate same. There are enough already!
• Display any banner, pop-up, etc. intended to simulate a system message, dialog box, error, or warning, including such advertising elsewhere directing traffic to a Winterhome-hosted site.
• Run scripts that place an unreasonable load on our server in any way.
• Do anything likely to get our own providers, anyone else we do business with, or the cops, peeved at us.

Any unsolicited bulk email or Usenet spam sent by you or anyone associated with you, either through Winterhome's servers for any purpose, or sent from anywhere else for the purpose of promoting a website hosted on Winterhome, will result in:

• The immediate termination of your account without notice or refund
• A cleanup service charge of $250, plus $10 per complaint received
• In the case of Usenet spam, an additional $10 per posting cancelled
• Coordinated action with your other ISP(s), if any, and all other sites affected

In addition, we reserve the right to post your name, address, phone number, company data, and any other information we have or can obtain about you, in any place we choose, including but not limited to this website, the various net-abuse newsgroups, and public restroom walls. Don't spam.

The only type of bulk email that may be sent from Winterhome or in connection with a website hosted on Winterhome is opt-in, and preferably double opt-in. For example, your website might offer people a chance to sign up for your newsletter, and it's even better if you then email them and ask them to confirm that they really want the newsletter, and not add them to the list unless they confirm. Opt-out unsolicited email in any way, shape, or form is absolutely prohibited.

We take net abuse very, VERY seriously. If that is how you want to do business, do it somewhere else.

For those parasites who have invented the concept of "free commercial speech" and try to use it to justify the harassment of people who do not want to be their customers, the forcible appropriation of individual and network resources (which most people would call stealing) and the ruin of Usenet: It's a free country, which means we're free not to do business with you. Get lost.