It’s funny how even from people’s intended blows you can learn something valuable.

The short version - image: flickr/rantz (click)

A couple of years ago when I was blogging about the dubious operations of a gaggle of ‘internet marketing experts’ (cough) somebody, by a remarkable coincidence, set up a number of blogs linking my name to keywords like ‘scam’ and ‘ripoff’ (see ‘Internet ninja cowboys … spoofing revisited‘) and tried to subscribe this blog’s email address to ‘spam me’ lists and dozens of email newsletters and websites, including what appears to be a gay dating site.

At the time I blogged (see ‘Internet ninja cowboys … or schoolboys?‘) how a robot mail list gatekeeper was smart enough to realize it probably wasn’t me subscribing to all those newsletters, automatically ignored the subscribe requests, and gave me a profile of the sort of angry dork that does that sort of thing.

Gmail filters the spam really well. Some services, however — including the gay dating website — have harmlessly kept the fake account alive on their lists (I’d need to log in to unsubscribe, the tweebs have the log in details and I can’t be bothered). Nothing generally arrives.

Today, though, an updated privacy policy/terms of conditions from that website arrived … and it’s really good! It includes this section, which I would be happy to adapt for use here on The Paepae:

Content Removal. The Company reserves the right, but has no obligation, to monitor the information or material you submit to the Service or post in the public areas of the Service. The Company will have the right to remove any such information or material that in its sole opinion violates, or may violate, any applicable law or either the letter or spirit of this Agreement or upon the request of any third party.

Posting and Communication Restrictions. You will not post on the Service, transmit to other users, communicate any content (or links thereto), or otherwise engage in any activity on the Site or through the Services, that:

  • promotes racism, bigotry, hatred or physical harm of any kind against any group or individual;
  • is intended to or tends to harass, annoy, threaten or intimidate any other users of the Site or Services;
  • is defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, offensive, sexually oriented, obscene or otherwise objectionable;
  • contains others’ copyrighted content (e.g., music, movies, videos, photographs, images, software, etc.) without obtaining permission first;
  • contains video, audio photographs, or images of another person without his or her permission (or in the case of a minor, the minor’s legal guardian);
  • promotes or enables illegal or unlawful activities, such as instructions on how to make or buy illegal weapons or drugs, violate someone’s privacy, harm or harass another person, obtain others’ identity information, create or disseminate computer viruses, or circumvent copy-protect devices;
  • intended to defraud, swindle or deceive other users of the Service;
  • contains viruses, time bombs, trojan horses, cancelbots, worms or other harmful, or disruptive codes, components or devices;
  • promotes or solicits involvement in or support of a political platform, religion, cult, or sect;
  • disseminates another person’s personal information without his or her permission, or collects or solicits another person’s personal information for commercial or unlawful purposes;
  •  is off-topic, meaningless, or otherwise intended to annoy or interfere with others’ enjoyment of the Site or Services;
  • impersonates, or otherwise misrepresents affiliation, connection or association with, any person or entity;
  • solicits gambling or engages in any gambling or similar activity;
  • uses scripts, bots or other automated technology to access the Site or Services;
  • uses the Site or Services for chain letter, junk mail or spam e-mails;
  • collects or solicits personal information about anyone under 18; or
  • is in any way used for or in connection with spamming, spimming, phishing, trolling, or similar activities.

No False Information. You will not provide inaccurate, misleading or false information to the Company or to any other user. If information provided to the Company or another user subsequently becomes inaccurate, misleading or false, you will promptly notify the Company of such change.

Pretty good list, huh? (‘off-topic, meaningless, or otherwise intended to annoy or interfere with others’ enjoyment of the Site’ — well, gee, that’d be a pretty subjective one to ‘police’, but it’s a good catch-all.)

– P