The Green Button Code of Conduct

Your use of The Green Button forums constitutes acceptance and agreement to our Code of Conduct.

WHAT TO DO

• Encourage freedom of expression and the open exchange of information and ideas about Media Center.
• Ensure a friendly atmosphere to forum members and visitors to The Green Button.
• Ensure the privacy of our members and of others.
• Have fun and play nice with the other kids on the playground.

WHAT NOT TO DO

• Don’t use The Green Button forums to do anything illegal or fraudulent. Microsoft is not responsible for anything you say on the website or for anything that happens because of what you say; you alone are responsible.
• Don’t harass, abuse, spam, threaten, bully, intimidate, or stalk other members.
• Don’t distribute, post, publish, upload, display, or link to any content (including images, audio, video, software, messages, or text) that is, or could be considered to be, defamatory, obscene, derogatory, inflammatory, malicious, fraudulent, deceptive, or unlawful.
• Don’t distribute, post, publish, upload, display, or link to any content that incites, advocates, promotes, depicts, constitutes or expresses child pornography, profanity, hatred, bigotry, racism, illegal drug use, gratuitous or graphic violence or criminal or fraudulent activity.
• Don’t, distribute, post, upload, display, or link to any content that infringes upon or violates the copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, publicity, privacy, or other rights of any third party.
• Don’t post links to websites that violate this Code of Conduct.
• Don’t post user names and passwords that facilitate, enable, encourage, or advocate illegal copying or unauthorized distribution of third-party copyrighted material or any other illegal activity.
• Don’t give out information that personally identifies you (such as your real name, address, phone number, or credit card number). This information could be used by others for illegal or harmful purposes.
• Don’t give out the personal information of other members.
• Don’t post links to viruses or other materials that could harm other users’ computers or would allow others to inappropriately access software or websites.
• Don’t impersonate or harass Microsoft employees, moderators, or staff members.
• Don’t misrepresent yourself or the source of anything you post, including impersonation of another individual or entity.
• Don’t attempt to solicit, or collect personally identifiable information of any minor (anyone under 18 years old), including, but not limited to: name, email address, home address, phone number, or the name of their school.
• Don’t engage in conversations about topics unrelated to Media Center that take up a substantial amount of the forum space and prevent members from finding Media Center-related information.
• Don’t use the forums for any commercial purpose unless posting in designated forum areas.
• Don’t post discussions about circumventing or defeating any technical copyright protections such as DRM.
• Don’t share software product keys on The Green Button.
• Don’t spam. Spam includes, but is not limited to, the following:
  • Excessive off-topic threads
  • Nonsensical messages
  • Flooding the forum with similar-meaning messages
  • Post-count farming
  • Unsolicited advertising via private message or e-mail
  • Messages without content
  • Repeated posting with constant referrals to other websites for no purpose other than the promotion of that website
  • Fraudulent activity (pyramid schemes, chain letters, etc.)

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

We encourage members to report abuse or violations of the Code of Conduct to us.

We encourage parents to be aware of and help exercise control over the content that is posted and over the activities of their children to keep them safe online. For some parts of this service, parents can set family settings that control the child’s account and activity.

Please be advised that Microsoft is not responsible for the content on the websites associated with links posted by Forum members. Some content and links on the Internet may contain adult content and may not be suitable for children.

Microsoft reserves the right to amend or change the Code of Conduct at any time without notice by posting the revised Code of Conduct on the site. We encourage you to periodically review these guidelines to ensure you are in compliance. We will indicate at the top of this Code of Conduct the date such document was last updated, and any changes will be effective immediately upon posting.

TERMINATION AND CANCELLATION

Microsoft reserves the right to immediately terminate or suspend a user for violations.

If you violate this Code of Conduct or the Terms of Service, action may be taken against your account.

If we are notified that you have posted inappropriate content of any kind, it will be removed, and your account may be suspended or terminated. Microsoft is not obligated to send you a warning before these actions occur. Microsoft is not obligated to monitor every post, but we have the right to remove any post or take action against any user.

Microsoft reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to review and remove user-created services and content at will and without notice, and delete postings or ban participants that are deemed objectionable.

If you have questions about this code of conduct, please contact tgb@microsoft.com.