Posting U2U on threads?

Is posting u2u messages that one has received on a regular thread a violation of the terms and conditions? If yes, can any of the mods show me where it is a violation against the terms and conditions to post u2u messages that one has received as it states in the terms and conditions? Thank you.

1c.) Intellectual Property: You will not post in a message any copyrighted material, material belonging to another person, nor link to any copyrighted material (with the exception of publicly available sites and pages that the legal owners of the copyrights have created to make that material freely available to the general public), unless that copyright is owned by you or by this website.

It's pretty much saying you can't post something that another person has written without their permission. So just ask the sender if it's alright if you can post their U2U on the board.

Not a mod. Just bored

What you showed me only relates to copyright material. The ownership of the message is relinquished as soon as it is sent out. U2U messages are not copyright protected.

I've received a distasteful U2U in the past, one which contained a veiled threat, and I posted it in a thread. As far as I know, it's still there, and I never received a warn. I had no idea it was against the T&C.

reply to post by souls


I really don't know if it's covered in the Ts & Cs or not but let's face it, if someone sends you a message which is private by its very nature it's just damned bad manners to publish it without their consent.

If ownership is indeed relinquished as soon as it is sent out, then I'd say that you would be able to post a U2U from another member.
But if ownership is relinquished as soon as it is sent out, then I guess I don't understand copyright. If I write something, then I was under the impression that I owned it, and that anyone wanting to repost that text anywhere would have to ask me for permission. This is true for all board posts, and members have been banned before for copying text from ATS onto other boards. If I lose the copyright to the text as soon as I send a U2U, then why do I still keep the copyright for a board post once I hit 'post reply'?

Also, it would be horrible manners not to ask the person first. Even if it wasn't against the T&C's, you could at least offer them that courtesy.
If you are posting the U2U to spite them, then perhaps you shouldn't be posting it at all.

[edit on 12/10/2007 by watch_the_rocks]

Yes but bad manners are all relative. What I'm looking for is the explicit statement showing that posting a u2u message is a violation of the T&C.

reply to post by watch_the_rocks

3) Content Copyright: By posting on this message board, you relinquish all exclusive copyright privileges to the material you post and you grant The Owners non-exclusive rights to publish your posts in perpetuity in all forms protected under our ATS Creative Commons License. AboveTopSecret.com LLP has the authority to decide to display your postings or not, and modify your posts to remove offensive material, modify your post title to accurately reflect content, remove vulgar comments, remove insults or delete any other content deemed inappropriate, at our discretion.

Although this applies mainly to the owners, this makes sense to be applied to material, and or messages sent to other user's.

reply to post by souls


If you're that confused or surprised about the warning have you tried sending a U2U to the mod who took the action?

Yes I have all I got was we are "discussing this right now and that we will get back to you." If the violation is not clear cut that they have to discuss it over, then why jump to the conclusion of giving a warn when they themselves do not understand the situation?

[edit on 12-10-2007 by souls]

2f.) Private Messages: You will not use the private messaging system (U2U) to send mass messages to multiple member accounts. All private messages are subject to these terms and conditions, violations will result in immediate account termination.

Seems pretty clear cut to me. We don't need a dictionary to look up "private". Anything "private" is not for mass consumption. As the system IS "private" messages, one would assume that a degree of "privacy" is inherent in the sending of said "private" message.

OK?

reply to post by souls


You appear to be addressing your questions to the wrong people. If the mod has said they'll get back to you it would probably be polite to wait until they do before you start questioning their actions.

or why not just figure that they frown upon doing that and take it as a lesson not to do it again -- the warn goes away in a couple of days if you don't do anything else to be warned about.

Besides it is simple good manners not to post a private message on a public board - if you had an issue with the message you should have alerted the mods to the message and they would have handled it.

reply to post by intrepid


Although it seems clear cut, I still have to say it does not. If it was so clear cut then what is it that the mods need to discuss.

You will not use the private messaging system (U2U) to send mass messages to multiple member accounts.

This says that you will not send mass U2U to multiple accounts preventing spamming.

All private messages are subject to these terms and conditions, violations will result in immediate account termination.

The messages are subject to the terms and conditions and the terms and conditions do not state that you cannot post u2u messages on regular threads even if they are "private" messages.

Timeless test,

I understand what you are saying but it should not be so hard to see that there is no such ruling for that action.

Originally posted by souls
reply to post by intrepid

 

Although it seems clear cut, I still have to say it does not. If it was so clear cut then what is it that the mods need to discuss.

He probably didn't have the answer for you and wanted to discuss it before he gave you an answer.

*snip*

The rest is irrelevent. They are PRIVATE messages, as I've already explained above about "PRIVACY."

reply to post by justme1640


You don't understand. The issue of good manners is irrelevant here. If it is a violation of T&C then it should be specified.

reply to post by intrepid


Can you show me then were it stated on your privacy policy?

reply to post by souls


What part of "privacy" and "expectation of privacy" is difficult to grasp? Are you having a problem with the word "private"?

If someone attacks you verbally via u2, you should always submit a complaint and allow staff to handle it.

Posting a u2 that was sent to you confidentially and using it respond to an attack with your own attack is in violation of the Terms & Conditions. Watch the Rocks is right in that the material could be considered copyright by the person who wrote and permission would be needed from that member before the contents of a private message can be made public.
Intrepid also make a valid point.. However beyond all of that

this is what is the most important
www.abovetopsecret.com...

5b) Cooperation: You will, if asked by myself or a moderator, cease posting any content, and/or links to content, deemed offensive, objectionable, or in poor taste by the representatives of the message board.

There is a proper way of handling u2 complaints, posting private communication within a discussion thread is not the way to do it.

thread closed, please use the complaint feature.

[edit on 10-12-2007 by worldwatcher]

I was privately wondering...

But now I'll do it in public, why is this made for ATS drama here and not submitted as a complaint?

Mod Note: Complaints and How to Contact ATS Staff– Please Review This Link.

Mod Note: ATS Complain/Suggestion Form – Please Use This Link.

U2U's are private, if they were public, they would be threads and/or posts...

It is somewhat amusing that on a conspiracy board there is a need to spell out the presumption of privacy... I guess the "plan" is working.

NWO Monkeys, not just for every nook and cranny of your life anymore...