XNA.com Code of Conduct

Revised, October 2008

As part of Microsoft's commitment to making XNA.com a great place to meet and interact with others around the world, Microsoft has created rules in this document for safe and professional participation in XNA.com (our “Code of Conduct”), which you agree to abide by. Your adherence to this Code of Conduct in all message board services, chat areas, news groups, forums, communities, and/or other message or communication services or facilities within XNA.com (including any contents of any of these services or facilities) designed to enable you to communicate with the public at large or with a group, increases the chances of a positive experience for all XNA.com users.

All activity on XNA.com is also governed by the XNA.com terms of use at http://creators.xna.com/help/termsofuse (the “Terms of Use”).

By accessing or using the XNA.com website, you agree to comply with this Code of Conduct and the Terms of Use.

What not to do

• Don’t use XNA.com to do anything illegal, like posting any material or information that is defamatory; is infringing; is obscene; constitutes or includes child pornography, bestiality, or incest; is harassing; promotes illegal drugs or illegal drug use; or is otherwise unlawful.
• Don’t threaten, harass, stalk, abuse, or spam others participating in the XNA.com community.
• Don’t post or discuss anything that advocates or encourages expressions of violence, bigotry, racism or hatred, or use profanity.
• Don’t upload files or post messages that contain photos, music, software, or other material protected by intellectual property laws, rights of privacy or publicity, or any other applicable law unless you own or control the rights in these materials or have received all necessary consents from the individual or company that owns or controls those rights.
• Don't give out information that personally identifies you or anybody else (such as real names, addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, etc.) while you're visiting XNA.com or when using any of the communication services or facilities accessible through XNA.com.
• Don’t post materials that could harm other users' computers or would allow others to inappropriately access software or web sites, such as any content that contains destructive features such as: viruses, worms, trojan horses, or bots.
• Don’t participate in disruptive activity, such as persistent off-topic comments and postings or statements that incite others to violate this Code of Conduct or the Terms of Use or to participate in illegal activities.
• Don’t post links to external sites that violate this Code of Conduct or the Terms of Use.
• Don’t impersonate or harass Microsoft employees, moderators, other users, or other staff members.

What you should do:

• In helping to make XNA.com a great place to meet and chat, do your part to uphold this Code of Conduct and the Terms of Use.
• Periodically review this Code of Conduct and the Terms of Use to ensure you are doing your part by complying with any new rules or polices that Microsoft may put in place from time to time.
• Report users who violate this Code of Conduct or the Terms of Use. Links to report abuse or violations are available from a user’s profile page, games detail pages, and forums.
• Carefully guard your personal information.
• If you are a parent, be aware that links and content on the Internet may not be suitable for children. Join your child in surfing and exploring the Internet, and use Family Settings available on the Xbox 360 and in Windows Vista to control your child’s experience and how much interaction your child can have in the community.
• In addition to upholding this Code of Conduct and the Terms of Use, you must also adhere to all local and national laws that pertain to your location and to your access and use of XNA.com.

Personal Information

• We caution you against giving out personally identifiable information (such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, names and addresses, telephone numbers, drivers license numbers) to strangers online, which may be used for illegal or harmful purposes. Some personal information you provide to Microsoft may be stored outside of the country in which you reside.
• To read the XNA.com Privacy Statement, please see the Privacy Statement at http://creators.xna.com/help/privacy, which is also accessible from the applicable hyperlink found at the bottom of every web page on XNA.com.

Remember

• You are responsible and liable for all your activities while participating in XNA.com and for protecting your own computer system against interference or viruses that may be encountered on the Internet and XNA.com.
• Microsoft may eject or ban any user who behaves in a manner deemed inappropriate, offensive, or who violates this Code of Conduct, the Terms of Use, or any other guidelines issued by Microsoft.
• Microsoft may at any time, without notice, delete any content from XNA.com. Microsoft is not obligated to send users or hosts a warning before deleting any content.
• Microsoft may access or disclose information about you, including the content of your communications, in order to: (a) comply with the law or respond to lawful requests or legal process; (b) protect the rights or property of Microsoft or our customers, including the enforcement of our agreements or policies governing your use of XNA.com or other Microsoft services; or (c) act on a good faith belief that such access or disclosure is necessary to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, customers, or the public.
• Be sure to reread this document once in a while because Microsoft will update it periodically. Some parts of XNA.com will have additional guidelines that you must also review and comply with.
• Microsoft isn’t responsible for what you say or how you act on XNA.com, you are.