Guidelines



The Alien Lounge and KidThrive.org believe in fostering a thriving online community that supports your discussions as a valuable component of shared media. Our hope is that you will learn from one another and share your experiences and stories in a safe and monitored environment.

Our Alien Lounge Guidelines have been developed to protect users from unsolicited emails and inappropriate discussion content. The guidelines outline the legal implications of using this tool and also includes recommended best practices when posting to The Alien Lounge.

When posting to The Alien Lounge, be sure that you are giving your opinion and back up this opinion with reasons. If you would like to stay anonymous, change the names of the people involved and NEVER post addresses, phone numbers, or other personal information, and always be respectful of others and their situations: everyone has their own story to share, and we must respect them for standing up and telling it!
 * Posting to The Alien Lounge**

These four recommendations provide a roadmap for constructive, respectful, and productive dialogue between users and their fellow Alien Lounge peers. These are not “rules” and thus they can’t be broken. There is no hidden meaning or agenda. We consider these to be “best practices guidelines” that are in the spirit of our culture and the best interest of all Alien Lounge users. We encourage all to follow these guidelines, but it is not mandatory to do so. It’s your choice. We really mean that.
 * Best Practice Guidelines**

Be thoughtful and accurate in your posts, and be respectful of how other users may be affected. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but keep in mind that others will view your posts and may not share your opinions. Take your time to use proper grammar and spelling, and make sure that your post will not offend or include offensive material such as slang, rude remarks, or accusations. We are here to share advise, not call each other out. The TAL team reserves the right to remove any hate speech from our site.*
 * Be Respectful of Your Fellow Users**

As an Alien Lounge user with intranet access, you have the opportunity to share your words, opinions and stories with the world. To ensure you are not misrepresenting yourself, check your facts and back up your argument with reasoning. This courtesy will help your readers with accurate insights, especially when you are discussing topics outside your area of expertise.
 * Get Your Facts Straight**

Please be sure to provide enough support in your posting to help other Alien Lounge users understand your reasoning, be it positive or negative. We appreciate the value of multiple perspectives, so help us to understand yours by providing context to your opinion. Whether you are posting in praise or criticism, you are encouraged to develop a thoughtful argument that extends well beyond “that is cool” or “that sucks”. We want more than this - your opinion matters, so make sure your words and reasoning are in your discussion posts.
 * Provide Context to Your Argument**

Not everyone who is reading your posts will feel comfortable approaching you if they have a difference of opinion. In order to maintain an open dialogue that everyone can comfortably engage in, Alien Lounge users are asked to welcome feedback from their peers who would like to respond, make suggestions, or report errors without having their comments blasted: remember, everyone is entitled to their opinions, and in sharing opinions we will learn and become better thinkers and people. Our users want to know what you think. If you havean opinion, correction or criticism regarding a posting, reach out for the user directly.
 * Engage in Feedback**

When you choose to go public with your opinions via a discussion post, you are legally responsible for your commentary. Individual users can be held personally liable for any commentary deemed to be defamatory, obscene (not swear words, but rather the legal definition of “obscene”), proprietary, or libelous (whether pertaining to The Alien Lounge, KidThrive.org, individuals, or any other company for that matter). For these reasons, users should exercise caution with regards to exaggeration, colorful language, guesswork, obscenity, copyrighted materials, legal conclusions, and derogatory remarks or characterizations. In essence, you posts (or post on the discussion threads of others) are your responsibility. Outside parties actually can pursue legal action against you (not KidThrive.org) for postings.
 * Liability**

KidThrive.org can, at any time and without warning and/or notification, remove posts deemed inappropriate, obscene, and/or off topic for the discussions presented, and can/will remove TAL members that post said content without notice or warning. Please do not use The Alien Lounge to post personal messages to other members and/or carry on personal conversations - remember, all registered Alien Lounge users can read what you post.
 * Public Access**

Alien Lounge users can send messages to other registered users. Should you at anytime receive unwanted messages and or contact with another user, please contact alienlounge@kidthrive.org immediately. We will handle the matter for you.
 * Unwanted User Communication**

© 2010 OneSeventeen Media and KidThrive. Alien Lounge is the property of KidThrive.org