Terms of Use / Code of Conduct

[Last Updated: July 2010]

This is the Terms of Use AND Code of Conduct, all rolled into one package. Simply put, this is how we expect you to behave, think, breath, talk, and express your love to one another while on our website. (And just so we’re clear, the rule on expressing your love to one another is “Please don’t.”) These rules are here for your safety, as well as ours. If you don’t follow these rules, you will be punished.

All activity on the Sandswept Studios Web Site is also governed by the Sandswept Studios Terms of Use and Code of Conduct.

Please take note that our games may contain somewhat mature content, depending on how mature you actually are. Our website may contain screenshots and other media from our games.

Sandswept Studios is not responsible for the content or activities in any user-created communication service. We reserve the right to terminate your access to any Sandswept Studios Web Site communication service or delete without notice content found to be in violation of this Code of Conduct. That is to say, if we don’t like the way you act, we have any and all rights to remove you swiftly and without warning.

The services provided on these pages are designed for non-commercial, individual use. Some information you provide or upload to Sandswept Studios Web Site may be stored outside of the country in which you reside. These rules may be changed at any time. Stay up to date and check the Code of Conduct and Terms of Use often to ensure you’re not doing anything that will make us upset. And you don’t want to make us upset.

Simply Put: Be Polite

We’re in charge. You’re not. You’re our guest, we’re your host. If you play nice, you get cookies, presents, and fancy dinners. If you don’t, you get to sit outside in the rain and cold while everyone else is inside the big fancy house enjoying themselves.

Not Quite so Simply Put

If you want to be a jerk, your family, “friends”, and distant relatives can deal with that. No one else here wants to, so we have a low tolerance for impoliteness.

While on the Sandswept Studios Web Site, you are not permitted to break our rules. Here is a list of our rules.

The Sandswept Studios Web Site and the services provided therein are not to be used to transmit any unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable content, as determined by any Sandswept Studios Web Site employee, designee, moderator, or admin. This includes material which a user may find embarrassing or which may cause distress, unwanted attention or discomfort to them. It also includes vulgar and abusive language, even when masked by symbolic characters, and includes login names, screen names and club names. No one else thinks your 1337 is a clever cover-up for that dirty username. Don’t make an offensive username. That includes, but is not limited to, usernames including vulgarities, slang, racial slurs, common words a hobo may find offensive, and any other form of stupidity. Use your brain, and you shouldn’t have a problem with this.

We reserve the right to remove, at any time and without notice, any user or group for violations of this Code of Conduct. Again, you’re our guest. Follow our reasonable set of rules, and you won’t have any problem with this happening to you.

The impersonation of any Sandswept Studios employee is (as you might expect) completely forbidden, as is the impersonation of any other Sandswept Studios Web Site user. Also, do not spam. Ever. Spam includes sending identical and irrelevant or unsolicited submissions to many different users, and includes misrepresenting the source of anything you post.

Users use Sandswept Studios Web Site at their own risk and of their own volition.

Regarding Discussion and/or Commitment of Illegal Activities

DON’T.

Sandswept Studios does not allow behavior or content related to illegal activities. If you violate the law, you will be responsible for the consequences. You cannot use the Sandswept Studios Web Site to publish, post, distribute, or disseminate defamatory, infringing, obscene, or other unlawful material or discussion. This includes, but is not limited to, child pornography, bestiality, incest, illegal drugs, software piracy and other forms of piracy, racketeering, money laundering, blackmail, murder, prostitution, slavery, hobos taking up valuable bench-space in our parks, fraud, cannibalism, theft, insulting your’s or anyone else’s dear sainted mother, vigilantism, harassment, jumping speedboats like James Bond did in that one movie, and acts of treason against the king.

You may not use Sandswept Studios Web Site for the purpose of linking to external sites that violate this Code of Conduct.

Do not 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 thereto or have received all necessary consents. Sandswept Studios is not responsible for any use of material posted by users. Also, do not plagiarize material. That is to say, do not claim to have written something you did not. That is illegal. If someone else wrote it, be sure to say who, or at least mention you were not the author.

Do not post or promote any materials that contain destructive content such as viruses, worms, Trojan horses, avian bird flu, or other materials that could harm or disrupt another user’s computer or would allow others to inappropriately access software or web sites.
In addition to upholding this Code of Conduct, you are responsible for adhering to all applicable local and national laws.

Stuff to Blame on Ariana

While you may use the appropriate areas of the Sandswept Studios forums to post something, like a nice poem you wrote, we are not responsible for any data loss. If your beautiful poem disappears due to an error, we expect YOU to have backed it up. We are not responsible for any loss of data.

If Ariana decides she doesn’t like your poem, she might delete it. Make sure you’ve backed it up on your own PC, piece of paper, napkin, or somewhere else. Simply put; don’t count on only our forums to store your data. Ever.

You are responsible for all of your activities on the Sandswept Studios Web Site and for any actions you may take based on advice or information you receive online. Use your own judgment when evaluating information provided by anyone else, and remember that the information provided could be from people at any age or experience level, and who may not have your best interests in mind. The decision to conduct transactions is your own and you should perform your own research prior to making any decisions.

This is The Part Where We Tell You That You’re Responsible for Yourself and We’re Just Too Busy to Make Sure You Stay Out of Trouble

We caution you against giving out any personally identifiable information (such as social security number, credit card number, name, address, telephone number, driver’s license number, password, etc.) online. This information can easily be used for illegal or harmful purposes. Just because the rules prohibit people from misrepresenting themselves doesn’t mean that they’ll obey. You never really know who you’re talking to.

You are responsible for protecting your computer against interference or viruses that may be encountered on the Internet and Sandswept Studios communication services. We do not screen, backup, or restore user-created material stored within The Sandswept Studios Web Site. We recommend you install a virus protection program on your computer and keep it up to date.

Some content and links on the Internet contain adult content that is not suitable for children or people with sensitive dispositions. We encourage parents to join their children as they explore the Internet to be aware of and exercise control over the material encountered, and to ensure your children do not post images of themselves, school records, or any other identifying information that could be used in a harmful manner. We reserve the right to amend or change the Code of Conduct at any time and encourage you to periodically review these guidelines to ensure you are in compliance.

Besides, this wall of text is pretty darn hilarious. But serious. (Selarious?) You will be held accountable for the things mentioned here-in. Follow the rules, play nice. The ultimate goal is to have fun here.