• Out In America welcomes people of all sexual orientations, ages, races, religions, genders, ethnicities and viewpoints. Out In America will not tolerate expressions of bigotry, hatred, harassment or abuse, nor will Out In America tolerate threats of harm to anyone. Bashers will not be tolerated. Bashing of any kind is not permitted at Out In America. Chat Guides are instructed to immediately and permanently "BAN" any such individual and/or groups from the chat service upon the first offense.

• If you have any questions about the chat rules, or need to report a violation, please use our feedback form located here.

• Chat visitors that are between the ages of 13 and 17 years of age, may only chat on our Youth Floor. Chat Guides have been instructed to ask all visitors that are between 13 and 17 years of age to remain on the Youth Floor only.

 If the visitor does not comply, our Chat Guides are empowered to do the following:

1. Remove the Visitor from the chat room.
2. Kick the Visitor off the chat service.
3. Ban the Visitor from using the chat service.

• Chat visitors that are 18 years old and over, may participate or chat in any of our Adult Chat Floors. Any visitor over the age of 18 found on the Youth Floor chat area, will be asked to move to our Adult Floors.

  If the visitor does not comply, our Chat Guides are empowered to do the following:

  1. Remove the Visitor from the chat room.
  2. Kick the Visitor off the chat service.
  3. Ban the Visitor from using the chat service.

• Transgendered members of our chat community will be treated as any other individual if their gender specification, if their bio-profiles are indicated by the following:

1. Out In America will determine that "Transgendered FtM" will be deemed as "Males"
2. Out In America will determine that "Transgendered MtF" will be deemed as "Females"

• Transgendered persons designated "MtF" who visit our Women's Chat Floor are restricted to the use of the following rooms only:

1. Friendly Visitors
2. Transgendered and Friends
3. Transgendered MtF

If the visitor does not comply, our Chat Guides are empowered to do the following:

1. Remove the Visitor from the chat room.
2. Kick the Visitor off the chat service.
3. Ban the Visitor from using the chat service.

• Transgendered persons designated "Ftm" who visit our Men's Chat Floor are restricted to the use of the following rooms only:

1. Friendly Visitors
2. Transgendered and Friends
3. Transgendered MtF

If the visitor does not comply, our Chat Guides are empowered to do the following:

1. Remove the Visitor from the chat room.
2. Kick the Visitor off the chat service.
3. Ban the Visitor from using the chat service.

• All "Member Created" rooms that are found on our Chat floors, will adhere to, and follow all of the Guidelines contained here in, set forth by Out In America. Chat guides are empowered to do the following, if any "Member Created" rooms do not adhere to our Guidelines:
  
  If the visitor does not comply, our Chat Guides are empowered to do the following:

  1. Remove the Visitor from the chat room.
  2. Kick the Visitor off the chat service.
  3. Ban the Visitor from using the chat service.

• Advertising is not permitted in public chat room, profiles or nicknames. The term
  "advertising" is determined by Out In America to be:

1. Any visitor that is offering "ESCORT", "4-Hire", "4-Rent", "Professional Masseur and Massage services", and also not limited to offering money for these services, such as, "Generous", "Money and/or Cash for", "$$$ for". Chat Guides are instructed to "private" the visitor in violation, and issue a warning to remove the name and/or bio line profile containing any of the aforesaid information. If the visitor refuses to change the aforesaid
   information, and/or is a continuous abuser, the Chat Guides are empower to do the following:
   
   
   • Remove the Visitor from the chat room.
   • Kick the Visitor off the chat service.
   • Ban the Visitor from using the chat service

    

2. Any visitor that redirects other visitors via a "hyper-link URL", that leads to an "adult oriented/pornography" and/or "pay for" and/or "membership" based site, shall be deemed as a "parasite" and/or "ad-bot" by Out In America, and will be:
   
   • Banned from using Out In America chat services.

   If continuous offenses are noted by Out In America Chat Guides, Floor Managers and Team Leaders, the visitor in violation will be reported to their "Internet Service Provider" for violation of site terms.

• Out In America believes everyone's chat experience should be a positive one. Visitors who purposely disrupt conversation in any room will be removed from the chat rooms.
  
  Examples of "disruptive" offenses include:
  
  1. Filling the chat window with the same continuous message.
  2. Self-indulgent evangelism.
  3. The usage of "ALL CAPS".
  4. Repeated changing of user names within the chat rooms.

• Unacceptable foul or profane language used in any form to "bash" and/or "harass" another visitor or Chat Guide, Floor Manager or Team leader is not permitted.

• Illegal or fraudulent activities are not permitted.

• Impersonating another person and/or visitor is not permitted.

• Please use the "IGNORE" function as a tool to protect yourself from harassment in the chat rooms. The "IGNORE" function is located in the "People" pulldown menu, ("Women" on the Women's Floor) in each chat room. DO NOT try to defend yourself. Most visitors naturally want to defend themselves, but a reaction from you is just what the "harasser" wants. He/she is seeking the attention of someone to latch onto and harass. When you reply to them, you are letting them know you are upset. That is exactly what they want. No matter how hard it is to do, "IGNORE" these people. When they realize that they cannot bother you, they will move on to the next chat room and try to find attention from someone else.

• Chat Guides have been instructed to acknowledge their presence in the chat service by posting their names, while on duty, in the "Assistance Rooms" of the floor they are monitoring for any assistance you need with "bashers", "harassers", or anything dealing with problems with the chat service.

• Out In America does not interfere with the relationships made by its visitors. Please "DO NOT" contact the Chat Guides, Floor Managers or Team Leaders to mediate disputes you may be having with other visitors in the chat rooms. Chat Guides, Floor Managers and Team Leaders are instructed to refrain from these interpersonal disputes among visitors. You are legally and ethically responsible for all works you transmit through our service. Be aware of how you want to be treated and respect the rights of others, including the right to privacy, and the right not to be libeled or slander. We encourage settling disputes without Chat Guide, Floor Manager or Team Leader intervention.

• Promotional material and solicitations may not be transmitted to visitors, unless officially sanctioned by Ethan Interactive, Inc.

• To seek help in the chat rooms, and/or any questions you may have, go to the "Assistance Room", located at the top of each chat floor, and enter into a private chat with one of the Chat Guides, by "double clicking" on their name.

• Out In America reserves the right to change, revise, delete and/or make any additions it deems necessary to assure and secure the safety of our chat visitors.
  

Document last updated 10/01/2002, and approved by the Chat Team Leader Staff