Terms Of Use

Introduction

Before registering and posting at the Forum, please review this Terms of Use page and our Community Standards and Posting Policies.  If you have any questions or problems in the registration and approval process, please email Cassius@EpicureanFriends.com for assistance. If you find these terms unacceptable for any reason, you are still welcome to read the public sections of this site, and we hope you will consider joining one of the many other general philosophy or Epicurean discussion forums on the web.

Clicking through and registering an account is your representation that you have read, understand, and agree to the following:

Our Purpose

The purpose of EpicureanFriends.com is to promote the study and application of Classical Epicurean Philosophy, and to allow those who share this goal to communicate with one another in a friendly and dedicated community free from contemporary political controversies and from adulteration through Humanism, Stoicism, Buddhism, and other competing viewpoints.

Our goal is to create a community where authentic Classical Epicurean Philosophy can be pursued among like-minded friends. Posters should always treat each other with respect and consideration "as though Epicurus were watching."

Your Agreement In Registering For An Account

Registrants agree to familiarize themselves with the goals an rules of conduct of EpicureanFriends.com as set forth in the five pages linked above. Registration is your agreement to adhere to these rules. This online community was founded by and for people who are interested in Classical Epicurean philosophy, rather than non-Epicurean or eclectic combinations of the philosophies. Many forums for the discussion of other philosophies exist elsewhere, and discussion of non-Epicurean viewpoints should be conducted here only to assist in the better understanding of Epicurus. Posts which are primarily discussion or promotion of non-Epicurean ideas should be made elsewhere.

Key Posting Policies

1. No Contemporary Politics: This forum is dedicated to promoting the philosophy of Epicurus, and not to any contemporary political positions whatsoever, whether “left,” “right,” or “center.” The task of rediscovering Epicurean philosophy requires that such controversies be pursued elsewhere. Posts and accounts violating this rule are subject to immediate removal without warning at the sole discretion of the Administrators. This rule does not exist because Epicurean philosophy has no application to these issues, but because our primary goal is to build a friendly community dedicated to the rediscovery of Epicurean philosophy. Discussion of contentious contemporary political issues which distract us and divide us before our goal can be accomplished is not consistent with the goal of this site. Please keep this big picture in perspective and pursue discussion of how Epicurean philosophy may apply to contemporary political controversies elsewhere.

2. No Appeals To Supernatural Religion: Epicurean philosophy firmly rejects the viewpoint that there are any supernatural forces which define right and wrong conduct, and it likewise rejects all claims to absolute right and wrong such as is promoted by viewpoints often referred to as "Humanism." Arguments based on such premises are improper for pursuit on the forum. Posts and accounts violating this rule are subject to removal.

3. No Appeals To Absolute Virtue: Epicurean philosophy rejects the existence of absolute virtues or Platonic ideals of any kind. Posts or accounts which pursue such arguments based on claims of “absolute” virtues or ideals are improper for this forum and are subject to removal.

Other Posting Policies

1. If your postings prove to be disruptive to the purpose of the forum, as determined by the Administrators, your posting privileges may be terminated at any time.

2. Posters shall respect the right of each member to "live unknown" to the extent that he or she sees fit. Postings here will be deemed licensed to the forum to be made available to others to reread for an indefinite time in the future, regardless of whether the account is terminated or withdrawn, so please post responsibly. In order to encourage the free flow of information, participants are welcome to register with a pseudonym / "pen name." Use of real names is not necessary, and posting of personal information of any kind should be minimized. Participants are free to disclose personal information about themselves as they see fit, but personal information about other participants in the Forum shall not be disclosed without their prior consent.

3. When you register, you must confirm promptly that you are not a spammer or bot! We make a diligent effort to protect our community from spamming and trolling. For that reason we send a “Welcome” email to all new registrants. Once you are registered, you must respond to the "Welcome" message within twenty-four hours to show that you are a real human being. If you do not respond, we will presume you are a spammer and your account will be deleted. If you have any difficulties in registration or setting up an account, please contact Cassius@EpicureanFriends.com.

Legal Terms:

Limitation of liability for internal content

We use our best efforts to compile the content of this website with care and to the best of our knowledge. Discussion of philosophy is inherently a matter of opinion, however, and we cannot assume any liability for the up-to-dateness, completeness or accuracy of any of the pages. You are responsible for the content of your posts, and EpicureanFriends.com is not responsible for the content of your post or that of any other user.

Limitation of liability for external links

Our website contains links to the websites of third parties (“external links”). As the content of these websites is not under our control, we cannot assume any liability for such external content. In all cases, the provider of information of the linked websites is liable for the content and accuracy of the information provided. At the point in time when the links were placed, no infringements of the law were recognisable to us. As soon as an infringement of the law becomes known to us, we will immediately remove the link in question.

Copyright, Fair Use, And Continued Use Of Posted Material

The content and works published on this website are governed by the copyright laws of the United States. Any duplication, processing, distribution or any form of utilisation beyond the scope of copyright law shall require the prior written consent of the author or authors in question. The forum does not claim copyright for any material not stated as produced originally at EpicureanFriends.com, and postings here are, unless stated specifically otherwise, open to reuse under the GPL 3.0

All registrants agree that they are granting to EpicureanFriends.com a non-exclusive license in perpetuity to continue to host the information submitted in their posts, even if their account is withdrawn or terminated. While a limited degree of editing of posts is allowed, it is essential to the flow of information that posts remain in place over time so that the conversation builds value for all readers of the forum. Please use discretion in posting and refer to our recommendation that registrants not create user names or posts which contain personally identifying information.

EpicureanFriends.com is committed to respecting intellectual property rights while promoting education and the lawful use of copyrighted materials. We believe that the content hosted on EpicureanFriends.com complies with applicable copyright laws, including the fair use doctrine under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act, and other regulations that permit the use of copyrighted materials for educational purposes.

The materials on this website are provided for educational, non-commercial purposes, such as teaching, scholarship, research, criticism, comment, or news reporting. We believe that our use of copyrighted materials, where applicable, qualifies as fair use under U.S. copyright law, which considers factors such as:

1. The purpose and character of the use (e.g., educational, transformative, or non-profit).
2. The nature of the copyrighted work.
3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the whole work.
4. The effect of the use on the market value of the original work.

In addition, certain materials may be used in accordance with other legal provisions, such as permissions granted by copyright holders, public domain status, or specific exemptions for educational institutions or libraries.

EpicureanFriends.com expects that all material posted on its website conforms to copyright law, including those laws allowing the fair use of material respects the intellectual property rights of others and complies with the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). If you believe that content hosted on EpicureanFriends.com infringes your copyright, you may submit a takedown notice to our designated DMCA agent. Please follow the instructions below to ensure your notice is valid and processed promptly.

DMCA Takedown Notice Policy

EpicureanFriends.com respects the intellectual property rights of others and complies with the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). If you believe that content hosted here infringes your copyright, you may submit a takedown notice to our designated DMCA agent. Please follow the instructions below to ensure your notice is valid and processed promptly.

How to Submit a DMCA Takedown Notice

To file a DMCA takedown notice, please provide the following information in writing:

1. A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf.
2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed (e.g., a description of the work or a copy of the work, if applicable).
3. Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing, including its location on our website (e.g., the specific URL where the material appears.
4. Sufficient contact information to allow us to reach you, including your name, address, telephone number, and email address.
5. A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, their agent, or the law.
6. A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the copyright owner’s behalf.
    

Where to Send Your Notice: Please send your DMCA takedown notice to our designated DMCA agent [email='Cassius@EpicureanFriends.com'][/email].

What Happens After You Submit a Notice: Upon receiving a valid DMCA takedown notice, we will promptly remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing content, notify the user who posted the content, if applicable, and provide them with an opportunity to file a counter-notification, and take further action as required by law or our policies, which may include account termination for repeat infringers.

Counter-Notification Process

If a user believes their content was removed in error, they may submit a counter-notification. We will forward valid counter-notifications to the original complainant and may restore the content if no further legal action is taken within the timeframe specified by the DMCA.

Submitting a false or misleading DMCA notice may result in legal consequences, including liability for damages.

All notices and counter-notifications may be shared with relevant parties as required by law.

For questions about this policy or the DMCA process, please contact our DMCA agent at the above address. For legal advice, we recommend consulting an attorney.

Thank you for helping us maintain a lawful and respectful online environment.

Data protection

A visit to our website can result in the storage on our server of information about your access, such as date, time, and page accessed. This does not represent any analysis of personal data (e.g., name, address or email address). If personal data is collected, this only occurs – to the extent possible – with the prior consent of the user of the website. Any forwarding of the data to third parties without the express consent of the user shall not take place. It is our intent to collect and store as little personally-identifying information about you as we are able to do while still providing these website services.

It is essential to understand that transmission of data via the Internet by postings, messages, email, or other messages creates inherent security vulnerabilities. It is impossible to safeguard the data of this website completely against hacking, governmental monitoring, or unauthorized access by third parties. We cannot assume any liability for damages arising as a result of such security vulnerabilities. The best rule of thumb to follow is that the only way to be sure that your communications, posts, or other material do not appear in the New York Times, or stored for use by the NSA or other governmental or internattional agencies, then do not post the material in the first place.

The use by third parties of all published contact details for the purpose of advertising or commercial profit is expressly excluded. We reserve the right to take legal steps for the protection of the forum's interests as stated herein.