Privacy Policy & Code of Conduct

AGU CONNECT COMMUNITY RULES & ETIQUETTE AND PRIVACY GUIDELINES

Thank you for being a part of the AGU community. To ensure the best possible experience for all participants, we have established some basic guidelines specific to this community and communications platform.

By joining and using this community (“Site”), you agree that you have read and will follow these rules and guidelines (“Guidelines”). You also agree to reserve discussions, shared files and content to those best suited to the medium. This is a great medium with which to solicit the advice of your peers, benefit from their experience, participate in ongoing conversations, and actively collaborate with one another.

Please take a moment to acquaint yourself with these important Guidelines. To preserve a climate that encourages both civil and fruitful dialogue, we reserve the right to suspend or terminate a participant’s ability to use AGUConnect if they violate these rules.

If you have questions about these rules, the community, or how you can participate, please contact AGU's Member Services department at service@agu.org.

The Rules

This community is a supportive and inclusive space and the discussions and comments here are meant to stimulate conversation. Let others have their say, just as you may, and treat them as you yourself would want to be treated. Don't be abusive or attack or harass others.

Users are prohibited from posting commercial and/or sales-related messages in any discussion, in any resource library, or in any other area where other Users might see it.

Use caution when discussing products. Information posted on the lists and in the libraries is available for all to see, and comments are subject to libel, slander, and antitrust laws. 

All defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, infringing or illegal materials are strictly prohibited. If such content is posted it will be removed. Do not post anything that you would not want the world to see or that you would not want anyone to know came from you. 

Please note carefully all items listed in the disclaimer and legal rules below, particularly regarding the copyright ownership of information posted. 

Remember this is semi-public discussion forum and that AGU has the right to use and reproduce postings from this Site for educational purposes and the purposes of discussion. 

Post your message or documents only to the most appropriate lists, discussion threads or libraries. Do not spam several lists or libraries with the same message.

AGU reserves the right to reject any message for any reason.

Discussion Group Etiquette

State concisely and clearly the topic of your comments in the subject line. This allows members to respond more appropriately to your posting and makes it easier for members to search the archives by subject. 

All participants should include only the relevant portions of the original message in their replies. It is best practice to delete any header information, and put your response before the original posting. 

Most messages are appropriate for a particular thread of discussion or for a subset of the member community. Do not post a message to the entire member community list unless it is relevant to the whole community. 

To avoid cluttering discussion threads, send messages such as "thanks for the information" or "me, too" to individuals--not to the entire list. Do this by using the "Reply to Sender" link to the left of every message.

Do not post administrative messages, such as remove me from the list. Instead, use the web interface in your profile to change your settings or to remove yourself from a list. If you are changing e-mail addresses, you do not need to remove yourself from the list and rejoin under your new e-mail address. Simply change your settings.  Please note however, that the change will only apply to AGUConnect. If you want to change your email for all AGU-related purposes, please visit our Members portal.

As a courtesy, warn other list subscribers of lengthy messages either in the subject line or at the beginning of the message body with a line that says, "Long Message." 

The Legal Stuff

This Site is provided as a service for the members of American Geophysical Union (AGU).  AGU is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this Site by others. We disclaim all warranties with regard to information posted on this Site, whether posted by AGU or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall AGU be liable for any direct, special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this Site.  You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless AGU and its directors, officers, employees, members, volunteers, agents, successors, and assigns, from and against any and all claims, proceedings, damages, injuries, liabilities, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses), relating to or arising from your use of this Site, any breach by you of these Guidelines, or any other matter for which you are responsible hereunder or under law.

By posting on this Site, you grant AGU a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free and irrevocable right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use your posting, in whole or in part, for educational purposes and for the purposes of discussion.

Do not post any defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials. Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner.

Messages shall not be posted if they encourage or facilitate members to arrive at any agreement that either expressly or implicitly leads to price fixing, a boycott of another's business, or other conduct intended to illegally restrict free trade. Messages that encourage or facilitate an agreement about the following subjects are inappropriate: prices, discounts, or terms or conditions of sale; salaries; profits, profit margins, or cost data; market shares, sales territories, or markets; allocation of customers or territories; or selection, rejection, or termination of customers or suppliers.

The trademarks, service marks, trade names, trade dress and logos (collectively, "Marks") contained or described on this Site are the sole property of AGU or other parties and may not be copied, imitated or otherwise used, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of their respective owners.  In addition, all page headers, custom graphics, button icons and scripts are the sole property of AGU and may not be copied, imitated or otherwise used, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of AGU. 

AGU does not actively monitor the Site 24/7 for inappropriate postings. However, AGU does periodically monitor the Site during business hours, and in the event that any inappropriate posting is observed by AGU or brought to the attention of AGU, we will take all appropriate action.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (the “DMCA”) provides recourse for copyright owners who believe that material appearing on the Internet infringes their rights under US copyright law. AGU reserves the right to remove any material on the Site which allegedly infringes another person’s copyright.  Notices to AGU regarding any alleged copyright infringement on this Site should be sent to service@agu.org.  Please provide the following in your communication:

 

  1. a description of the copyrighted work or other intellectual property that you claim has been infringed;

     

  2. a description of where the material that you claim is infringing is located on the Blog Network;

     

  3. your address, telephone number, and email address;

     

  4. a statement that the use of the copyrighted work is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law;


  1. a statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright or intellectual property owner or authorized to act on the copyright or intellectual property owner’s behalf; and

     

  2. an electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright or other intellectual property interest.

 

Any disputes arising in connection with these Terms and Conditions shall be resolved by binding arbitration in the District of Columbia, U.S.A. by a single arbitrator under the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association.  The award shall be enforceable in any court having jurisdiction thereof.  The validity, construction, and performance of these Guidelines shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia, U.S.A.

This Site is controlled and operated by AGU from its offices within the United States.  AGU makes no representation that the content and materials on this Site are appropriate or available for use in other locations, and access to them from territories where any of the contents of this Site are illegal is prohibited.  If you choose to access this Site from other locations, you do so on your own volition and are responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws.

American Geophysical Union reserves the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by these Guidelines.

AGU Master Privacy Policy

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is committed to protecting your privacy and we honor your right to make choices about what information to share about yourself.  This privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) describes how AGU collects information, including certain personally identifiable information, and how AGU may use, process, and share such information.

AGU reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time, but will notify you of significant policy changes. Members should review the Policy regularly to learn about other changes. Your use of the AGU website(s), including any AGU apps (the “Sites”), constitutes your acceptance of the Privacy Policy, including changes made from time to time.

Because of the nature of our business, AGU services and benefits are not designed to appeal to minors, and we do not knowingly attempt to solicit or receive any information from children.  To the extent that minors under the age of 13 do use an AGU web site and AGU is able to determine the age of web site users by their submissions to, or communications with AGU web sites, AGU will not knowingly collect information from such minors without their parent’s or guardian’s verifiable consent.

Every AGU officer, volunteer, member of staff, and AGU member who has access to data or personal information collected by AGU is charged with respecting the privacy of those who provided it, and is expected to respect the AGU Privacy Principles, and to follow this Policy.

Collection and Use of Information

To serve our vision - to galvanize a community of Earth and space scientists that collaboratively advances and communicates science and its power to ensure a sustainable future - AGU collects information about those who engage with us and/or visit our Sites. This information and the data derived are used, in part, to improve the communication and sharing of science, to understand and improve programs and websites, and to serve the interests of members, authors, meeting attendees and others.

Here are some examples of the types of information AGU may collect and how we may use it. Personal information is collected such as your name, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, other contact information, and credit card number.  Other non-personal information, such as education, employment data, gender, demographic information, and other scientific interest related information is also collected.

Once collected, AGU may use this information in a variety of ways including, but not limited to:

  1. To communicate with you about your membership, if applicable, or to communicate information about AGU. For example, we may send all new users a registration e-mail, and we will also occasionally send important notices or information.
  2. To provide you with prompt and effective customer service.
  3. To fulfill and/or deliver products and services such as subscriptions, meeting registration, submission of articles, administer scientific awards and honors, and in various other interactions.
  4. To build higher-quality, more useful services, such as by analyzing usage trends, and by measuring demographics and interests regarding specific areas of the Sites.
  5. To conduct internal assessments of AGU programs and membership; additionally, these data, in a consolidated form, may be used in publicly distributed statistical descriptions and studies of the AGU constituency.
  6. To help us understand membership trends, and gender and age differences with respect to perspectives about and usage of programs and the creation of new program offerings.

AGU members may add, correct, or update their personal information through a form on the AGU website or by contacting Member Services by phone at: +1-202-462-6900 (toll free in North America: 800-966-2481) or by e-mail at service@agu.org.

Sharing with Third Parties

AGU’s online Membership Directory contains basic contact information and membership data including Section and Focus Group affiliations. It is provided to facilitate personal communication between members only. The downloading of large numbers of records is forbidden. Access to the Membership Directory is restricted to members and requires a personal log-in.  Members are responsible for the security of data that they access and for keeping their own access codes confidential. The activity in member accounts is also monitored by AGU to identify patterns inconsistent with permitted personal use. A member account may be temporarily inactivated if it appears that it is being misused.

AGU does not sell or rent postal or e-mail lists. AGU will occasionally mail or e-mail a notice or survey on behalf of another organization to selected groups of AGU members and others who are engaged with AGU, when such material is deemed to be beneficial to those to be contacted, or to help advance the scientific mission of AGU. Such mailings and e-mails are subject to the review of staff members and/or AGU officers, depending on the nature of the message. 

AGU reserves the right to disclose information, including personal information obtained through the Sites, when disclosure is required by law or in a good-faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to legal requirements or comply with legal process served on AGU; (b) protect or defend the rights or property of AGU; or (c) protect the personal safety of AGU officers, personnel, members, volunteers, or members of the public in appropriate circumstances.

Opt In/Opt Out

AGU reserves the right to offer either an opt in or opt out option depending on the situation and the type of information being collected.   Any individual may decline to provide information requested by AGU. In this case, AGU may be unable to provide services for which such information is needed for security and/or identification purposes. Members may restrict the publication of all or selected elements of their personal information in the Membership Directory, and subscribers to any AGU online service can stop the service by sending an e-mail message to service@agu.org, telephoning +1-202-462-6900 (toll free in North America: 800-966-2481), or by writing to AGU, 2000 Florida Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009.

Access to and Ability to Correct Data

Upon request via postal mail, email, or telephone, AGU will provide Members or users with a summary of any personally identifiable information retained by AGU regarding the Member or user. Members or users may modify, correct, change, or update personally identifiable information that AGU has collected through the Site or may cause their personal record to be removed from AGU’s database by contacting AGU through a form on the AGU website or by contacting Member Services by phone at: +1-202-462-6900 (toll free in North America: 800-966-2481) or by e-mail at service@agu.org.

Keeping Data About Individuals Secure

Sensitive demographic information is stored in a separate, secure database that is not accessible via the Membership Directory.

Credit card information provided to AGU via its websites is transmitted via a secure server with commercial encryption software. Those not able to use a secure server may opt to place the order another way, via phone, fax, or postal mail. To comply with credit card company requirements, AGU stores certain information for 3 years from the date of the transaction. When requested by the card holder, AGU will retain credit card information for future specified uses.

Procedures have been employed to safeguard the security and integrity of your information. Although AGU takes these measures to safeguard against unauthorized disclosure of a user’s data or personal information, AGU cannot control Internet transmissions and cannot guarantee or warrant that data or personal information transmitted to AGU will never be compromised.

Cookies and Other Technologies

A “cookie” is a file that a website stores in a user’s computer for future reference. Individuals may set their browsers to reject cookies; however, there are AGU services, like meeting abstract and journal article submissions that will not function unless the user accepts the AGU cookie. For example, when a user returns to that AGU service, the cookie will identify the user as a previous visitor. Information supplied through an AGU cookie is used only by AGU to help enhance services provided and is not shared with others. 

Web “beacons” are transparent pixel images embedded at certain points on websites that are used to collect information about how users navigate and use the website for the purpose of understanding and improving the function of the site and the value of the content. AGU uses cookies or other trackers to improve some of its services, provide enhanced functionality on the site, and to aggregate traffic data (i.e., what pages are most popular).

“Cookies” and “beacons” may also be utilized by the third parties that we contract with to provide certain functions You may block or disable cookies or other trackers by changing the settings on your browser, but doing so may prevent you from accessing certain functionalities on the Sites.

Third Party Websites and Services

AGU provides links to other websites, including social media websites, that are not controlled by or contracted to AGU. A link from the AGU website is not an endorsement of any company, organization, or individual. AGU is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of those sites. AGU contracts with a 3rd party service provider for web or program transactional services.  In those cases, AGU will strive to ensure that 3rd party privacy practices are aligned with and abide by the AGU Privacy Principles and Policy.  You should review third party privacy policies in connection with visiting other sites.

Intellectual Property Rights and Protection vs Personal Privacy

Protection of intellectual property is a responsibility of the individual AGU member.  AGU has policies and practices in place to help support this protection.  Violation of intellectual property rights are legally covered through intellectual property laws, and not privacy laws.  Likewise, AGU Ethics Policy rather than AGU Privacy Policy are applicable for Intellectual Property concerns.  Members are asked to contact the legal officers at your home institution or organization, and to send a message to Ethics@agu.org if you believe you have experienced an intellectual property violation related to AGU programs.  

Changes to Policy

AGU reserves the right, at any time, to add to, change, update, or modify this Policy, simply by posting such addition, change, update, or modification on this Site. Any such addition, change, update, or modification will be effective immediately upon posting on the Site. When significant changes are made to the Policy that will directly impact how personal data is collected or used, AGU will notify you by additional means, such as posting a notice on the Site or sending you an e-mail, or some other mechanism. Users should review the Policy regularly to learn about other changes.

Governing Law

This Privacy Policy and the privacy practices of AGU will be subject exclusively to the laws of the District of Columbia within the United States of America. AGU makes no representation that this Privacy Policy and such practices comply with the laws of any other state or country. Visitors who use the Site and reside outside the United States do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable. If you reside outside of the United States, by using the Site, you consent to the transfer and use of your information outside your country.

Questions Regarding the Privacy Policy

If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy or Privacy Principles, or the use of this Site in general, please contact us by e-mail at service@agu.org.