Terms of Service

Date of Last Revision: May 10, 2022

Welcome to Mensa Connect, American Mensa's online Community— a place where Mensans from across the country can interact, debate, and meet new friends.

Mensa Connect has new members visiting on a daily basis, and the online communities are often the first point of interaction for new members. In addition, Mensa Connect is the only Mensan interaction for many longtime members.

In order to ensure a pleasant environment and interactions for all, you'll find the following general guidelines for Mensa Connect below.


PURPOSES

The purposes of Mensa Connect are:

  • to support member, group, and community-related Mensa activities;
  • to provide a forum for, and be supportive of, the exchange of opinions and ideas among Mensa members;
  • to facilitate communications for Local Groups, SIGs, committees, officers, and National Office staff;
  • to promote the overall health and growth of American Mensa; and
  • to aid members in pursuing the ideals of Mensa as expressed in the Mensa Constitution.

Mensa Connect is for general discussion in a number of topic areas. Subscribers must be current members of Mensa.

For questions about Mensa Connect or to volunteer as a moderator, please email MensaConnectSupport@us.mensa.org. For technical assistance, visit our Forum Support Community and Community FAQ, or email MensaConnectSupport@us.mensa.org.

 

LIMITS

While discussion and debate are encouraged, there are some limits as to how the discussion may be conducted. Content deemed inappropriate for this service, based on the moderators' reasoned opinions, may include:

  1. messages that are pornographic or that contain nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.
  2. long messages which contain more than 200 lines or 10,000 characters, except for FAQs that have been posted by the moderator; messages or attachments cross-posted to several services (except proper FAQs).
  3. messages or attachments cross-posted to several threads (except proper FAQs and Community announcements) and flooding (multiple or repeated posting of the same content).
  4. messages or attachments which are chain letters, known hoaxes, or commercial advertisements.
  5. activity which violates or infringes the rights of others including trademark, trade secret, copyright, publicity, or other proprietary rights, or use or abuse of another member's account.
  6. messages or attachments which undermine the spirit of camaraderie in the community, such as (but not limited to):
    • Personal attacks or inflammatory or antagonistic comments (includes ad hominem, trolling, flame-baiting, or picking fights, etc.)
    • Making fun of or belittling others and/or their beliefs, age, intelligence, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, career choices, or credentials, etc., including posting outside information that's likely to be humiliating 
    • Publishing personal information about others without permission 
    • Ongoing, offensive private messaging
    • Bullying — repeated, hostile behavior that is intended to harm, or intimidate others
    • Ignoring requests to return to the topic of a given thread
  7. messages or attachments which contain personal attacks or threats against another Mensa member, whether or not they are a member of the given community.
  8. messages or attachments which do not contribute to the purpose of this service or which tend to disrupt the purpose of the thread in which they are posted.

The above list is not intended to be exhaustive, but to give general guidance for conduct that is likely to be unacceptable within Mensa Connect in general. RVCs, LocSecs, SIG Coordinators, Area Coordinators, and Committee Chairs may set additional expectations and limits for the communities they manage and are expected to make those expectations and limits known to members of those specific communities. 


GENERAL DISCLAIMER

American Mensa, Ltd. accepts no responsibility for the opinions and information posted via its Internet Communications Services by its members or guests. Additionally, American Mensa is not liable for damages resulting from information transmitted via these services or from any interruption or failure of these services.


ORGANIZATION

Community Moderators are appointed by Community Administrators such as SIG Coordinators and LocSecs. General Discussion Community Moderators are appointed by the Communications Officer. Community Administrators may add or remove Moderators as they deem necessary to ensure the smooth running of their communities. Moderators are responsible for maintaining the sense of camaraderie within Mensa Connect and moderating and facilitating member interactions. Moderators are important resources for members in Mensa Connect and serve as representatives of American Mensa.

Moderator responsibilities may include:

  • Welcoming and encouraging new forum members
  • Providing guidance for members who are unclear about the Terms of Service (TOS)
  • Answering questions regarding AML and Mensa Connect
  • Renaming, editing, or deleting messages to keep message threads and libraries organized and consistent
  • Issuing official private or in-community warnings regarding off-topic posts and potential TOS violations
  • Immediately placing members on moderation following a perceived breach of the TOS, until such time as the Moderators, Lead Moderator, and/or Com3 (see below) has determined a course of action
  • Approving or denying moderated posts based on tone and content

In addition, Community Administrators and Moderators administer these Terms of Service with regard to the day-to-day functioning of Mensa Connect, ensuring an optimal online experience for each community member. From answering questions to participating in discussions, Moderators actively encourage a positive atmosphere in each of the communities.

The Communications subcommittee on Community Issues (Com3) acts as the evaluative body for issues arising on Mensa Connect. Com3 is appointed by the Communications Officer, reviews complaints, and may recommend corrective action for violations of these guidelines.

 

ACTIONS AND INTERVENTION

Mensans have many strongly held opinions, and there will be disagreements from time to time on Mensa Connect, some of which may get quite heated. If you are experiencing a difficult interaction with another member and are unable to resolve the issue yourself, please notify the moderator(s).

If a member violates the intent of this service, these guidelines, or the American Mensa's Minimum Standards for Internet Services, they may be subject to any or all of the following actions:

  • Informal Intervention - A moderator may participate in the discussion thread, asking participants to tone down and self-edit their posts.
  • Take it to Private Messages - A moderator may request that participants move the conversation to private messages.
  • Ignore User - Members are under no obligation to read posts they consider negative or abusive. Additionally, members don't have to like everyone or agree with anyone. Members do have to get along at least within the extent of these guidelines. Sometimes this may entail ignoring and distancing oneself from other participants or discussions. A moderator may request that participants disengage from unpleasant and hostile situations by simply ignoring each other or by requiring them to not reference or engage each other in the Community.
  • Moderator Intervention - A moderator may warn one or more participants that certain posts are not acceptable. The moderator will note the offensive behavior, and after receiving such a warning, participants should conduct themselves more appropriately. A moderator may also edit or delete posts or "lock" topics.
  • Moderated Status - A moderator may change the settings so that a member's messages will be held and approved for posting individually by the moderators.
  • Interim Suspension - If a poster's online behavior is alarmingly out of line, the specific Admin/Moderator of a given Community may suspend that member from the Community until Com3 has a chance to review the situation and determine the wisest long-term course of action. 
  • Formal Warning - If a participant continues to violate these guidelines, despite moderator intervention, a formal warning will be given. Following a formal warning, participants will be monitored for compliance with these guidelines.
  • 30-day Suspension - If a participant continues to disrupt the social atmosphere of the Community, Com3 or the specific Admin/Moderator of a given Community will review the situation and may recommend suspending general or specific Community access for 30 days. A formal written letter explaining the specific rationale for the suspension will be sent.
  • 90-day Suspension - If, after a 30-day suspension, a participant resumes inappropriate posting, Com3 or the specific Admin/Moderator of a given Community will review the situation and may recommend suspending general or specific Community access for 90 days. A formal written letter explaining the specific rationale for the suspension will be sent.
  • Long-term Suspension - If, after a 90-day suspension, a participant resumes previously identified inappropriate activity, Com3 or the specific Admin/Moderator of a given Community will review the situation and may recommend suspending general or specific Community access indefinitely. A formal written letter explaining the specific rationale for the suspension will be sent.
  • Other actions deemed appropriate - While these actions cover most instances of intervention, it may not cover all situations. Consequently, other actions may be taken to ensure Mensa Connect is not disrupted or abused.

If suspension for 30 or more days is recommended, the suspension may begin immediately, but the participant(s) will be requested to share their views and explanations before the term of the suspension is finalized. They shall be afforded up to seven days to do this.


APPEAL

Members may appeal to the AMC Communications Officer if they have concerns regarding moderator interventions. The Communications Officer will consult with the specific Admin/Moderator of a given Community as well as any other people or groups deemed appropriate in making a decision regarding those interventions. 

Members who have been suspended indefinitely may apply to the Communications Officer for reinstatement no earlier than one year from the date they were suspended or the date of their most recent application. The Communications Officer, in consultation with the Administrator or Moderator of the community in which the TOS violation occurred, will render a decision within fourteen days of receiving the appeal, and may consult with other appropriate parties in making a decision regarding the suspension.