ASME PeerLinkSM RULES AND CONDITIONS
Welcome to the ASME PeerLinkSM section (“ASME PeerLink”) of the ASME Web site ("ASME.ORG"), which is operated by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (“ASME” or “we”).
Acceptance of Rules and Conditions of Use.
These rules and conditions (“Rules”) govern your use of ASME PeerLink, and you must review and accept them before you may register or use the site. By registering, you are accepting these Rules as an individual and not on behalf of any other party (such as your employer). You promise that you have (and will maintain) all permissions and approvals needed from other parties for you to use ASME PeerLink and to comply with these Rules.
The Rules supplement and incorporate the ASME Terms of Use and ASME Privacy Policy. (If there is any conflict between the documents, these Rules take precedence for purposes of your use of ASME PeerLink.) YOU SHOULD READ THE TERMS OF USE [insert link] CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY INCLUDE IMPORTANT PROVISIONS ABOUT WARRANTIES, LIMITATION OF LIABILITY, INDEMNIFICATION, AND HOW (AND WHERE) DISPUTES BETWEEN YOU AND ASME MAY BE RESOLVED.
If you accept these Rules (including the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy), please click the “I AGREE” button at the bottom to proceed with registration. If you do not accept them, please click the “I DISAGREE” button to cancel the registration process, and you will not be permitted to access and use ASME PeerLink.
Please check these Rules regularly because we may modify them from time to time by posting modified Rules on this page or, if we determine that it is appropriate, by giving you additional notice of the changes. Your continued use of ASME PeerLink after we have posted amended Rules indicates that you agree to the amended Rules. If you have questions about the Rules, please send an email to peerlink@asme.org.
Persons Under Age 18.
Only persons aged 18 years and older may use ASME PeerLink. By registering for ASME PeerLink, you represent that you are at least 18 years old. If you are not 18 years old, you may not use ASME PeerLink in any way.
Guidelines for Forming, Maintaining and Terminating Communities Within ASME PeerLink.
ASME PeerLink enables participants to communicate and collaborate with others who share similar technical interests or job functions in special subsections of the site (each, a “Community”). If the type of Community you are looking for does not exist, you may suggest the formation of a new Community by clicking the “Suggest a Community” link on the blue navigation bar of the ASME PeerLink "Home" page and following the instructions provided. Any new Community proposal is subject to ASME’s review and approval, which ASME may grant or deny in its sole discretion. All Communities must relate to ASME’s purposes, described in our Articles of Incorporation and Constitution as follows:
· promoting the art, science and practice of mechanical engineering and the allied arts and sciences;
· encouraging original research;
· fostering engineering education;
· advancing engineering standards;
· promoting information exchanges among engineers and others;
· broadening the usefulness of the engineering profession in cooperation with other engineering and technical societies, and
· promoting a high level of ethical practice.
ASME prohibits Communities to be formed or used, in whole or in part, for the benefit of third-party organizations, businesses, products, or services. Furthermore, ASME reserves the right at any time to terminate inactive Communities or Communities that otherwise fail to comply with ASME’s purposes (set forth above), the ASME Terms of Use, ASME Privacy Policy, or these Rules.
Some participants, which may include you, volunteer their services to other participants as facilitators (“Facilitators”) within one or more Communities. For example, Facilitators may assist by contributing material, answering questions for other participants, or moderating discussions. Facilitators are not ASME’s employees or agents for any purposes whatsoever. If you serve as a Facilitator, you are solely responsible for all of your activities in that capacity.
Content Provided by You and Other Users.
ASME PeerLink features discussion forums and other interactive tools that allow you and other participants (including as Facilitators) to submit and share text, commentary, messages, information, documents, computer files, images, event listings, links, “tags” for identifying specific content, modifications to other users’ submissions (in the case of collaborative tools such as “Whiteboards”), and other material (all together, “User Content”).
User Content does not necessarily reflect the views,
policies or opinions of ASME, and ASME does not endorse, adopt, or publish any User
Content unless one of ASME's authorized agents explicitly states otherwise in
an official capacity. ASME bears no responsibility for any User Content or any
injury or offense it causes (regardless of whether the User Content has been approved,
edited, rejected, or removed by ASME, a Facilitator, or another participant). ASME
has no obligation to pre-screen, monitor, edit, or delete User Content, but
ASME reserves the right to do so if any User Content fails to comply with these
Rules or is otherwise harmful, inaccurate, or objectionable.
You take sole responsibility for all User Content you submit to ASME PeerLink,
and all such User Content must be your own. You grant ASME the non-exclusive,
worldwide, royalty-free, unrestricted license (with the right to sub-license)
to reproduce, distribute, publicly display and perform, transmit, adapt,
translate, modify, and create derivative works of any User Content in whole or
in part and in any form now known or later developed. You represent and
warrant that your User Content does not (i) defame any party; (ii) violate any
party’s copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, right to privacy or
publicity, or any other proprietary or personal right; or (iii) otherwise
violate any applicable law or regulation.
You submit User Content entirely at your own risk. Password protection or other restrictions may control access to ASME PeerLink, and there may be options for you to limit the availability of some of your User Content to other participants. But because ASME cannot guarantee the security or confidentiality of any User Content, you should consider all User Content you submit to be non-confidential and assume that any ideas, inventions, or know-how disclosed in it could be made available to the public. You represent, warrant and covenant (i) that you are under no obligation that would in any way interfere with the disclosure or use of any User Content you submit and (ii) that no User Content you submit contains any material or information furnished to you in confidence or with the understanding that it would not be disclosed or published (including, but not limited to, any confidential information related to the business of your employer, colleagues, or clients).
Use of ASME PeerLink and Its Contents.
ASME values a diversity of viewpoints and expects users of ASME PeerLink to exhibit the same level of respect for others as they would in any other professional or academic forum. Accordingly, you may not:
submit, upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any User Content that is unlawful, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, or libelous, or that is threatening, hostile, harassing, or abusive on the basis of personal beliefs or characteristics;
send any unauthorized, unsolicited, junk, or bulk email or other form of communication that violates any law or these Rules; or
upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any User Content (including any code or other materials) that contain time-bombs, viruses, spyware, adware, keyloggers, backdoors, trojans or other malicious code of any kind, including code that corrupts or destroys data, disrupts, damages, or disables ASME software, hardware or equipment, provides for the unauthorized transmission of software or material to any computer, or has any other effect which the ASME or any user of ASME PeerLink would reasonably consider undesirable.
You may not use ASME PeerLink or any of its contents in any way that would violate (i) applicable laws or regulations or (ii) the rights of the ASME or any third party.
Unless otherwise authorized by ASME, all material on ASME PeerLink is for personal use only and may not be sold, used for any commercial or political purposes, or used for any type of solicitation, fund raising, recruitment, or analogous activity. You may not use any material from ASME PeerLink in a manner that attributes a false or misleading statement to, or implies a false endorsement by, ASME or related parties. Without authorization, you may not reproduce, distribute, publicly display or perform, transmit, incorporate into a database or compilation, adapt, translate, modify or create derivative works of, or in any way exploit or use any material (including User Content) that is protected by copyright or otherwise, whether owned by ASME or a third party.
You may have access through ASME PeerLink to personally identifiable information of others. This information is provided only for your personal use in connection with ASME PeerLink. You may not engage in or permit others to engage in data mining or the systematic collection of such information for any reason.
No Advice or Recommendations.
The information in ASME PeerLink, including User Content, is made available for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as any kind of professional advice (or substitute for it). If you need professional advice or services, you should consult a qualified person in the relevant field.
ASME PeerLink may include a feature that automatically generates “Suggested Contacts” based on information in your Account or user profile that is similar or related to other users’ information. These “Suggested Contacts” are provided for informational purposes only, and ASME does not endorse or recommend them for any purpose. You assume sole responsibility and risk for your use of this information, and you expressly release ASME from all liability arising from or relating to such use.
When you register for ASME PeerLink, you accept the following limitations of liability and disclaimer of warranties.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NEGLIGENCE, WILL ASME OR ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONDUCT OF PARTICIPANTS IN ASME PEERLINK, INCLUDING FACILITATORS OF ANY ASME PEERLINK COMMUNITIES, OR FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM YOUR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO USE) ASME PEERLINK OR YOUR USE OF OR RELIANCE ON ANY CONTENT FROM ASME PEERLINK.
Any complaint about copyright violations in User Content or otherwise in ASME PeerLink may be made by following the procedures in the ASME Terms of Use under the heading “Notice and Procedure for Making Claims of Copyright Infringement.”
User Accounts.
By registering for ASME PeerLink, you will create a user account (“Account”). You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the log-in information and password associated with your Account and for all activity under your Account, including the information or material provided under (or obtained using) it. You may not transfer your Account to another party (including a party that has its own Account) or do anything else to give another party access to ASME PeerLink. You must notify the ASME immediately if you become aware that anyone has gained unauthorized access to your Account. You represent, warrant and covenant that (i) all information you provide in connection with your Account is accurate and complete; (ii) you will update your Account as necessary to keep it accurate and complete; (iii) you will not use or attempt to use your Account to pass yourself off as any other party (although you may use a Display Name (defined below) that does not identify you); (iv) you are participating in ASME PeerLink on your own individual behalf and not on behalf of any other party such as your employer (even if, for example, you access ASME PeerLink using computing resources provided by that party or during times when you are normally fulfilling duties to that party); and (v) you have (and will maintain) all permissions and approvals needed from other parties for you to use ASME PeerLink and to comply with these Rules.
ASME reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend or terminate your Account or to restrict access to ASME PeerLink at any time (i) if it suspects that you have not complied with these Rules, (ii) if there is a prolonged period of inactivity in your Account or (iii) for other reasons that ASME determines in good faith are necessary or appropriate, including if ASME suspects you are using or attempting to use ASME PeerLink in any way that violates applicable laws or regulations. ASME is not liable to you for any loss or damage that may result from its refusal to provide you access to ASME PeerLink or any portion of it.
You acknowledge notice of and agree to our collection and treatment of the personally identifying information you submit when registering for or using ASME PeerLink ("Your Data") in accordance with these Rules, which supplement the ASME Privacy Policy.
Your Data will be transferred to a server located in the United States. When you register for ASME PeerLink, you consent to this transfer and to the storage and use of Your Data in the United States.
Registering for an Account to use ASME PeerLink will require you to enter certain information about yourself, such as your name, ASME member number (if applicable), email address, ASME PeerLink user name that you would like displayed to other participants ("Display Name"), the password for your Account, postal address, and job information (if applicable). You may also choose to supplement your Account with additional, optional information (such as a photograph and an “About Me” description) for your profile.
Note that your Display Name does not have to consist of your actual name or any other identifying details. You can compose your Display Name of any word or alphanumeric identifier that you choose (provided that it does not otherwise violate these Rules).
ASME PeerLink’s options give you control over other participants’ access to Your Data. For example, some items in your “Profile” may be accompanied by a checkbox marked “Display” or “Public,” meaning that this information will not be visible to other participants unless you choose to check the box. Other items will carry notices about whether the information you enter will be shared with other participants. If you need additional assistance in controlling Your Data’s availability, please follow the instructions in the section entitled “Access and Revision of Your Data” below.
If you choose to allow it when creating your Account, other users may list you in their “Public Contacts,” meaning that you will be identified by your Display Name on those users’ contact lists within ASME PeerLink. Also if you choose to allow it when creating your Account, ASME PeerLink’s “Suggested Contacts” feature may identify you by your Display Name to other users with similar or related information in their user profiles (e.g., career interests). Inclusion on another user’s Public Contacts list or in the Suggested Contacts feature will not make available any of Your Data that would not otherwise be available as described above. To change your preferences about being listed as any user’s Public Contact or as a Suggested Contact, you can use the options available within your “Profile” on ASME PeerLink.
Please note: If you incorporate Your Data or other identifiable details about yourself into your User Content (e.g., your posts to community discussions or messages to other users), other participants will have access to that information and may be able to identify you.
ASME uses Your Data (i) to establish your Display Name and share it with other ASME PeerLink participants; (ii) to permit other ASME PeerLink participants to search for your Display Name, and, if you choose to make them available, other items in Your Data; and (iii) to send you messages within ASME PeerLink.
If you choose to opt-in when creating your ASME PeerLink Account, we may also send you emails related to ASME PeerLink (e.g., notifications that you have received a new message on the site), as well as information about events, products, and services, or other news that might interest you. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can change your settings on your “Profile” page, select the "unsubscribe" option in the email messages, contact us by email at peerlink@asme.org, or send a request to the ASME Service Center, 22 Law Drive, P.O. Box 2900, Fairfield, NJ 07007-2900, or call us at 1-800-THE-ASME.
ASME uses third parties (“Service Providers”) to provide certain services, such as software maintenance, database maintenance, and verification, that are necessary for operating ASME.ORG and ASME PeerLink or fulfilling your requests. These Service Providers may have access to Your Data, but only for the purpose of providing these services to ASME. For users who are not ASME members, ASME does not share personally identifiable data with third parties (other than Service Providers). For ASME members, please read more information about how ASME shares personally identifiable data in the “Sharing Information with Third Parties” section of the ASME Privacy Policy.)
You may review, update or delete Your Data by making changes on your “Profile” page within ASME PeerLink, or by sending a revision request by email to peerlink@asme.org or by mail ASME Service Center, 22 Law Drive, P.O. Box 2900, Fairfield, New Jersey 07007-2900, or by calling us at 1-800-THE-ASME.
Reporting Unauthorized Use.
Please report any violations of these Rules to us at peerlink@asme.org.