GWE.NET
Acceptable Use Policy

GWE strives to provide a fair amount of its services to ALL of it's dial-up customers for a flat or no-surcharge rate. Our total costs per incoming modem line average over $100.00 per month. Since GWE sells access to these lines for $17.00 - $20.00 per month, it is clear that the lines must be FAIRLY shared by ALL of its customers. 

In the event that a customer begins using the service in a way that GWE feels is abusive then we will have to:

1) Convert the user to a dedicated dial-up account at a rate more in line with our costs to provide this service (the user will be notified first)
                OR
2) Convert the customer over to a dedicated wireless account which is always connected and much faster than a dial-up connection.
                OR
3) Ask the customer to find another Service provider.

This policy will only affect the less than 2 percent of our customer base who consistently over use the system. This will insure that the other 98% of our customer base will have consistent, reliable, and available service when they attempt to use the system. This will also insure the the other 98% of our customer base does not  have its usage fees raised to subsidize the 2% who overuse the system.

a. GWE strives to provide all computer users with privacy and a fair share of technical resources.  All computer users have the responsibility to use computer resources in an efficient, effective, ethical, and lawful manner.  The ethical and legal standards that all users should maintain are derived directly from standards of common sense and common decency that apply to the use of any public resources and are documented in federal, state, and local statutes.  GWE provides Internet services and is not an investigative nor legal authority.  As such, no monitoring or censoring of the user's account will be performed unless appropriately required (and paid for) by a duly sanctioned legal authority.  GWE will report suspicious activities to appropriate legal authorities.  The user account will be terminated for violating these rules.

b. Users are responsible for safeguarding their identification password.  Concurrent uses of the user password will have their accounts canceled.  GWE is not responsible for User equipment whether sanctioned at GWE facilities or else-where.  GWE reserves the right to cancel service to anyone for any reason.

c. Your personal home pages on our server are limited to 2 megabytes of storage.  Business use of home pages is not allowed at personal rate.  The user should report any comments, suggestions, complaints, errors, or praise via e-mail to webmaster@gwe.net.

d. You are responsible for all actions you take or cause to be taken in connection with your use of the service.  As a condition of your account, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless GWE, its officers or employees, for anything that may take place as a result of your having an Internet account.  This agreement may be changed by a 30 day e-mail notice.

e. GWE guarantees quoted prices for the duration of the signed agreement as long as there are no account changes or late payments.  GWE uses the "No Surcharge" method of charging.  You pay a flat rate each month.  Accounts are designed to accommodate the *average type user.  The *average user is actively using the service.  The *average user does not use methods to keep the modem line tied up when they are not using the service.  GWE reserves the right to terminate open, idle connections and/or convert the user from one flat rate level to another.

f. GWE makes every reasonable effort to maintain and serve the data of the user, but cannot be held responsible for loss of service beyond the amount of time and the rate of the data in question.  Bona fide service outages will be reimbursed with extended service and are expressly limited to the amounts that GWE charges for your service.  The user is responsible for all  hardware and software to make the connections to GWE facilities.  GWE does not support obsolete hardware and software.  GWE recommends 3Com/US Robotics Courier(tm) modems, Windows 98/ME/XP(tm) or Windows NT/2000(tm), and OS8.0+(tm) for Macintosh(tm).  GWE further recommends the Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator/Communicator(tm),  and their respective mail readers.  These hardware and software items are available at additional cost.  Freeware versions exist for your pleasure on the Internet.

g. User payments are made in advance by credit card, cash, or check and are posted on the 1st day of the month.  User accounts whose credit card accounts are declined are blocked until a valid credit card account is submitted.  Delinquent user accounts are turned over for collection.  Customers with special needs may be accommodated.  Setup fees apply for accounts that have been blocked and turned back on.

h. GWE reserves the right to disconnect anyone from the system at any time that GWE feels the user is acting in an inappropriate manner. Reasons include but are not limited to the posting of offensive or illegal materials, sending SPAM E-mails, interfering with other users' access, harassing other Internet users, etc.

* Average user - A single human being who eats, sleeps, works or goes to school, and engages in many activities in his or her off hours including the Internet. A person who could not generally spend more time on the Internet than he/she could spend at a full time job. (40hours * 4.333 weeks = 173hours/month. As a general rule, anything under 200hrs./month will not be noticed. 200 hours is over 6.5 hours a day every single day of the month or over 9 hours a day Monday through Friday.)