We extend a warm invitation to join us in a casual environment...to chat, exchange ideas, debate, and to share your art and writing. Chimère is a lounge, a gallery, an afterhours, a salon. A mythic beast made of many creatures, its purposes and its people are diverse.

You must register to post in our Forums, Blogs, and Galleries. Registration is free. Once registered, you may take advantage of the posting, social networking, and blogging capabilities we offer. When you become a regular to Chimère, you will attain greater privileges and access, and be encouraged to contribute featured content.

Before you begin, we ask that you review these Guidelines of our Community. We ask you to abide by and respect these conditions, as they are for everyone’s protection, consideration, and continued enjoyment of Chimère.

Our Members

Chimère welcomes all persons, regardless of nationality, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation, and culture. We do not screen minors (13+) from registering, but we will actively monitor their interaction with adult Members of our Community. Similarly, all member-to-member relations are expected to be respectful and sensitive to each other’s preferences.

It doesn’t matter if you’re gay or straight, young or old, or even remotely “artistic.” We hope you can find something in our Forums that has meaning to you, and that you can communicate your reactions to it intelligently. No, you don’t need to be a card-carrying member of MENSA, but it would be nice if you mastered subtleties like grammar and spelling. This is an English-speaking site, but feel free to post in your native language as long as most browsers can reproduce it.

Regarding “Freedom of Speech,” and assorted privileges: As the majority of human discourse does not necessarily include foul language, obscene materials, or otherwise specifically “adult” topics (nudity, pornography, explicit subject matter), it is not our intent to serve as parents or police for our Guests. While it is definitely not among our values, interests, or mission to contribute to the “corruption” of minors, we ask that all Visitors regard Chimère as having the same latitude as a metropolitan public library; i.e. we shall not actively prevent anyone’s access to discussion or subjects that their family, religion, country, or culture may deem inappropriate or objectionable. Our belief is that it’s up to the guardians of any minor individual to mutually explore and discuss ideas and events in our world. How they accomplish [or restrict] this is their own responsibility.

If you don’t want your kid talking to adults or looking at art, block the site. We will be happy to recommend software. We will actively and severely pursue even the perceived exploitation of any minor Member of our Board.

Chimère is domiciled in the United States. We welcome any Guest with a computer connection, in any country on the planet. Invision Power (our software) and DreamHost (our electronic residence) share no liability for the content of this Board or the conduct of its Members. Presently, the Administrators of this Board are located in AZ and MI. It is our intention to abide by the laws of our States and those of the applicable, superseding Federal authorities.

Though common sense is difficult to dictate, we ask that you honor the rules and practices of your respective locations. Glaring violations (see “What You May NOT Post,” below) will be reported to the appropriate authorities. In the event that one jurisdiction contravenes the legislation of another, the more narrowly construed laws shall be followed.

The abbreviated appellation “XM” has no affiliation whatsoever with the satellite radio network of the same name. No trademark infringement is implied or warranted by either party. They provide an excellent service, wholly different from our own, and we wish them continued success.

What You May Post

Nearly anything. Please refer to the next section, “What You May NOT Post” for a general idea of what we’re looking to avoid. Chimère was not created to enforce an individual will or the expectations of a few persons, except where absolutely and unavoidably necessary. There are thousands of options out there, and we're grateful you chose us.

It is expected that there will be disagreement, sometimes strong or uncomfortable. It is important, at those times—for all involved—to recognize that this is a message board, on the Internet, which you can turn off and leave forever. Though we would prefer that you negotiate favorable conclusions and come to productive decisions among yourselves, we are not trying to bind you to an unreasonable standard of conduct. It is our belief that you really have to go out of your way to look like a jerk. Getting bent out of shape is, unfortunately, also to be expected, but no one here intends you harm.

What You May NOT Post

There is no ‘Code of Niceness.’ The Moderators are not your Mommies. Don’t dish it out unless you can take it, don’t expect others to solve your disagreements, and remember: This may not be High School, but it is also not a democracy. The following is definitely not encouraged:

Hatespeech. You figure it out. If it serves no other purpose than to incite, demean, or diminish any other Member(s), then it really serves no purpose at all. You will usually be warned or asked to explain your reason for conducting yourself that way, if you have one. If you have some compulsion to continue behaving in a fashion that otherwise appears beyond your control, you should settle your issues elsewhere.

Unfounded Slander or Libel. You are solely responsible for the content and veracity of your posts, profiles, and uploads. Please refer to the varied Amendments of the US Constitution that govern free speech and freedoms of the Press. Basically, if you can’t back it up, or don’t have a good reason for saying it, then don’t post it. “Truth to the best of your knowledge” is gossip, and “ignorance does not provide exemption.” We like rumor and innuendo as much as anybody, but don’t invent shit for the sake of attention.

Overt Plagiarism, Intellectual Property Theft. We’re not going to Google your posts. We’re not going to check if you used a collegiate level of internal citation. If another Member (or Guest) reports that you have stolen his/her words or work, we will be happy to assist them. If you copy from other sources without proper crediting, Chimère maintains no liability and may even assist a petitioner or complainant in redress. Seriously, folks, if you can’t think of something original, or give props where they’re due, reconsider using the Internet.

Child Pornography. NO, NO, NO, NO, and NO. In case that wasn’t clear, NO, YOU ABSOLUTELY MAY NOT POST/UPLOAD/ATTACH ANY PERSONS APPEARING TO (1) be under the age of 18 who is not yourself and suitably dressed [when in doubt, it will be removed]; (2) be engaged in a non-consensual act; or (3) condone, participate, or encourage sexual acts with non-human creatures/objects. While context is important, and intent is debatable, our decisions are final.

Copyright Infringement. Since certain portions of our site permit the uploading of images from your computer, it is the expectation of Chimère Staff that said depictions are (1) you; (2) licensed to you; (3) owned exclusively by you; or (4) otherwise defensible as “public domain.” Reproducing or uploading unlicensed images cannot be monitored 100%, but their compliance with any applicable Federal regulations (such as Title 18, §2257) is expected. Images are subject to inspection and removal at our discretion.

Any entity making claim to specific images should contact Chimère Admin, ask nicely, and the images will be withdrawn as soon as possible and pursuant to a chat with our lawyers. If an image is of you and you did NOT license or otherwise allow its use to anyone else, said image will be deleted immediately.

On the matter of any disagreement actively lasting longer than a day or so, we recommend that you say what you feel you need to say and deal; get it over with, or get over it, period. In dragged out, public altercations, both parties will be considered liable, regardless of who the majority of Chimère’s constituents feel to be “right.” Private, interpersonal differences of opinion are not the Site's responsibility to resolve, but Chimère Staff will step in where it is administratively decided that our business is imperiled by such activity.

Privacy and Security

Though we on Chimère hope and encourage our guests and members to socialize and, hopefully, to develop lasting and meaningful affiliations, Chimère expects those in committed relationships to honor each other's privacy and the sanctity of our Community when deciding to post about personal affairs.

Because we do not wish to compromise the integrity of your relationships, or to complicate other peoples' ability to socialize freely with either party, we ask that you use caution and consideration when discussing another Member of Chimère...just as we would if you were not related, partnered, married, or parent to this individual.

Domestic disputes, of any kind, are not Chimère's responsibility to arbitrate, nor are we an appropriate location for mediation or counseling between members. If you have reached a difficult situation in your relationship(s), then we will understand if you need some time away from the board to manage and heal these concerns. We look forward to seeing both of you again. The subforum “Errata” contains several resources if you are in another sort of “crisis” unsuited to a public forum.

Please note that declarations of intent to harm yourself or others will ALL be taken seriously. We do not dispense professional psychiatric help, nor can we anticipate and interpret offline crises. The Owners and Operators of this site, and its Host, cannot be held liable for personal choices and actions. If our Staff deems direct intervention necessary, then local law enforcement will be contacted to prevent the following:

• Suicide, suicidal intent (as differentiated from discussion, within context, or ideation)
• Child exploitation, abuse, or image misappropriation
• Grievous self-harm or the planned harm of another living being
• Felonious behavior, assault, stalking, other acts of gross criminality (in context, as merely "wishing So-and-So dead" is insufficient)
• Intention of property damage, vandalism, or terrorism
• Sexual harassment of another XM member, its Staff, or Affiliates.

Suicide threats are all serious. Whether they occur late at night, on weekends, or around holidays, depression is no joke, and though we can psychobabble people for days, there's no point in it. Whether a legitimate plea for help, or lowly cry for attention, the response will be consistent.

Asking for attention in this manner is reprehensible, but announcing your impending demise on a forum is, at best, a major buzzkill for everyone else. It has many other repercussions, the least of which being confusion, anger, and possibly hysteria. None of this is "good for the board." However, calling a person's local law enforcement is not a business decision. If you were serious, we've just saved your life; if you weren't, then you'll be shown that your actions have consequences.

Your presence in our Community is a privilege enjoyed by all. In the event that your personal situation may cause you to require additional advice and management--such as cannot and should not be undertaken by our regular Members and Guests--we invite you to share your concerns with someone you trust and who can be more immediately available for your needs.

Privacy. Chimère does not share its member data with any third parties, ever. Operational statistics, minus the corresponding individual activity, may be utilized for future marketing affiliations, but there is presently no program or service in place that would warrant this exchange. Emails and personal information will never be deliberately sold, shared, or exposed to secondary entities. However, Chimère cannot control the nature of search engines and their ability to cache public information indefinitely. Any region of the board available to non-members can be seen and stored in this manner. Please use reasonable and responsible judgment with any and all details you choose to include in your posts, profiles, blogs, or galleries.

Blog Content. You are solely responsible for the content and veracity of your weblog, its links, and its images. Chimère Staff will not police blogs for inappropriate or offensive materials. Though the expectation of originality is implied by blog creation and maintenance, Chimère will accept excerpted entries from a larger resource, if this resource is wholly owned and operated by you, or with the expressed, written consent of its owner. Furthermore, blogs are permitted to be “critical” of Chimère, but not of its Affiliates, Sponsors, Members or Staff where consent is neither implied nor given. Similarly, because it has become standard professional practice among many private corporations to scan the Internet for mentions of it name, trademarks, or proprietary information—and because some companies will utilize search engine results in screening their employees and candidates—it is recommended that you exercise caution and restraint when including material that could jeopardize your personal and/or professional relationships.

Gallery Content. All images, reproductions, and inclusions to your galleries are presumed to be original, owned wholly by you, and representative of your skills and talents. Please do not use Chimère’s Gallery to host pornography, governmentally classified information, or materials otherwise liable under State or Federal laws. Such content includes, but is not limited to, (1) images of yourself in a state of undress not defensible as artistic; (2) scans of documents not otherwise available in the public domain; (3) depictions of gratuitous violence or violent intent upon any living being, also not defensible as art; and (4) any and all visual works not licensed to you for electronic display.

A Few Reminders

Beyond posting, Registration, and Membership, your continued company carries certain common sense restrictions. For some final idea of what violations of these expectations may be, see below, “Who Might Leave.” Chimère is not your personal pulpit. There is no popularity system for reputation or how much anyone likes or dislikes you. You will be given unprecedented latitude to behave as you see fit. There must, however, be at least a few examples of poor behavior that will be actively discouraged.

The typical stuff: postwhoring, spamming, flooding, repeated harassment of an individual Member or defined Member Group. If you have to ask what any of this is, then you’re probably already booted. Ditto on hacking, kiddie scripts, or similar exploits of this Board’s software or its Host. That’s just not cool. If you have to be a bastard, at least have a reason for it (and try to find a better place to assert yourself).

The unusual stuff: If you must attack something (due to bad day, crappy job, or just being a run-of-the-mill miscreant) please try to focus on IDEAS and not MEMBERS. This specifically includes underhanded, passive-aggressive jabs at people, even if you aren’t entirely aware you’re doing it. We’re not giving you free therapy, but you will be shown how your perception of events isn’t all that matters. It’s your choice whether you respect the information, if it comes to that.

Ultimately, Chimère will not be party to random cruelty and abuse among its Membership or Staff. While a Member can really be as much of a jerk as he or she likes, it is only to the point where it appears that the Member has nothing else to offer than this attitude. Treat each other with respect, and even if everyone isn't always happy, you'll still be able to talk to each other in the morning.

The Chimère Staff will—in the interest of garnering future Members and keeping the ones we presently have—scrutinize intentionally chaotic or mean-spirited elements. Note, we did not say “automatically eliminate.” This is not license to be a jerk, only to have some reason for it that you’re capable of stating, when asked. And if you’re a shmuck 24/7, you might want to think about why you want to interact with others, anyway. We probably can't explain that for you.

Who Might Leave

If you want a special title, you’ll get one: Banned. We can knock people off for a few hours, a day, a week, or forever. IPs are logged, so we’re not screwing around. However, this is an annoying, god-like capability that we’re not eager to employ. We want you to be here, if you've chosen us.

You might not be happy here. Not being immediately or well liked by others should be no bar to participation in the Chimère Community, but we expect you to be able to work things out with us. Do not attack this Community; stalk, harass, or depredate its Members; nor otherwise interfere with the operation of this Board. Such behaviors are prosecutable in most jurisdictions. Just don't do that.

We reserve the right to amend these Guidelines. A reasonable grace period should be provided, in that circumstance, if any drastic changes occur, for which Members might need to adjust. Just don’t be a deliberate and purposeless assclown for more than a day or two, and you’ll be fine.

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Who Will Stay