• Open to All
  The Plaza should be a free, online service requiring no membership fees. The site should be open to people of all ages and of all countries.
• Safe for all Ages
  The Plaza should be guarded well against foul language and other unsafe content. Parents should be able to send their children to the site without any hesitation or doubts.
• Spam Free
  The Plaza should be guarded well against spam and other disturbances which many other forums and websites suffer from.

• Tolkien Purists
  People who like to discuss Tolkien’s literary works, and to engage in in-depth discussions. Special forums give these people a dedicated area to meet and discuss the texts with other experts. The Library Initiative gives them the opportunity to write articles, to share their knowledge, and to have their works published online.
• Tolkien Beginners
  People new to the world of Tolkien can explore all we have to offer, and peruse the resources available in our ancillary Tolkien sites. They will be able to visit the Knowledge Halls and the Library, as well as pose their questions to more experienced members. In the many community areas of the Plaza, they can meet with older members and experience a virtual mentor-mentee relationship, or create a virtual family tie.
• Role-Playing Fans
  Since its founding, the Plaza has been enriched with Role-Playing elements that place members in a virtual Middle-earth. There are kingdoms to join, points and credits to obtain, and ranks and levels to achieve. There are combat items and a Battle Arena in which to use them. One of the most recently added features is the Plaza Houses Forum, where high-ranking members can start their own house and household; becoming the ruler of their own mini-kingdom. We have also established a dedicated RPG Forum where Role Players can begin and GM their own games, or join in a variety of environments which others have created.

• The Plaza should give its members as much freedom as possible to use the plaza's functions
• The Plaza needs to remain controlable and spam-free

Eru
Background: Named after the One God in Tolkien's World: Eru or Ilúvatar.
Scope: Network Wide
Description: Originator and single owner of the entire Lord of the Rings Fanatics Network of which the Plaza was a part. Programmed all plaza code and new features and had direct access to the Plaza's dedicated webserver and plaza database. He was the only one with access to all accounts, features, code, database records, etc. As site owner, he had absolute authority, and the final say over everything that goes on within the Plaza and over all Plaza-based concerns. Eru was called to the Timeless Halls to oversee other concerns, and established the Valinor Council to assume these responsibilities. As the Valar were lesser beings, it has taken three of them to handle what Eru did on his own.
Rights: All


The Council
Background: This set of three administrators form a council who look over the plaza as a whole, its technical aspects and the financial state. You may reach any of the council members for a specific issue by emailing them at Council@lotrplaza.com.
Scope: Plaza wide
Description: The Sub-Eru, Protoguy, has all the abilities of Eru, without direct access to the database and server. He was instated so that the jobs of Eru could be delegated between him and the Sub-Eru, that way becoming more efficient.

The Technical Administrator, Mo, has direct access to the server and the power to make changes to the entire Plaza. He too was instated so that Eru’s jobs could be delegated and thus be done more efficiently.

The Financial Officer Blackrose Bugg, controls all the Plaza Finances. She overlooks the Support Membership program.


Administrators
Background: Are named after the Valar in Tolkien's world: the demi-gods created by Eru to execute his plans.
Scope: Plaza wide
Description: The most trusted and experienced volunteers of the LotR Fanatics Plaza. It is their job to govern the Plaza as a whole. The There and Back Again Forum's guardians are included as administrators of their specific forum and the plaza as a whole.
Rights:

• Edit, Delete and Move rights on all posts and topics in all Forums and Houses
• Delete Rights in the Battle Arena
• Suspending/Re-Activating Members
• Thomassing: removing a member's account and all posts made by him/her
• Reset Member Quiz Stats for the Knowledge Halls
• Approve/Reject Credit Transfer Requests
• Give/Remove a Member's Edit Rights
• Distribute tribute to Members that have made significant contributions to the Plaza
• Review, Approve/Reject Link Exchanges for the LotR Directory Initiative
• Direct Server access to the Valinorweb webspace where they can edit the Plaza FAQs and the Valinor Webpages

• Edit, Delete and Move rights on all posts and topics in their Kingdom Forum and the Houses within their Kingdom
• Distribute tribute to those Kingdom members that have made significant contributions
• Create, approve, and supervise Kingdom activities
• Edit, Delete and Move rights on all posts made by subjects of their Kingdom
• Edit rights for the welcome messages used in the Kingdom Forum and Kingdom welcome page.
• Review, Approve/Reject Link Exchanges for the LotR Directory Initiative
• Direct Server access for the Kingdom Webpages of their kingdom giving them the freedom to upload new content and expand their Kingdom pages.
• Direct Server access to the Valinorweb webspace where they can edit the Plaza FAQs and the Valinor Webpages

• Edit, Delete and Move rights on all posts and topics in the Poetry &Fan Fiction Forum
• The power to award members Fanatic Points for their works

• Edit, Delete and Move rights on all posts and topics in the Newsletter &Library Forum
• Direct Server access for the LotR Fanatics Library website. This site is not hosted on the LotR Fanatics Network's dedicated webserver but runs on a webserver rented by the member who Started the Library Initiative: Marina

• Edit and Delete all posts and topics in their House's mini-forum
• Edit rights for their house's welcome message, appearance and room content
• Rights to invite people into their household and to remove people from it
• Rights to assign a co-ruler or to assign new owners
• Rights to upgrade the House

• Access to all topics in their house
• Rights to open a new topic in their house

• Edit their own Posts in all Plaza Forums and Houses

• Plaza Chat
• Send and receive private messages
• Storage space for images
• Access to the private Support Members only forum
• Lotrplaza.com email address
• Support Member icon in the title bar of all their posts (optional)

• Write Posts in all topics in all Plaza Forums and Houses with the exception of the Valinor Forum, The Supporting Members Forum if not a Supporting Member and House Topics with a Kingdom or House member only restriction. Members may post in Advanced Lore, but new topics cannot be started there.
• Delete their own posts
• Take Tests in the Halls of Knowledge (Advanced Tests limited to those that have joined Kingdoms)
• Join a Kingdom and/or switch Kingdoms
• Upgrade their Rank
• Claim a daily salary paid in virtual Plaza Credits
• Purchase items in the Kingdom shops
• Reserve a Battle Arena and fight another Plaza Member
• Suggest a site for inclusion in the LotR Fanatics Directory
• Update their profile information and settings
• Join a Plaza Household if invited by a House owner.

• 1.1 Language Usage
  Swearing of any kind, no matter how innocent it may seem, is forbidden on the Plaza. We want every member to take into account that you are interacting with people from very different cultures, backgrounds, religious beliefs and ages. A comment that you might consider to be a very innocent remark may be considered as an insult by another person. Sexual content of any kind is forbidden as well. No sexual pictures, words, descriptions or even insinuations are allowed.
  
  
• 1.2 Mutual Respect
  The plaza is all about mutual respect, correct behavior and appropriate interaction with each. We will not tolerate any patronizing, pestering, teasing, bad-mouthing, name-calling or other forms of disrespect. Being an experienced high ranking member does not give one the right to belittle a newer member.
  
  
• 1.3 Off Plaza Interaction
  Even in approaching Plaza Members off of the Plaza (for instance through email or in chat sessions), we want you to uphold our general conduct guidelines. Even if you are officially out of our jurisdiction, you are still dealing with a member of our site that you probably got to know through the Plaza. Things you say off the Plaza could have consequences for the Plaza or for the member you are interacting with. In the past, we have banned people from the Plaza for incorrect behavior during off-plaza interaction with other Plaza members.
  
  
• 1.4 Sensitive Subjects
  Although the Plaza has a great respect for the tenets of free speech, we are still in our core a Tolkien and Lord of the Rings Fan site. We do have an off-topic forum, which can be used for off-topic discussions, but we are pretty strict when it comes to discussions on sensitive subjects. Examples of prohibited discussions include: Sex-related topics, Religious topics and Political topics. Experience has taught us that discussions about such subjects often result in heated debates that frequently end in fighting. The administrators will review such topics closely and delete them once they think it has gone far enough.
  
  
• 1.5 Promoting other Sites
  If you have your own web site then it is permitted to mention it on the Plaza either in a forum post or in your signature. As long as it is a non-commercial, small scale site then you may post about it once and even ask members to join. You are not allowed, however to go on recruiting campaigns, re-posting about your site or by continually "bumping it." A dedicated directory thread has been established to advertise member-owned sites. Please be sure to post your site information in that thread only.Commercial sites can contact the webmaster for possible cooperation/advertising possibilities.
  
  
• 1.6 Respect for the Plaza Government
  We will not tolerate any bad-mouthing, name-calling or the forming of conspiracies against Valinor or a particular Valinor member. Eru, the site owner, has carefully encouraged and chosen the volunteers who govern the Plaza and represent the ambassadors of the Mission and Vision Statement. If you have a problem with a Plaza Policy or the conduct of a Valinor member, then you can notify the admins and present your case to them. Remember that as a member you are enjoying the fruits of non-paid labor. Those that invest their free time in building up and governing the Plaza deserve your respect not your discontent.
  
  

• 2.1 Co-Ruler Priority
  When a Ruler leaves, the co-Ruler will always have the first and most important say over who he/she would like to rule with. Each kingdom is governed by two rulers who need to work together closely to co-ordinate the events and initiatives in their kingdom. The co-operation between the two co-Rulers is the most important factor in any new Ruler selection. The remaining Ruler always has the most important vote and say in the entire process of selecting a new co-Ruler.
  
  
• 2.2 Valinor Priority
  Rulers are always part of Valinor and are expected to partipate in the private discussions being held in Valinor. New Rulers have to be able to work with all of the people in Valinor as a team member of the Plaza Government. This is why the opinion of Valinor always counts second after the co-Ruler. Differences of opinion about candidates are discussed in private in Valinor.
  
  
• 2.3 Elections
  While the Plaza was small and kingdoms were under a thousand members, there was a feasible possibility to elect Rulers. However, the complexity of the much larger site, and the ever increasing need to be assured that anyone attaining access to Valinor will be mindful of the technical aspects of access to the server, and other issues, have made elections no longer a viable option for Ruler selection.
  
  

• 3.1 Administrator Appointments
  Administrators are appointed directly by Sub-Eru with the approval of the other Administrators, and once a concensus has been reached in Valinor. When an Administrator post becomes available, then the current Rulers are given a chance to step forward and nominate themselves for the vacant Admin position. In doing so their Ruler position becomes vacant, triggering a Ruler selection. If no Ruler nominates him/herself for the administrator position, then the members of Valinor can nominate other members for the administrator's position. Nominations and discussions for administration positions are held internally in Valinor. As a general rule, Administrators are appointed from among those Rulers who apply for an administrator's position, and who bring their added experience of being a Ruler to the new position.
  
  

• 4.1 Copyright Theft
  All images used on the Plaza are created by the webmaster, the Plaza artist Protoguy or contributed by other members. You are not allowed to copy and/or use our icons and other original art without written permission. All non Plaza-created artwork, such as the frameart, is used with the permisson of the artist (John Howe in case of the frameart). We realize that as an unofficial Tolkien website we are using names for which the copyrights are held by other organizations. We view such usage, however, as part of the Fair Use Clause of the Copyright Law as is referenced in our footer on every page. In fact we use the names mentioned in Tolkien's books to promote his legacy and to promote the general interest in Tolkien and licensed merchandise sales.
  
  
• 4.2 Bandwidth Theft
  Even worse than copying our images and using them on your own website, is simply linking to our images. When you do this, you are asking our server to display that picture on another site altogether, causing our server to have to use resources outside of the Plaza. Not only are you then stealing our art, you are also using our bandwidth for which we pay a very high price. Do not link to our images from your website. If you ask our permission, and we grant it, then upload the images to your own picture hosting account and link them from there. Bandwidth theft is a growing problem on the internet with ever-increasing measures and penalties being put in effect to counter it. We need all of our server's "muscle" working to maintain our site, not sending our lovely pictures to other sites.
  
  
• 4.3 Hotlinking from other sites
  It is also forbidden to post pictures on the Plaza that are hosted by another website by copying and pasting the image directly into the Plaza text box. If you wish to show other members a picture from another site, please post only a link to that picture on its own site, or if the picture is not protected by copyright, you may upload it to your own picture hosting account. You would then enter the URL provided by your hosting account in the text box to display your picture. Pulling a picture over from another site that is not your own picture hosting site is called hotlinking. All hotlinked pictures found by the Administrative Team will be deleted on sight and may result in point deduction or a suspension. For more information, please read this thread by the Administrators, or contact a Ruler or Admin.
  
  
• 4.4 Site Wars/Hack attempts
  Our dedicated server is managed by a top hosting company that is more than able to track any break-ins or other attempts to attack our site, system and database. Even something as 'innocent' as a site war will lead to swift legal action on our part. Do not forget that if you try to mess with us you are attempting to disrupt a site that is loved and maintained by thousands.
  
  

• 5.1 Promoting the Plaza
  Of course every member of the Plaza is welcome to talk about it to anyone he/she likes and to recruit new members. We want to reach as many people as possible. You are free to do so in any way you like. There are however events such as Tolkien Gatherings, Lectures, etc. where you might need permission from the organisation before you are allowed to promote a website. Make sure you know the rules of the event you are going to before you promote our site. If you try to promote our site without permission, you could discredit the Plaza. If you are visiting an event and would like to do something to promote the Plaza, then you can contact a member of Valinor and we might be able to help you out with promotional material.
  
  

• 6.1 Reporting Spam
  If you see any spam or inappropriate content anywhere on our site (Forums, Houses, Kingdom Pages, etc) then you can report this in the Abuse & Spammer Forum. At all times there are members of the Valinor team online who will be able to deal with your report. You can warn the spammer yourself, but make sure you take into account that the member could simply be a new member who does not know better. Maintain the conduct rules set out above, especially noting the remarks on respect.
  
  
• 6.1 Reporting Intimidation
  As a member of the Plaza your privacy, your personal integrity and safety is protected as carefully as possible by Valinor. If you feel that you have been wronged in any way by a Plaza member, then do not hesitate to report the incident to your Ruler or an Administrator of your choice. We will handle your report in privacy with sensitivity. If you are feeling threatened or intimidated by a Plaza member, then rely on the experienced members in Valinor. Throughout the existence of the Plaza we have dealt with almost every possible kind of member problem and we are sure we can protect your interests and come to a swift resolution. Internet intimidation is another growing form of internet crime and there are an increasing number of laws and measures to protect you from those who commit this crime.
  
  
• 6.3. Reporting other Violations
  If you know about other violations of our policies, such as copyright violations or bandwith theft, then make sure to report this to us. You can contact Valinor at admins@lotrplaza.com or your Kingdom Rulers, who have an email address in the Kingdom Forum header.

(8) PERSONAL INFORMATION.—The term "personal information" means individually identifiable information about an individual collected online, including—

The Plaza cannot take responsibility for members who falsify their age statement.

Please be aware that previously,  programming needs made it impossible to determine a member’s exact age.  The group range offered was from 10-15.  Without knowing which members were 13 and under, we included ALL members in that category under the precepts of the compliance with the law. 

It is the fervent desire of the Administrative Team that every member of the Plaza be as safe and comfortable on line as possible. To this end, we would like to make the following suggestions, and most strongly urge all members to consider them each time they log-in.

This in no way means that we are attempting to usurp YOUR place as the ultimate guardian of your child’s on-line safety. You are the one who controls what, who, and how often your child accesses our site, IM’s, chat rooms, etc. We are your back-up in this effort.

In their enthusiasm to make friends, young people often disregard the numerous warnings and cautions that we have placed around the site. When this occurs, a team member steps in and issues a direct warning. The indiscrete information is eliminated from public view as soon as possible. Members found to be making improper contact with other members would be suspended immediately.

The Plaza is a wonderful playground dedicated to celebrating the genius of J.R.R.Tolkien. We want every person who comes here to join in the fun, and experience a wonderful time. To that end, the Administrative team has dedicated itself to keeping the threads clear of offensive material, improper postings and other elements that detract from the pure pleasure a member can receive from participating here. We are also prepared to deal with any improper behavior or contact, in a quick and severe manner. Members who receive unwanted messages or e-mails have immediate recourse by contacting a member of the Administrative team via Instant Messenger, or e-mailing us at admins@lotrplaza.com.

We feel we have the best Tolkien site on the Internet. We also feel it is one of the safest places a child can come to play on-line. This is a dream, a vision that we all share, and dedicate our services to keeping it that way, for everyone.

Should you wish to read more about on-line safety, or the Child On-Line Privacy Protection Act of 1998, please visit the links below.

Kidz Privacy - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy/index.html
Wired Patrol - http://www.wiredpatrol.org/index.html  (Includes Wired Kids and Wired Teens)
Child Safety on the Information Highway -  http://www.safekids.com/child_safety.htm

IP Address

Your IP address may be tracked and could be used throughout the site to control traffic.

Minors

We will never knowingly request personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of thirteen, to remain consistent with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998. Read our complete COPPA policy.

Exception

One exception to this policy is that we will release specific information about you or your account to comply with any valid legal process such as a search warrant, subpoena, statute or court order.

Anything Else?

Are we forgetting anything? Do you have any other questions we can answer for you and place on this page so others don't have the same questions? Contact us by emailing admins@lotrplaza.com

DMCA Information

What is DMCA?

The Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) was passed by Congress in October 1998. The purpose of DMCA is two-fold: it limits the liability of service providers whose users are infringing upon the copyright of others, and defines the procedures necessary to report such infringement.

LotrPlaza and DMCA

The Plaza strives to protect the rights of copyright holders. For the purposes of compliance with the DMCA, The Plaza's Designated Agent is the The Plaza's Admin Team.

Someone on LotrPlaza is infringing upon my copyright!

Should you discover that a Plaza user is infringing upon your copyright, you may file official notification of such infringement. Upon receipt of a valid notification, The Plaza will promptly take steps to disable access to the infringing material.

In order to be valid, a notification must include the following elements:

• An electronic signature (your full legal name) of a person authorized to act on behalf of the copyright holder;
• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, in the form of the original URL of the image or work being infringed upon;
• Identification of the material that is infringing upon your copyright, with reasonable information for The Plaza to locate the material (you must include the username of the person who is infringing upon your copyright, and links to the allegedly infringing material);
• Information reasonably sufficient for The Plaza to contact you (a valid email address);
• A statement that you in good faith believe that the material is not authorized for use in such a manner;
• And finally, a statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information given is accurate and you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright holder.

This notification must be sent to the The Plaza Admin Team (The Plaza's Designated Agent under the DMCA) to be processed. You may do so by visiting Administrator Messages and posting notification there or by emailing the Admin team at admins@lotrplaza.com .

What happens next?

Upon receipt of notification, the Plaza Admin Team will take steps to disable access to the infringing material. However, if the user posting the content in violation believes they are authorized to use the material, they are entitled to file a counter-notification indicating this. In order to be valid, the counter-notification must include the following elements:

• Your electronic signature (your full legal name);
• Identification of the material in question, including the location at which the material appears;
• A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that you have a good faith belief that the material in question was identified as a copyright violation as a result of mistake or misidentification, including the reasons why you believe this;
• Your full name, address, and telephone number, along with a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of Federal District Court for the judicial district in which your address is located, and that you will accept service of process from the person who provided the initial notification.

Following receipt of a counter-notification, the original notifier will be provided with a copy of the counter-notification. Access to the content will remain disabled. Unless the original notifier informs the Plaza Admin Team that an action has been filed seeking a court order to restrict access to the content, the content will be replaced after 14 business days.