h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*ponders legalities*

> "Please read this disclaimer. As of 1st September 2000 21:45 BST, all people who post in the Space Station forums are bound by this agreement."

Firstly - someone could post in one of these fora without seeing the disclaimer. By, for instance, doing an h2g2 search.
Secondly - you have not ensured that posters have indicated their acceptance of the disclaimer. posting is indication of acceptance does not hold up in law any more.
Thirdly - that's not a disclaimer - they are terms and conditions. A disclaimer would be something like - "No responsibility is taken for people getting addicted to h2g2 and losing all shreds of RL life."

Suggestion: add an acceptance button, and maintain a list of those who have accepted the terms and conditions. If you see a post by someone who has not accepted the terms and conditions, point out that they are invisible until they have accepted said terms. Failure to accept terms means that their posts are, effectively, not implemented. They have no VR reality. As, indeed, it is for people who accept your terms and then violate them.

> "I am (and therefore no one else is allowed to be) in charge of all entities I create on or off h2g2. Hence, no one is allowed, in their forum posts, to manipulate The Big C, Big C, Pr. C. Tonks, Watch, Computer, the Space Station Big C, the Star Ship Smallcy, the Big C C.ompuT.er, San Beta, the Government of San Beta, the residence of San Beta, or any other creations of my design."

What is "manipulate"?
Also, 'my design' is purely wrong - you can't say that a government was of your design - just it was of your invention. Don't overstate your case.

> "Only I have the rights to use these identities, and if anyone references them in terms of thought, action, or past situation without my permission, they violate this disclaimer."

I don't think you technically do have these rights - not as standard. Instead of stating that you have them, you need to say that those accepting the terms and conditions agree not to use the enitities.
I think restricting thought, being impossible, would make your terms unenforceable. Make it clear you are referring only to mentioning in forum posts, and only forum posts withing the confines of the station, not within the whole of h2g2 (which would be likewise unenforceable.

> "The same goes for any direct contradictions of my posts."

Again - within the confines of the space station forums. And you need to distinguish between the case you are thinking of, and the case where you post: "Big C" says 'smoking is wrong', " and someone else posts "Lucinda says 'smoking is OK' ". The latter does not break continuity, though it does contradict your post in some way.

> "Any post that violates these rules will be ignored, and all its contents disallowed. If violation continues by the same person, all their future posts will be ignored."

You need to make sure that other people who agree to the terms also ignore violating posts. You also need to have a stated mechanism for distinguishing ignored posts and persons.

> "Any further violation of this disclaimer will be reported immediately to the h2g2 authorities as unjust manipulation of another person's creation, and the perpetrator will be removed, along with his or her posts, from h2g2."

Firstly, what is futher violation? You need to say, for example, "further posts a day after your name has been put on the ignore list, and you have been informed, will ...."
Secondly, you cannot say they WILL be removed from h2g2 - you can only say that you will request removal from h2g2.

> "This disclaimer is valid throughout the VR life of Christopher Tonks, including h2g2 and ICQ. Since my VR life and situation are constant through everywhere, it is valid everywhere."

Unenforceable - you can't monitor the whole of h2g2, nor the whole of ICQ. This needs to go, I'm afraid. If somebody takes your concept and uses it as the basis, for, EG, a book, you have little redress - unless there is substantial *exact* plagiarism.

---
Overall view - I can see where you're coming from - indeed I can - but I think you're getting too over-concerned about details and threads. After all - the 'official truth' is that described on the various entries.

A link to the Continuity Etiquette page at http://www.h2g2.com/A351866 would be a good addition.

You should make it clear that just as you expect people to respect your online entities, you will give equal respect to theirs. That would add an amount of equality and fairness, that I think is missing.

Love and good Continuity
Lucinda

Thankyou for your notices.

The new Terms and Conditions have been set out.

No furhter correspondence is necessary.

Thankyou...

- Pr. C. Tonks