The Internet has shown remarkable progress over recent years, virtually becoming an essential part of our lives.
The rapid progress of the Internet has also brought about some confusion on proper usage as well as a variety of problems, including a disregard of network etiquette.
Currently, the illegal dissemination of pornographic images via the Internet has become a social problem, urging the authorities to create tighter legal restrictions.
Given these circumstances, we have developed these Directions for Use of the TUT Network Environment, aiming to encourage students and faculty/staff members to make effective use of our network services in their daily work - including education, research, learning and personal development - and by extension to contribute to the sound progress of a networked society.

The use of the network, which enables users to disseminate information easily, requires extreme care, although there is no need to take it so seriously.
In short, users have only to behave online in compliance with the law as well as based on social morality and common sense.
Users should not behave in a socially unacceptable manner on the network either.
In addition, the network should not be used in such a way that would be discreditable to TUT (tut.ac.jp), even though such an act may not be illegal.

General Cautions

• On the network, users must not engage in behavior that is against the law or contrary to public order and morals, including provision of pornography, gambling and Ponzi schemes.
  Users must not gain unauthorized access to other networks and systems, and must not cause damage or conduct other unjust acts, such as circulating viruses.
• Users must not engage in defamation of a particular individual/organization, or in spreading false information.
• Users must not engage in profit-making activity using TUT computers and network systems.
• Users must not commit an act of infringing copyright or any other intellectual property rights or property rights, such as by making an illegal copy.
• There are a wide variety of networks on the Internet, which differ in their policy of operation. When having access to other networks, it is necessary for users to follow the policy of the individual networks.
  TUT is a member of the Science Information Network (SINET) operated by the National Institute of Informatics (NII).
  The SINET requires users to comply with the following rules:1)Do not use the network for any purpose other than the management of academic research and its support;2)Do not use the network for the purpose of profit;3)Do not jeopardize the privacy of communications;4)Do not use the network in such a way that might interfere with its operation; and 5)Other matters separately provided for by the Director General of the NII.
• The Internet is connected across the world. Users are encouraged to develop an international perspective and use the Internet with due regard for time differences and custom diversity.
• When using the network, users should look from other persons’ perspectives and avoid bothering others.
  For example, an extra burden should not be put on site administrators by asking them to do something not related to their work, such as looking for somebody.
• Users should not put unnecessary overload on the network by transferring an unnecessarily large number of files or sending chain e-mails.
  To prevent a lot of e-mail delivery errors from occurring, users should make sure that an e-mail address to be forwarded to has been set up correctly.
  For obtaining files, please access a site as near to you as possible.

The following are important reminders regarding the creation of an e-mail, news page, mailing list and web page.

E-mails

When sending a personal e-mail, follow the same ethical rules as those for writing a letter.
The sender’s name must be clearly written. You should not send an e-mail that makes the sender impossible to identify, such as an anonymous message.
At present, communication terminal devices capable of transmitting motions such as a gesture and the tone of voice have not yet become common. It is often difficult to make yourself understood in discussions via e-mail; you should pay careful attention to the wording and expressions so as not to cause misunderstanding.

News pages

When you post a comment/message on a news page, be sure to keep in mind that it can be read by unspecified large numbers of people, as in the case of posting on a newspaper’s letters page.
It is also important to follow the customs of individual news groups.
You should not post a news story anonymously or in a way that makes the sender impossible to identify.

Mailing list

Remember that an e-mail sent to a mailing list can be read by many people; be sure to follow the same principle as when posting a news story and creating a web page.
It is also important to follow the customs of individual mailing lists.
You should not post an e-mail anonymously or in a way that makes the sender impossible to identify.

Creation of a web page

When you create a web page, you should clearly write your name and the date created and revised and take on full responsibility for all the content provided, with due consideration to the issue of copyrights and intellectual property rights.
You should keep in mind that your website, just like advertisements in mass media, is exposed to unspecified large groups of people.
You should not put a link to a website that provides information that is considered to be illegal or offensive to public order and morals.
You also need to pay due consideration to security and the extent to which the information provided can be exposed (e.g. within a lab, on campus, outside the University).

There is a website for Internet etiquette, “Netiquette,” a link to which is provided below for your information.

• Netiquette website
  This website provides various types of information on Internet etiquette (the do’s and don’ts of online communication).