The Change is Possible Forum is a website adopting the Open Social software to enable users of the platform to post content and links to the whole user group and communicate directly (via direct messages) with individuals or small sub-groups belonging to the user group. 

 

1. Acceptance of these Terms

Please read the Terms carefully.  By accessing and using our Forum or our services you are deemed to confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to be bound by these Terms.  If you do not agree to any part of the Terms (including Privacy Policy), you must not access, or must immediately stop accessing, our Forum or our services.

 

2. Registration Process

You must be a Registered User to fully use the Forum and our services. Registering to use the Forum and our services as a Registered User is free, but all Registered Users must:

(a) be at least 18 years old; and

(b) complete the sign-up process and provide true, correct and up-to-date information.

 

3. Services offered

The Forum and our services are intended to provide an online space for Forum community members who are Registered Users of the Forum to:

(a) post content and links to the whole user group; and

(b) communicate directly (via direct messages) with individuals or small sub-groups belonging to the user group; and

(c) provide a channel for MSD to communicate directly (individually or as groups) to Registered Users of the Forum or our services.

 

4. Limitations of Forum

The Community Forum and our services do not provide:

(a) a platform for advertising or promoting goods or product for sale;

(b) a platform for the purchase of goods or product for sale; or

(c) any dispute resolution services.

 

5. Register User Acknowledgments

(a) all communications are made as between yourself and any other Registered User with which you connect, whether directly or indirectly, using the Forum. The Forum is simply a platform which connects the sender and receiver and facilitates the sharing of information;

(b) all information provided as part of the Registered User’s profile is correct at the time of posting. It is the Registered User’s responsibility to ensure this profile information remains current;

(c) all information, experiences and content shared with the group or individuals is true and accurate; and

(d) you assume ultimate responsibility for your posting, reliance on and consumption of content within the Forum.

 

6. Changes to Forum and our services

We may, for any reason, at any time in our sole discretion and without prior notice:

(a) add or remove Forum or service features or functions;

(b) suspend or stop providing any of the Forum or service features, services or functions; and/or

(c) refuse individual Registered Users access to some or all of the Forum.  

 

7. Ownership of materials

MSD does not claim ownership of the materials you provide to MSD (including feedback and suggestions) or post, upload, input or submit to the Forum or its associated services, including any content you share or post publicly in conversations or sent by private direct message in any chat functionality. 

 

However, by posting, uploading, inputting, providing or submitting your information you are granting MSD and necessary sublicensees a royalty-free license to use your information in connection with the operation of MSD’s businesses. This is subject to the terms of our Privacy Policy.

 

8. Use of your Submissions

MSD is under no obligation to post or use any information you may provide and may remove any information at any time at MSD’s sole discretion. 

 

9. Security

Security of your information and use of our Forum is very important to us. Once we receive your information via the Forum, we do our best to protect its security on our systems. However, due to the inherent nature of the internet, we are not able to guarantee the security of our Forum, our services or any information that you hold or that you transmit to us and we take no responsibility for any breach of the Forum’s security. 

 

10. Your security responsibility

You are responsible for taking your own measures to reduce the risk of viruses or other forms of interference damaging your computer system or any devices through which you access the Forum or our services.

 

11. Disclaimer

The information available on, or through this website, includes information provided by MSD and information provided by third parties (users of the Forum). This information is intended to provide men with tools and resources to learn and grow as a man, a partner, father, brother, mate and more. We recommend you seek professional advice as appropriate.

MSD endeavours to ensure that the information on this website is reliable and accurate at the time of publishing, however: Except as expressly stated herein, we make no representation or warranty, either express or implied, of any kind with respect to the Forum, our services or any content posted on the Forum or via our services. Except as expressly stated herein, we expressly disclaim all warranties, express or implied, of any kind with respect to the Forum or our services.

 

12. Liability

(a) the Forum and our services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and any warranties, representations, conditions, undertakings and terms, whether express or implied, are expressly excluded;

(b) you assume full responsibility for any loss or damage that results from your use of the Forum or our services; and

(c) in no event will we be liable under contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise to you or any other person under or in connection with these Terms and/or your access to, use of, inability to use or reliance on our Forum, our services or any information contained in or accessed through our Forum, our services and/or any interactions or transactions with other Registered Users.

 

13. Accuracy and completeness of information

All information contained on or within our Forum and our services is provided for general information purposes only. We will have no liability with respect to any claims arising from the use of the information on the Forum or our services however arising. 

We do not warrant that the information contained on the Forum or our services is accurate, complete, current, virus-free, error-free or complies with any legislation or regulations other than those in New Zealand. 

The material on the Forum and our services should not be relied upon or used as the sole basis for making decisions without consulting primary, more accurate and more complete sources of information. Any reliance on the material on the Forum and our services is at your own risk. 

 

14. We are not responsible for events beyond our control

We will be excused from any obligation under these Terms if non-performance is due to events beyond our reasonable control.

 

15. Your acknowledgement

You acknowledge that access to our Forum and our services is provided at no charge and accordingly, the exclusions of liability set out in these Terms are fair and reasonable. 

 

16. Your interactions with other Registered Users

MSD is not a party to any interactions between Registered Users of the Forum or our services.

The information provided is intended to provide information that is general in nature. This information should not be construed as professional advice, health advice or counselling.

 

17. Community rules

This website contains community forum features such as posts, comments, bulletin boards, chat rooms, event lists, or other forms of communications. By accessing the website, users agree not to engage in the following actions:

1. defamation, abuse, harassment, stalking, threats, or any other activities that infringe upon the legal rights of others
2. publishing, posting, distributing, or disseminating defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, or unlawful material or information
3. uploading or attaching files containing software or other materials protected by intellectual property laws (or by rights of privacy and publicity) unless the user has the rights to do so or has obtained all necessary consents as mandated by the law
4. uploading or attaching files containing viruses, corrupted files, or similar software or programs that may harm the functionality of another individual's computer.
5. removing author attributions, legal notices, or proprietary designations from any uploaded file
6. deleting author attributions, legal notices, or proprietary designations from any uploaded file or content
7. misrepresenting the origin or source of software or other materials within an uploaded file
8. advertising or offering to sell goods or services, conducting surveys, contests, or chain letters, or downloading any file that the user knows or reasonably should know cannot be legally distributed in such a manner.

If users do not adhere to these rules in MSD’s opinion, the users’ registration will be cancelled and they will be removed from the Forum.

 

18. Copyright

Crown copyright ©. Copyright material on this website is protected by copyright owned by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) on behalf of the Crown. Unless indicated otherwise for specific items or collections of content (either below or within specific items or collections), this copyright material is licensed for re-use under Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 International Licence. In essence, you are free to copy, distribute and adapt the material, as long as you attribute it to MSD and abide by the other licence terms.

Please note that this licence does not apply to any logos, emblems, trademarks, photography, multimedia, or imagery on the website or to the website’s design elements. Those specific items may not be re-used without express permission.

MSD, its employees, contractors, and partners reserve the right to moderate the content in the forum at all times.

 

19. Ownership

This website is part of The Campaign for Action on Family Violence. The campaign is an initiative of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and forms part of the New Zealand Government response to family and sexual violence through its national strategy Te Aorerekura.