About This Website

The Rivenstar web pages are currently created using Microsoft FrontPage 2003, and decorated using a color scheme called "Blue Cypress" (because it was modified from the original green FrontPage template, which was named "Cypress").  Fonts used by the Web Minister include "Footlight MT Light" for body text, "Bridgnorth" for most headings and may include other specialty fonts on occasion.  If your computer does not support these fonts, the site may not view correctly, or may substitute a different font.  However, the website has been tested in several browsers for legibility and usability with no problems.

Updates

Rather than keeping an archive of past updates to the website, the Web Minister will leave notice of the most recent updates available on the main page for at least one month.  After that time, if any part of the notice is still relevant, it will be moved to the "Old Updates" section at the bottom of the page.  Portions of the notice that are no longer current will be discarded.

Photo Submission Guidelines

If you are submitting photos specifically to the Rivenstar website, these are the guidelines set by the web mistress.  The SCA and the Middle Kingdom have further guidelines which are available on this page.

• Photos MUST be of appropriate content for an official SCA website; they must portray the SCA in a positive light and be of "family-friendly" subjects.  (When in doubt, remind yourself that this is a "dry" website.)
• The web mistress prefers that photos be of high quality - sharp focus, good lighting, etc. - and ideally should not require any additional "tweaking" in resolution or size before publication.  An ideal size would be five inches on the longest edge, and the preferred resolution is 100 dpi.
• In accordance with Midrealm policy, photos of people MUST be accompanied by written permission of each identifiable person in the photo before they may be used.  For further details on Middle Kingdom policy, please look here (general info) or here (photography info) for the sort of permission that is required.

Children's Privacy

Unlike newsletters whose subscription and distribution may be controlled to a certain extent, Internet websites are available for viewing by anyone around the world, at any time.  While there is no specific policy described in the Middle Kingdom Web Minister's Handbook with respect to protecting children's privacy (as opposed to adults, who are covered in the "Permissions" policy), it will be the practice of the Web Minister to either present children's first names only, with no associated photos, or to present photos without children's names in the captions.  In all cases, permission to use children's images will be obtained from their parents or legal guardians in accordance with the "Permissions" policy outlined in the Middle Kingdom Web Minister's Handbook.

Web Minister Guidelines

The following information is excerpted verbatim from the Middle Kingdom Web Minister's Handbook, and is intended to be a brief description of the requirements that are used in maintaining this website. (For the complete text of the Handbook, please visit the Middle Kingdom website.) If you notice anything which appears to violate these guidelines, please contact the Web Minister immediately.

Websites which a Webminister maintains as part of his or her office, must:

• Identify the name of the group, guild, or other official entity;

• Have links to the SCA main page, the appropriate Kingdom page, and the appropriate Principality page, if applicable;

• Carry the following approved disclaimer on as a link off of the main page:

This is the recognized Web Page for [group name and status here] of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. The Maintainer of this page is [mundane name here] (e-mail:[email address and mailto link here]). It is not a corporate publication of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., and does not delineate SCA policies. All material hereon should be considered under copyright protections according to U.S. law and international treaty, and may not be reused or linked to without the permission of the author, artist, or other copyright owner as designated. In case of conflict with printed versions of material printed on this page or its links, the dispute will be decided in favor of the printed version unless otherwise indicated.
 

• List officers of the group by SCA names and offices held. Additional information such as modern name, phone number, e-mail address, and postal addresses are desirable but not required. Due to privacy concerns, permission to publish this additional information must be obtained from each officer and kept on file by the Webminister.

• List upcoming events and meetings - at least those sponsored by the group. A link to the Kingdom calendar page is also a good idea (also your Principality page, if applicable, and/or neighboring Kingdoms or Principalities if you desire).

• Show the date last updated on each page, or in an online journal.

• Display the following disclaimer prominently above any link to a third party site (one maintained by anyone who is not a warranted Webminister):

  This page contains links that connect to sites over which neither the SCA or [group name] has any control.

• Display the following disclaimer prominently above any list of merchants or vendors:

  The following links connect to site over which neither the SCA or [group name] has any control. The [group name and status] does not accept PAID advertising. The appearance of links to merchants in this page oes not represent an approval or endorsement of the merchandise or services by any officer or body of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., or by the [group name and status here].

Documentation of Permissions

A "Permission for Online Publication" form appears in Appendix C of this manual. Webministers need to keep a copy of this permission form as well as a hard copy of the page as posted on the Internet in their files. While you can accept an e-mailed copy of the form, or any e-mail message that contains substantially the same information, you need to get a hardcopy of the permission form or e-mail, signed by the person(s) giving the permission, for your files. This is because if the matter ever goes to court, they are more likely to accept the original signature.

If there are multiple contributors for a submission, you must have a permission form from each contributor.

If something is used from another page on the web, credit the source of the image or text. This would include a URL and optionally a link to the page. This applies to any resources found on other sites, including, but not limited to: map generators, texts, images - whether they are public domain or copyrighted, and whether use is free wwith permission or on a free basis.

Privacy Issues

Publishing personal information online

Posting personal information beyond SCA name, awards received, and offices held, requires a permission form (Appendix B), evne if that information is published in the group's newsletter. This permission may be handled in several different ways. The simplest way is to circulate a paper with all the data that will be published with the phrase "I give permission to publish this information on the [group name] website." with a space for a signature and date. Another method is for you to receive e-mail with all the information and the statement "I give permission to publish this information on the [group name] website," then print if off to be signed and dated by the person sending the information.

Permission to publish photographs

The standard rule in journalism is that journalists gain access to private sites at the discretion of the person controlling the site. In SCA terms this would be the site owner, the seneschal, and the autocrat. The person controlling the site may set rules for access which may limit what may be photographed.

If the site is a public place, you do not need the permission of the site owner or anyone else to take pictures. As an invited participant you also do not permission to take pictures at a private event, although you should respect the wishes of others and use some common sense (for example, no flash photography around the list field). However, before you publish any pictures, you may need to get the permission of anyone who can be identified in the picture before using their likeness on a web page or in another publication.

While permission is not strictly necessary from individuals engaged in an activity, it's a good idea to ask whenever practical (for example, a battle at Pennsic would not be practical). If you wish to take pictures of individuals, it is appropriate (and recommended) to ask and receive permission first.

In general, if you are writing a caption for a photo, and you could identify the individual specifically, you need written permission from the subject before you use the picture, whether in a newsletter or on a website.

This is a very sensitive issue to many people, so when considering whether or not to post a picture on a website, ask yourself, "Is the photo tasteful, and complementary to the subject and the SCA?"

Reporting and funds

You must report to the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the group for which you run a webpage on a regular basis any and all funds, expenditures and donations associated with the website. Lack of a report does not indicate that no funds were spent, but rather that the report is missing. A missing report could, under certain circumstances, jeopardize the group's status and/or the Society's not-for-profit status. If no SCA funds have been expended on the site (as a personal expense), then it is sufficent to report quarterly "No money has been spent" to your exchequer. As tax laws are constantly changing, it is best to check with your exchequer if there are any additional forms required by the Kingdom or Society beyond what has already been stated.

The Webminister as Editor

It is important to remember that your page represents the ideals and goals of the SCA and your local chapter or guild, not those of any one individual. Also, a good page is supposed to support the individuals who are viewing it. These people may be local members, SCA members from around the world, or non-members looking for more information about the Society. So, when designing a page, keep the ideals and tenets of the SCA in mind: truth, honor and chivalry.

Tone: The content of a web page is primarily of an informational nature and should represent that facts only. Sections that represent a group or activity should be in a positive light, avoiding the 3 D's (deception, derogatory comments, and distasteful content) at all costs. This should also be used as a rule of thumb for what links to put on your pages to other pages on the web.

Content: Make sure that your web pages are grammatically correct and readable. Avoid poor wording, incorrect spelling, and vague, inaccurate, or hard to understand sentences. A group's web pages should be clear, concise, and to the point. Another important factor to consider is the color scheme. The colors used on a web page should be easy to read and print out.

Editorials: An editorial is the opinion of the writer to perceived problems with proposed solutions. It can also simply be the musings of a person who wants to talk about his or her SCA experiences.

Since a web page is the voice of the group and not a single person, editorials generally have no reason to be on group web pages, unless they are informative, accurate, and consistent with the tone that the groups web pages should portray. Also, since the web pages represent the SCA at all levels to the public, it is not good to air one's laundry for all to see. Personal opinions may be expressed on personal pages or through normal e-mail channels. If a prospective author has problems with these rules, refer the person to the regional or Kingdom superior.

View Rivenstar Stats

This is the recognized Web Page for the Barony of Rivenstar of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. The maintainer of this page is THL Arrantxa Idazle Iruñekoa (Heather Bungard Janney). It is not a corporate publication of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. and does not delineate SCA policies. All material herein should be considered under copyright protections according to US law and international treaty, and may not be reused or linked to without the permission of the author, artist, or other copyright owner as designated.  In case of conflict with printed versions of material presented on this page or its links, the dispute will be decided in favor of the printed version.