Zune Social is a beta online community Web site that gives people a place to share their music tastes, knowledge and experiences with others. Powered by the music the community is listening to, Zune Social extends the connection between Zune customers from device-to-device to PC-to-PC.
Follow these tips to help keep the Zune Social an exciting place to discover and explore music.
NOTE: At this time, the Zune Social is not for use by anyone under the age of 13.
If you think there's a problem, report it immediately
Keep in mind that all the information on your Zune Card can be public
Anybody can read what you post in Zune Forums
Keep identifying details to yourself
Never meet an Internet "friend" alone in person
Be cautious about sharing your feelings
Check out comments others make on your Zune page or their own
Be smart about your Zune Card background and picture
Do not post anything that you might regret later
If you think there's a problem, report it immediately
It doesn't matter if you did something a bit off-base in the process. If you're feeling uncomfortable, tell someone right away. Never gamble with your safety.
No one has the right to threaten or upset you. Ever. Report the problem online or talk to an adult you trust if anyone (even someone you know):
To report abuse, select Report Abuse on the bottom of any Zune.net page.
Keep in mind that all the information on your Zune Card can be public.
Think of a sliding scale: The more personal or identifiable the information you share, the fewer people you should share it with. If you want your Zune Card to be viewable by everyone, remember to share only what you want everyone on the Internet—friend or not—to know. Otherwise, limit access to your friends only. For more information, see Privacy Settings.
Anybody can read what you post in Zune Forums.
Zune Forums are open for everybody to read and contribute. Just like your Zune Card, exercise caution related to the kinds of things you post to the Zune Forums. Don't post anything you wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., your phone number, address or IM names).
Keep identifying details to yourself.
Be careful when putting details that identify you personally. People may be able to use this information to steal your identity or locate you. A good rule of thumb: If you wouldn't give certain details about yourself, your family, or your friends to a stranger on a dark street, don't share them in the Zune online community.
Here are some other tips for Zune Cards that everyone can see:
Know who your friends are
On the Internet, people can pretend to be anyone they want, so make friends only with people you or your friends have met in person.
Just as in real life, everything someone tells you may be completely true—or only part of it may be true, or maybe none of it. You might meet someone who pretends to be friendly but really wants something else, from predators searching for victims, to thieves looking for a racy car or an empty house.
Also, be cautious about those who might try to exploit or control you. If anyone feels creepy, they probably are.
Never meet an Internet "friend" alone in person
Remember: Your online "friends" may not be who they say. (Pictures are no proof, either.)
You may not know that some people troll the Internet looking for kids they think they can control—kids who are sad, lonely, hurting, or angry. They'll work hard to get your trust using information you and your friends share on your Zune Cards. Then gradually they'll try to seduce you with attention, kindness, and even gifts.
If you feel you must meet someone in person, stick with the following rules.
Be cautious about sharing your feelings
Your Zune Card and the comments you post can tell a lot about you. Does this snapshot of you show how you feel about yourself? All of this is great information to a predator who wants to make you feel important or special as a way of getting your trust.
Check out comments others make on your Zune page or their own
Sometimes friends can unwittingly give away personal information about you.
Keep an eye on what others are saying about you on their Zune pages. For example, a friend may share your address or real name. Or they may comment on their Zune page that they'll miss you because your family is going on vacation—and you may come back to a burglarized house.
Check the comments your friends leave you, too—and make sure they don't give false or personal details.
Be smart about your Zune Card background and picture
What does a picture show about you? Does it attract the wrong kind of attention or help someone find you?
Don't post anything that you might regret later
You may think that only people you know are looking at your profile page or Zune Card, but everyone can see it if your privacy settings allow it. Think twice before posting a potentially embarrassing photo or information you wouldn't want others to see, including potential employers or colleges.
Don't lie about your age
Your Zune account may be deleted if we believe that you are under 13 years of age or if we believe you are 14 through 17 years of age and you represent yourself as 18 or older.
Exposure to loud sounds can damage your hearing, causing hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears). While a variety of things can lead to hearing loss, including aging and side effects of certain medications, the most common cause of non-age-related hearing damage is loud noise. Extremely loud sounds, such as gun shots or firecrackers at close range, can cause immediate hearing damage. Hearing damage can also occur over time due to repeated exposure to loud sounds such as industrial noise or loud music. Like many other sources of sound, Zune can be loud enough to permanently damage your hearing.
Temporary and permanent hearing damage
Noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus may be temporary or permanent. Ears typically recover from temporary hearing damage in a short time. However, ears may not recover completely, and some damage may be permanent. While the permanent hearing loss from a single exposure to loud sound might not be noticeable, repeated exposure to loud sound can cause more and more damage, and eventually lead to serious hearing problems.
Loud sounds + time = hearing damage
The more time you spend exposed to loud sounds, the more likely you are to damage your hearing. All of the sound that you are exposed to during a day adds up - continued exposure to loud sounds can prevent your ears from recovering and also cause additional damage.
Louder sounds can cause hearing damage more quickly. To determine the risk of hearing loss, sound is measured as a sound pressure level, in A-weighted decibels (dBA).
Sounds under 85 dBA do not usually present a risk of hearing loss. Typical comfortable sound levels fall into this range.
Sounds above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss if you are exposed to the sound for enough time. Exposure to 85 dBA noise for 8 hours a day over many years can cause permanent hearing damage. Louder sounds cause damage in less time.
Even relatively brief daily exposures to louder sounds can cause hearing damage over time.
Avoiding hearing damage
It is usually not practical to measure the decibel levels of the sounds that you hear, and accurate measurement usually requires a trained professional. However, you can follow these simple rules to identify hazardous sound levels and avoid hearing damage from loud sound:
Additional information
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provide detailed standards and guidance for occupational noise exposure. This information may also be useful for people who are exposed to loud sounds in a non-occupational setting. For more information, see:
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders provides helpful information about noise induced hearing loss and other hearing disorders:
