TONMO FAQ

"So trip, to, heave and ho, up, down, to and fro'... you have no word. Please leave us here, close our eyes to the octopus ride..."
-- Syd Barrett (1946-2006)
TONMO.com was founded in May of 2000. We're committed to being the best resource available for all things cephalopod, in terms of both community and content. We're glad you stopped by! Have a look at the FAQ below to learn more about who we are and what we offer.

What is TONMO.com?
TONMO.com: The Octopus News Magazine Online is an online community and news resource for anything and everything pertaining to octopuses, squids and cephalopods. This includes articles, blogs, and forum discussions about cephalopod research and biology, pet care, fossils, tattoos, images and video clips, art and culture, activities for children, site reviews, books, movies, poetry and writing, diving, marine conservation, and more. We even have a biennial conference called TONMOCON. Explore, and don't be shy! You can start by introducing yourself if you like. Also, don't forget to read our Forum Guidelines and Cephalopod Care Ethics Statement.

Cephalopod? What's a cephalopod?
Cephalopods (pronounced "sefalopods" and rhymes with "Jeff-a-low-gods" -- although in some places in Europe they use a hard "c") are marine mollusks of the class Cephalopoda, such as octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, or nautilus.

Ahem... "octopuses?" Don't you mean... "octopi?"
No -- octopus is an "English" word, not traditional Latin, and therefore the plural is actually "octopuses." However, it should be noted that "octopi" is generally accepted... But we choose to use the technically correct treatment. roll eyes See definition.

Your forums are great! Who are the moderators?
Come and meet the staff!

How did this all get started?
I've always been fascinated by deep sea creatures, including octopus and squid. I suppose this fascination stemmed from lots of things -- visits to the New England Aquarium when I was younger, books, documentaries, and the prevalence of references to octopus and squid throughout popular culture. One of my favorite resources regarding deep sea creatures is Richard Ellis' book Monsters of the Sea. After securing a domain name for www.tonmo.com in 1998 (which is my cyber identity, short for my name: Tony Morelli), I eventually came to the realization (in May of 2000) that TONMO makes a nice(ish?) acronym for The Octopus News Magazine Online -- so I built a site around it. The site quickly grew to attract a wide audience with broad and deep interests in various subjects pertaining to cephalopods. Want a lot more detail on this? Check out this Blog post - how TONMO came to be.

Why am I being asked to register?
By registering, you become a TONMO.com member. The username you select (e.g., tonmo) will allow our system to "recognize" you when you come back to the site. Certain areas of the site (such as member profiles) are only accessible to TONMO.com members. Joining TONMO.com is free, and allows you to interact with the community by posting notes on the TONMO.com Message Board. Try it, it's fun!

What is a "TONMO.com Supporter"?
You can become a TONMO Supporter by subscribing to this site. Supporters gain access to our private forum, which welcomes off-topic discussion. Supporters get other perks, too, like far fewer ads. More information can be found on our TONMO Supporter Program page.

Do you have a privacy policy?
Believe it or not, yes. In a nutshell, your privacy is greatly respected, and at the same time, you're responsible for your own actions... so it's worth reading. wink

Hey Tony, do you own an octopus?
No, I've never owned an octopus... I just run the site. heee

Me want moar TONMO info!! Troll
Ok, ok! Uhm, hmm... I dunno, have a look here.

Who can I write to with questions or input?
For general correspondence, contact Tony Morelli.

-- Tony Morelli, Site Owner, TONMO.com
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