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Code of Conduct

Terms of Use

 Last updated: February 23, 2023

For the purposes of this Code of Conduct:

  • Company (“Company,” “we,” or “us”) refers to Inkbot Editing, LLC.

  • Website refers to the Website, accessible from inkbotediting.com.

  • You means the individual accessing or using the Website, or a company, or any legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Website, as applicable; also, any purchaser and/or user of any of our Programs, Products, and/or Services.

Overview and Purpose

Our Website, Programs, Products, and Services are intended to be a place for further collaboration, motivation, support, and assistance between students, alumni, staff and contractors, and members. This is a civilized place for connecting with other members and students, learning new skills, sharing feedback and experiences, and finding all the support you need for your career as an editorial entrepreneur. By participating in one of our Programs, Products, or Services, you are agreeing to the same Terms of Service that apply to inkbotediting.com, as well as this Code of Conduct.

With this Code of Conduct, we hope to help you understand how best to communicate in your Membership or Community, what you can expect from moderators, and what type of actions or content may result in temporary or permanent suspension from Membership or Community participation. We will investigate any abuse reports and may moderate public content within the Membership that we determine to be in violation of either the Inkbot Editing Terms of Service or this Code of Conduct.

Inkbot Editing students and members worldwide bring different perspectives, ideas, and experiences, and range from people who are just beginning to think about becoming a freelance editor or proofreader to those who already have successful practices, as well as our staff and experienced educators and moderators. The purpose of our Membership and Community Programs is to serve as a welcoming environment for all the different voices and perspectives while maintaining a safe space where people are free to express themselves. It is meant as another layer of community support, education, and motivation.

Pledge

In the interest of fostering an open and welcoming environment, we as contributors and maintainers pledge to make participation in Inkbot Editing Programs, Products, and Services—and other interactions—a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, ability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, level of experience, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.

Standards

Our students, users, and members value Inkbot Editing not only because we deliver great products and services, but because we hold ourselves to a higher standard in how we treat users and operate generally. Keeping the following principles in mind will help us maintain that high standard. These guidelines aren't meant to encompass every single scenario we may encounter in a Membership or Community; they're simply meant as aids to help us maintain a safe, open space for civilized discourse and connection.

User Guidelines

  • Be respectful. Treat Inkbot Editing students, alumni, members, and staff with respect. We are a shared resource—a place to share skills, knowledge, and interests through ongoing conversation.
  • Be welcoming and open-minded. Other members may not have the same experience level or background as you, but that doesn't mean they don't have good ideas to contribute. We encourage you to be welcoming to new members and those just getting started.
  • Be civil and considerate. Nothing sabotages healthy conversation like rudeness. Be civil and professional, and don’t post anything that a reasonable person would consider offensive, abusive, or hate speech. Don’t harass or give anyone grief. Treat each other with dignity and consideration in all interactions.
  • Be constructive. You may wish to respond to something by disagreeing with it. That’s fine, but remember to only criticize ideas, not people. Avoid name-calling, ad hominem attacks, responding to a post’s tone instead of its actual content, and knee-jerk contradictions. Instead, provide reasoned counter-arguments that improve the conversation.
  • Communicate with empathy. Disagreements or differences of opinion are a fact of life. Being part of a community means interacting with people from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, many of which may not be your own. If you disagree with someone, try to understand their feelings before you address them. This will promote a respectful and friendly atmosphere where people feel comfortable asking questions, participating in discussions, and making contributions.
  • Contribute in a positive, supportive, and constructive way.
  • Improve the discussion. Help us make this a great place for discussion by always working to improve the discussion in some way, however small. If you aren’t sure your post adds to the conversation, think over what you want to say and try again later.
  • Make it matter. The topics discussed here matter to us, and we want you to act as if they matter to you, too. Be respectful of the topics and the people discussing them, even if you disagree with some of what is being said.
  • Be clear and stay relevant. Communicating with strangers on the Internet can be awkward. It's hard to convey or read tone, and sarcasm is frequently misunderstood. Do your best to use clear language and think about how it will be received by the other person.
  • Keep links relevant. Any links shared in the Membership or Community should be shared with the intent of providing relevant and appropriate information. Links should not be posted to simply drive traffic or attention to a site. Links should always be accompanied by a full explanation of the content and purpose of the link. Posting links, especially unsolicited ones, without relevant and valuable context can come across as advertising or as serving a malicious purpose.
  • Stay on topic. Inkbot Editing’s Membership and Community products are for collaboration, sharing ideas, and helping each other get stuff done. Off-topic comments are a distraction (sometimes welcome, but usually not) from getting work done and being productive. Staying on topic helps produce positive and productive discussions.
  • Share mindfully. When asking others to give you feedback or collaborate on a project, only share valuable and relevant resources to provide context. Don't post links that don't add value to the topic, and don't post unsolicited links to your own projects or sites on other user's threads.
  • Don't share sensitive information. This includes your own email address. We don't allow the sharing of such information in our Memberships or Communities, as it can create security and privacy risks for the poster, as well as other users.
  • Keep it tidy. Make an effort to put things in the right place (channels, circles, etc.) so we can spend more time discussing and less time cleaning up. Don’t divert a topic by changing it midstream or cross-post the same thing in multiple channels or topics. 
  • Be trustworthy. Always be honest. Don’t knowingly share incorrect information or intentionally mislead other members. If you don’t know the answer to someone’s question but still want to help, you can try helping them research or find resources instead. Inkbot Editing staff will also be active in the Community or Membership, so if you’re unsure of an answer, it’s likely a moderator will be able to help.
  • Support one another. We are committed to a supportive Membership and Community environment, where everyone has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. Members are expected to do their utmost to create a culture that is free of harassment, intimidation, bias, and unlawful discrimination.

What Is Not Allowed

  • Threats of violence. You may not threaten violence toward others or use our Website, Products, Programs, or Services to organize, promote, or incite acts of real-world violence or terrorism. Think carefully about the words you use, the images you post, and how they may be interpreted by others. Even if you mean something as a joke, it may not be received that way. If you think someone else could interpret the content you post as a threat, or as promoting violence or terrorism, stop. Don't post it. In extraordinary cases, we may report threats of violence to law enforcement if we think there may be a genuine risk of physical harm or a threat to public safety.
  • Hate speech and discrimination. While it is not forbidden to broach topics such as age, body size, ability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, level of experience, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation, we do not tolerate speech that attacks a person or group of people on the basis of who they are. Just realize that talking about these or other sensitive topics can make others feel unwelcome or perhaps even unsafe, especially if approached in an aggressive or insulting manner. We expect our members to be respectful when discussing sensitive topics.
  • Bullying and harassment. We do not tolerate bullying or harassment. This means any habitual badgering or intimidation targeted at a specific person or group of people. In general, if your actions are unwanted and you continue to engage in them, there's a good chance you’re headed into bullying or harassment territory.
  • Impersonation. You may not impersonate another person by copying their avatar, posting content under their email address or username, intentionally using a deceptively similar username, or otherwise posing as someone else. Impersonation is a form of harassment.
  • Doxxing and invasion of privacy. Don't post other people's personal information, such as phone numbers, private email addresses, physical addresses, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or passwords. Depending on the context, such as in the case of intimidation or harassment, we may consider other information, such as photos or videos that were taken or distributed without the subject's consent, to be an invasion of privacy, especially when such material presents a safety risk to the subject.
  • Sexually explicit content. Basically, don't post pornography. This doesn’t mean that all nudity or sexual content is prohibited. We recognize that sexuality is a part of life and non-pornographic sexual content may be a part of your project or may be presented for educational or artistic purposes. If you have any questions or concerns about something you want to post, feel free to reach out and ask beforehand.
  • Spam. Respect the Inkbot Editing Community or Membership. Don’t post advertisements, links to spammy websites, or otherwise vandalize the Community. This Community is meant for Inkbot Editing users to discuss projects, learn, and share ideas with one another—not for advertising or other spam-like content. Content that we deem spammy will be removed.
  • Copyrighted or illegal content. Only post your own stuff. You are responsible for what you post. If you post something you didn’t create yourself, you must have the right to post it. You may not post illegal content, including content deemed illegal under copyright and trademark laws, links to illegal content, or methods for circumventing the law.
  • Anyone under the age of 18. If you're a child under the age of 18, you may not have an account on the Inkbot Editing website. Inkbot Editing does not knowingly collect information from or direct any of our content specifically to children under 18. If we learn or have reason to suspect that you are a user who is under the age of 18, we will unfortunately have to close all your Inkbot Editing accounts. Please see our Terms of Service for information about account termination.
  • Other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a professional setting. Inkbot Editing’s Community and Membership Products are professional spaces, and should be treated as such.

Enforcement 

What Inkbot Editing Members Can Do

  • If you see a problem, report it. Moderators have special authority; they are responsible for the Community or Membership. But so are you. With your help, moderators can be facilitators, not just janitors or police.
  • When you see bad behavior, don’t reply. It encourages the bad behavior by acknowledging it, consumes your energy, and wastes everyone’s time. Instead, please report it via email at [email protected].

Our Responsibilities

There are a variety of actions we may take in response to inappropriate behavior or content. It usually depends on the exact circumstances of a particular case. We recognize that sometimes people may say or do inappropriate things for any number of reasons. Perhaps they didn’t realize how their words would be perceived. Or maybe they just let their emotions get the best of them. Of course, sometimes, there are folks who just want to spam or cause trouble.

Each case requires a different approach, and we try to tailor our response to meet the needs of the situation. We'll review each situation on a case-by-case basis. In each case, our team will investigate the content and surrounding facts and respond as appropriate, using this Code of Conduct to guide our decision.

Actions we may take in response to a flag or abuse report include, but are not limited to:

  • Content removal
  • Content blocking
  • Community or Membership account suspension
  • Community or Membership account termination
  • Reporting the content or action to local authorities

Community moderators who do not follow or enforce the Code of Conduct in good faith may face temporary or permanent repercussions as determined by other members of the Community leadership. We always aim to:

  • Respond quickly and with care. Part of being useful and honest is being responsive. We recognize relevant user feedback when we see it and we do something about it. We take pride in responding to communications from our users whether questions, problems, or compliments. If something is broken, we do our absolute best to fix it.
  • Take action. Anytime you feel our users or members aren’t being well served, don’t be bashful: let someone in the company know about it. Continually improving our products and services takes all of us, and we’re proud that Inkbot Editing champions our users and members and takes the initiative to step forward when the interests of our users are at stake.

Contacting Inkbot Editing Staff

If for any reason you want to contact Inkbot Editing staff privately, you can send an email to [email protected]. Contacting any member of Inkbot Editing staff via channels other than the support email address is strongly discouraged and may be considered a violation of our prohibition against harassment.

Let's work together to ensure that our Communities and Memberships are places where people feel safe to participate.