Community Guidelines

1. Our Community

BonsaiHub is a community built around a shared love of bonsai. We are committed to maintaining a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of experience level, background, or perspective. These guidelines apply to all content and interactions on the platform.

2. Community Standards

We expect all members to:

• Be respectful: Treat others with courtesy and kindness. Constructive criticism is welcome; personal attacks are not.
• Be helpful: Share knowledge generously. Remember that everyone was a beginner once.
• Be honest: Represent your work and experience truthfully. Credit others when sharing their techniques or photos.
• Stay on topic: Keep discussions relevant to bonsai, horticulture, and our community. Off-topic or promotional content may be removed.
• Respect privacy: Do not share others' personal information without their consent.

3. Prohibited Content

The following content is not allowed on BonsaiHub and will be removed:

• Harassment, bullying, hate speech, or discrimination of any kind.
• Sexually explicit, violent, or graphic content unrelated to the platform.
• Spam, phishing, malware, or deceptive content.
• Content that violates copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights.
• Content that promotes illegal activities or violates applicable laws.
• Impersonation of other users, organizations, or public figures.

4. Content Licensing

When you upload content to BonsaiHub, you retain ownership of your work. By posting content, you grant BonsaiHub a non-exclusive license to display and distribute it within the Service, as described in our Terms of Service.

You must have the right to share any content you upload. Do not post copyrighted material belonging to others without proper authorization or licensing.

5. DMCA & Copyright Policy

BonsaiHub respects intellectual property rights and complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). If you believe your copyrighted work has been used on BonsaiHub without authorization, you may submit a DMCA takedown request.

5.1 Filing a DMCA Takedown Request

To file a DMCA takedown notice, submit the following information to our designated agent:

1. A description of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed.
2. A description of the material you claim is infringing, including the URL or location on BonsaiHub where it appears.
3. Your name, address, telephone number, and email address.
4. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
5. A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on behalf of the owner.
6. Your physical or electronic signature.

5.2 DMCA Contact

Submit DMCA takedown requests via our GitHub Issues page with the subject "DMCA Takedown Request", or email the project maintainers directly.

5.3 Counter-Notification

If you believe your content was removed in error, you may file a counter-notification containing your identification, a description of the removed material, a statement under penalty of perjury that the removal was a mistake, and your consent to jurisdiction. We will forward counter-notifications to the original complainant.

6. Enforcement

Violations of these guidelines may result in the following actions, depending on severity:

• Warning: A notification about the violation and a request to correct the behavior.
• Content removal: The offending content will be removed from the platform.
• Temporary suspension: Your account may be temporarily suspended for repeated or serious violations.
• Permanent ban: In cases of severe or persistent violations, your account may be permanently terminated.

7. Appeal Process

If you believe an enforcement action was taken in error, you may appeal by submitting a request through our GitHub Issues page. Your appeal should include:

• Your username and the date of the enforcement action.
• A description of the action taken (warning, removal, suspension).
• Your explanation of why the action should be reversed or reconsidered.
• Any supporting evidence or context.

We will review appeals within 14 business days and communicate the outcome to you. All decisions after appeal review are final.

8. Reporting

If you encounter content or behavior that violates these guidelines, please report it through the platform's feedback system or via our GitHub Issues page. We take all reports seriously and will investigate promptly.

9. Changes to Guidelines

We may update these Community Guidelines from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Continued use of BonsaiHub after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised guidelines.