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Community Guidelines

Last updated: June 30, 2021

Welcome to Fictional Crowd, where stories grow with you!

Our Code of Conduct explains the spirit of our community. These Guidelines explain the details: what’s allowed, what’s not allowed, and how moderation works.

We want creativity to flourish. We also want readers and writers to feel safe. These guidelines help us balance both.

1. What Belongs on Fictional Crowd

Fictional Crowd is for:

  1. Original stories and serialized fiction
  2. Thoughtful feedback and discussion
  3. Creative exploration across genres
  4. Respectful disagreement and constructive critique
  5. Age-appropriate storytelling based on selected content rating

Authors are responsible for accurately rating and tagging their work. Readers are responsible for engaging respectfully.

2. Content Ratings & Age Responsibility

When publishing a project, authors must:

  1. Select the appropriate audience category (e.g., YA, Adult)
  2. Accurately tag sensitive themes (e.g., violence, trauma, strong language)
  3. Avoid mislabeling content to reach a broader audience

Misrepresenting adult content as YA, or failing to tag clearly sensitive material, may result in content removal or suspension.

Content involving minors in sexual contexts is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate permanent account revocation.

3. Prohibited Content

To protect our community, the following is not allowed:

Harassment & Abuse

  1. Bullying, intimidation, or targeted harassment
  2. Hate speech, slurs, or dehumanizing language
  3. Threats of violence
  4. Encouraging self-harm

Sexual Content

  1. Explicit sexual content in non-adult categories
  2. Non-consensual sexual content
  3. Sexual content involving minors (zero tolerance)

Graphic Violence

  1. Excessively graphic or disturbing depictions of violence without proper classification
  2. Glorification of real-world violence

Illegal or Dangerous Activity

  1. Promotion of illegal acts
  2. Terrorism-related content
  3. Sharing pirated or stolen intellectual property
  4. Instructions for harmful or criminal behavior

Platform Misuse

  1. Spam or repetitive promotional content
  2. Impersonation of other users or public figures
  3. Attempting to bypass suspensions or bans
  4. Manipulating ratings, feedback systems, or engagement
  5. Submitting false or malicious reports

4. Reporting & Moderation

If you encounter content that violates these guidelines, please report it.

When a report is submitted it is reviewed by our moderation staff and the content may be removed or restricted, the account may be marked as 'Under Investigation' and a moderation decision will be made after the review is complete. We take all reports seriously and strive to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.

We review all reports as carefully as possible. Some reports may result in no action if no violation is found.

False reporting or abusing the reporting system may result in disciplinary action.

5. Enforcement Actions

We apply enforcement based on severity, intent, and history. Possible actions include:

  1. Content removal
  2. Formal warning
  3. Temporary account suspension
  4. Permanent account revocation

Severe violations — including sexual content involving minors, credible threats of violence, or ban evasion — may result in immediate permanent account revocation without prior warning.

If an account is permanently revoked:

  1. The user will be banned from creating new accounts
  2. We may report the user to law enforcement if applicable
  3. Attempts to evade the ban may result in additional action

We may preserve records related to violations as required by law.

6. Appeals Process

If you believe moderation action was taken in error, you may submit an appeal through our support channel.

All appeals are reviewed by our moderation team, and a decision will be communicated to you as soon as possible.

We aim to review and respond to appeals within 60 days.

Please provide any relevant information or context to support your appeal.

Submitting frivolous or abusive appeals may result in additional disciplinary action.

All decisions made through the appeals process are final.

7. Content Ownership & Responsibility

Users retain ownership of the original content they create.

However:

  1. You are responsible for what you publish and share.
  2. You must ensure your content complies with these guidelines.
  3. We are not liable for user-generated content.
  4. Repeated violations may result in account suspension or revocation
  5. Fictional Crowd reserves the right to remove content that violates these guidelines.

By using our platform, you agree to these guidelines and our Terms of Service. We encourage you to read them carefully and reach out to our support team if you have any questions.

8. Updates to These Guidelines

We may update these guidelines from time to time to reflect changes in our platform, community standards, or legal requirements. When we do, we will notify users through our platform.

It is your responsibility to review these guidelines periodically to stay informed about any updates. Continued use of Fictional Crowd means you agree to the current version of these Guidelines.

Thank you for being part of Fictional Crowd. Let's create a positive, engaging, and inspiring space for everyone to read, write, and grow together!

Remember, we all play a role in creating a welcoming and inspiring community. Let’s work together to make Fictional Crowd a place where creativity thrives!