Community Guidelines

These guidelines are an annex to the Conditions of Use and form part of them. They apply everywhere you can contribute on Reef Network: comments, reviews and ratings, photographs, profile pages, messages and any future forum or listing.

We write them plainly because we would rather you understand them than agree to them without reading.

1. The short version

Be accurate. Be civil. Post only what is yours to post. Do not put an animal at risk for the sake of a photograph or a point.

2. What is not allowed

a) Illegal content and activity

• • Content that is unlawful where you are or where we operate
  • Offering, seeking or arranging the sale of species whose trade is prohibited, including species listed in CITES Appendix I and species on the Lacey Act injurious wildlife list
  • Encouraging collection, import or keeping that breaks national, state or local law
  • Content that infringes copyright, trade marks or other rights

b) Harm to people

• • Harassment, threats, or targeting an individual
  • Hate speech or attacks based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation
  • Publishing another person’s private information without their consent
  • Impersonating another person, business or Reef Network staff
  • Sexual content, and any content that sexualises a minor

c) Harm to animals

• • Promoting practices that cause avoidable suffering to livestock
  • Advice that is dangerous and presented as established practice, for example dosing instructions that would be lethal at the stated concentration
  • Content that celebrates the mistreatment of animals

d) Noise

• • Spam, repeated posting, and automated posting
  • Undisclosed advertising, affiliate links or paid promotion, see the Advertising and Affiliate Disclosure
  • Off-topic promotion of a business, product or service
  • Content posted in the wrong place, for example a sales enquiry on a species entry

e) Photographs and uploads

• • Photographs you did not take, unless you hold the rights and say so
  • Photographs uploaded to the wrong species entry
  • Images that show a person who has not agreed to be shown

3. Accuracy in species content

The encyclopedia is a reference. If you contribute to it, or comment on it:

• Distinguish what you have observed from what you have read
• Name the species you mean, with its scientific name where you can
• Do not present an untested claim as settled fact

If you spot an error in our content, tell us. Correcting the reference is more useful to the hobby than correcting each other in the comments.

4. How we enforce

We act in proportion to what happened and whether it has happened before.

We may also decline to publish a contribution that is waiting for approval.

5. When we act, we tell you why

If we remove your content, restrict its visibility, suspend or terminate your account, we will tell you:

• what we did
• which part of these guidelines or the Conditions of Use applies
• whether the decision was made by a person, by automated means, or both
• how to appeal

We will not give a statement of reasons where we are legally prevented from doing so, or where we have no way to contact you.

6. How to appeal

You may appeal any of the decisions listed in section 5 for six months from the date of the decision. Write to abuse@reefnetwork.com with the date, the content concerned and why you think the decision was wrong.

Appeals are reviewed by a person, not by the automated system that made the original decision, and not by the same person who made it where that is practical. We aim to reply within 10 business days. If we agree with you we restore the content and remove the strike from your record.

If you are in the European Union, you may also be entitled to refer the dispute to a certified out-of-court dispute settlement body, and to complain to your national Digital Services Coordinator. Using our appeal route first does not remove that right.

7. How to report something

Use the report link next to the content, or write to abuse@reefnetwork.com. Tell us where the content is, what the problem is, and how to reach you. If your report is about copyright, use the route in the Copyright  DMCA Policy instead, because that process has legal requirements this one does not.

We confirm receipt, review the report, and tell you the outcome.

8. Notices about these guidelines

We update these guidelines as the platform grows. Where a change materially affects what you may post, we will give notice on the site before it takes effect.