ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") governs your use of The Elder Spores Online platform at theeldersporesonline.com (the "Platform"). This AUP is part of our Terms of Service and applies to all users.

1. PURPOSE

The Elder Spores Online is a community platform for The Elder Scrolls Online players and content creators. We are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for all users.

This AUP outlines:

• Acceptable and prohibited uses of the Platform
• Content standards
• Behavioral expectations
• Consequences for violations

2. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

2.1 Respect and Civility

• Treat all users with respect and courtesy
• Engage in constructive discussions
• Disagree respectfully when opinions differ
• Support a welcoming and inclusive community

• Harass, threaten, or intimidate other users
• Engage in personal attacks or name-calling
• Use derogatory or offensive language
• Create a hostile environment

2.2 Honesty and Authenticity

• Provide accurate information
• Be honest in your interactions
• Give proper credit for others' work
• Represent yourself and your content truthfully

• Impersonate others or misrepresent your identity
• Create fake or misleading content
• Spread misinformation or disinformation
• Engage in deceptive practices

2.3 Lawful Use

• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations
• Respect intellectual property rights
• Follow platform rules and policies

• Use the Platform for illegal activities
• Violate any laws or regulations
• Infringe on others' rights

3. PROHIBITED CONTENT

You may NOT post, upload, or share content that:

3.1 Illegal Content

• Violates any local, state, national, or international law
• Promotes or facilitates illegal activities
• Contains illegal pornography or child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
• Violates export control or economic sanctions laws

3.2 Harmful or Dangerous Content

• Promotes, glorifies, or encourages violence, self-harm, or suicide
• Contains graphic violence, gore, or disturbing imagery
• Provides instructions for dangerous or harmful activities
• Depicts animal cruelty or abuse
• Promotes or encourages eating disorders
• Glorifies or encourages substance abuse

3.3 Hateful or Discriminatory Content

• Promotes hatred, violence, or discrimination based on:

- Race, ethnicity, or national origin - Religion or religious beliefs - Gender or gender identity - Sexual orientation - Disability or medical condition - Age - Immigration status - Any other protected characteristic

• Contains slurs, derogatory terms, or hate symbols
• Promotes supremacist ideologies

3.4 Harassment and Bullying

• Harasses, intimidates, or bullies individuals or groups
• Reveals private information about others (doxxing)
• Encourages harassment or brigading
• Contains threats of violence or harm
• Stalks or persistently targets individuals

3.5 Sexual or Explicit Content

• Contains pornography or sexually explicit material
• Sexualizes minors in any way
• Contains non-consensual intimate imagery
• Solicits sexual content or services
• Contains gratuitous sexual content

3.6 Spam and Manipulation

• Unsolicited advertising or promotional content
• Repetitive, irrelevant, or low-quality content (spam)
• Misleading links or clickbait
• Content designed to manipulate engagement metrics
• Fake reviews or testimonials
• Pyramid schemes or multi-level marketing (MLM)

3.7 Intellectual Property Violations

• Infringes copyrights, trademarks, or other IP rights
• Shares pirated or unauthorized content
• Uses others' work without permission or proper attribution
• Violates software licenses or terms of service

3.8 Malicious Content

• Contains malware, viruses, or harmful code
• Phishing attempts or social engineering attacks
• Exploits vulnerabilities in the Platform
• Attempts to gain unauthorized access to systems or accounts

3.9 Misinformation

• Deliberate misinformation or disinformation
• False health claims or medical advice
• Election misinformation
• Conspiracy theories that incite harm
• Manipulated media designed to deceive (deepfakes)

4. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

You may NOT:

4.1 Account Abuse

• Create multiple accounts to evade bans or restrictions
• Share or sell your account credentials
• Use someone else's account without permission
• Create accounts using false or misleading information

4.2 Platform Manipulation

• Attempt to manipulate voting, rankings, or engagement metrics
• Use bots, automation, or scripts without permission
• Exploit bugs or vulnerabilities for personal gain
• Circumvent access controls or security measures
• Scrape or harvest data from the Platform

4.3 Commercial Abuse

• Use the Platform for unauthorized commercial purposes
• Post unsolicited advertisements or promotions
• Engage in fraudulent transactions or scams
• Sell or trade accounts or in-game items for real money (RMT)
• Promote gambling or betting services

4.4 Impersonation and Fraud

• Impersonate The Elder Spores Online staff or moderators
• Impersonate other users, streamers, or public figures
• Falsely claim affiliation with organizations
• Engage in social engineering or confidence schemes

4.5 Privacy Violations

• Share others' private information without consent (doxxing)
• Intercept or monitor others' communications
• Access others' accounts or data without permission
• Violate users' privacy rights

5. CONTENT STANDARDS FOR USER UPLOADS

5.1 ESO Builds and Character Information

• Original builds and character configurations
• Theorycrafting and build guides
• Strategy discussions and tips
• Screenshots and gameplay footage

• Stolen or plagiarized builds without credit
• Misleading or false build information
• Encouraging or designing builds around any exploits or cheats
• 3rd Party Bots or automation tools

5.2 Images and Media

• Screenshots from The Elder Scrolls Online
• Original artwork and fan creations
• Properly licensed or attributed images
• AI generated Thumbnail or Profile Images (encouraged)
• ESO-related memes and humor (within community standards)

• Copyrighted images without permission
• Inappropriate or explicit imagery
• Images containing personal information
• Unrelated or off-topic images

5.3 URLs and Links

• Links to relevant ESO resources and tools
• Links to your own content (streams, videos, guides)
• Links to official ESO news and updates
• Links to community resources

• Phishing or malicious links
• Links to pirated content
• Links to adult or explicit websites
• Spam or affiliate links (without disclosure)

6. COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

6.1 Discussion and Comments

• Stay on-topic in comments
• Provide helpful and constructive feedback
• Cite sources when making factual claims
• Respect differing opinions

• Critique ideas, not people
• Avoid inflammatory language
• Acknowledge valid points from others
• Agree to disagree when necessary

6.2 Feedback and Criticism

• Constructive criticism of builds, content, or the Platform
• Bug reports and feature suggestions
• Honest reviews and opinions
• Polite disagreement

• Personal attacks on creators or users
• Unconstructive negativity or trolling
• Brigading or coordinated harassment
• Demanding features or acting entitled

6.3 Self-Promotion

• Sharing your own builds and content
• Linking to your streams or videos using designated displays with Proper Subscriber Access
• Participating in featured and recommended-promotions (if selected)

• Excessive or repetitive self-promotion
• Linking to your streams or videos in descriptions or comments
• Misleading or clickbait promotions
• Paid promotions without written approval

7. REPORTING VIOLATIONS

7.1 How to Report

If you see content or behavior that violates this AUP:

• Contact us at reishi@theeldersporesonline.com
• Include a link to the content or user profile
• Describe the violation and provide context

7.2 What to Report

• Violates this Acceptable Use Policy
• Violates our Terms of Service
• Is illegal or harmful
• Threatens safety or security
• Harasses or targets you or others

7.3 False Reports

• Submit false or malicious reports
• Report content simply because you disagree with it
• Use reporting to harass users
• Submit spam or frivolous reports

8. ENFORCEMENT AND CONSEQUENCES

8.1 Content Moderation

We review reported content and take appropriate action, which may include:

• Content removal or hiding
• Content flagging or warning labels
• Restriction of content visibility

• Warning or notice
• Temporary suspension
• Feature restrictions (e.g., commenting disabled)
• Permanent account termination
• IP or device ban

8.2 Factors in Enforcement Decisions

We consider:

• Severity of the violation
• Intent behind the violation
• User's history and prior violations
• Context and circumstances
• Impact on the community
• Applicable laws and regulations

8.3 Progressive Discipline

For most violations, we use progressive discipline:

8.4 Appeals

• Email reishi@theeldersporesonline.com with "Appeal" in the subject line
• Include your username and the action taken
• Explain why you believe the action was incorrect
• Provide any relevant context or evidence

9. COOPERATION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT

We cooperate with law enforcement and regulatory authorities when required by law or when we believe it is necessary to:

• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect the safety of our users or the public
• Prevent or investigate fraud, security issues, or illegal activity
• Enforce our rights or defend against legal claims

• Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) → National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
• Credible threats of violence → Law enforcement
• Other illegal activity → Relevant authorities

10. DMCA COMPLIANCE

See our Terms of Service (Section 7) and Privacy Policy for information about our DMCA procedures and copyright compliance.

Reishi Spores The Elder Spores Online LLC Email: reishi@theeldersporesonline.com

11. MODIFICATIONS TO THIS POLICY

We may update this Acceptable Use Policy at any time to reflect:

• Changes in community standards
• New features or services
• Feedback from the community
• Changes in applicable law

• Updated policy posted on this page
• "Last Updated" date will be changed
• Material changes communicated via email or Platform notification

12. NO DUTY TO MONITOR

• Monitor all content on the Platform
• Remove all violating content
• Take action on every report

• Review, monitor, or remove any content at our discretion
• Take action on unreported violations we discover
• Implement automated content filtering

13. DISCLAIMER

This Acceptable Use Policy provides guidelines and standards, but does not create any:

• Contractual obligations beyond our Terms of Service
• Guarantees of specific enforcement actions
• Rights or expectations of content moderation

We reserve the right to take (or not take) action at our sole discretion, even if content does not explicitly violate this AUP but harms the Platform or community.

14. CONTACT US

Email: reishi@theeldersporesonline.com

• Email: reishi@theeldersporesonline.com

Email: reishi@theeldersporesonline.com with "Appeal" in subject line

15. ACKNOWLEDGMENT

By using The Elder Spores Online platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to comply with this Acceptable Use Policy.