This Code of Conduct establishes the standards of behavior for all users of ANNE Forum and the terms under which moderators operate within the sovereign ANNE Media ecosystem. By participating in this community, you agree to abide by these rules. Moderators, by accepting their community duty, agree to the additional terms governing their conduct and authority.

PART I: USER CONDUCT

General Principles

ANNE Forum is a sovereign digital community built around the ANNE ecosystem. Participants are expected to engage in good faith, contribute meaningfully, and treat others with respect. This is a private space, and participation is a privilege, not a right.

Respectful Communication

Engage with others constructively. Disagreements are welcome; personal attacks, insults, harassment, or intimidation are not. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Name-calling, ad hominem attacks, or derogatory remarks based on personal characteristics.
• Targeted harassment, stalking, or unwanted attention toward any member.
• Threatening language or incitement of violence.
• Doxxing or sharing private information of others without consent.

Quality Contributions

The forum values meaningful discussion. Low-effort or disruptive posting undermines community quality. Prohibited behaviors include:

• Posting "read the whitepaper" or similar dismissive responses without elaboration or assistance. If a question is answered in existing resources, draw on these resources in your own words and provide a reference rather than a brusque dismissal.
• Spam, including repetitive posts, copy-pasted content, gibberish, or off-topic advertisements.
• Low-quality AI-generated content posted without meaningful editing, fact-checking, or personal contribution. Using AI as a writing aid is acceptable, but simply dumping unrefined AI output without discernible human effort or understanding will be treated as low-quality contribution subject to moderation action.
• Necroposting (reviving long-dead threads) without substantial new contribution.
• Excessive self-promotion or shilling of unrelated projects.
• Flooding the forum with rapid-fire posts that disrupt normal discussion flow.

Authentic Participation

The bounty program rewards genuine engagement. Attempts to game the system are strictly prohibited:

• Use of bots, scripts, or automated tools to generate activity.
• Sock puppetry, including but not limited to: creating false identities to deceive the community, manipulate discussions or voting, artificially support one's own arguments, engage in stealth marketing, or create strawman accounts to discredit opposing views by portraying them as extreme or irrational.
• Artificially inflating post counts, referrals, rankings, or any other forum metrics through any means, including but not limited to coordinated activity or automated methods.
• Posting content solely to meet word count or post count thresholds without substantive value.
• Any attempt to exploit loopholes in the bounty structure.

Legal and Ethical Conduct

Users must not post content that:

• Violates any applicable law (while acknowledging this sovereign space is not subject to external or foreign jurisdiction, we still prohibit content that would be universally recognized as illegal, such as child exploitation, terrorism incitement, or fraud).
• Infringes on intellectual property rights of others.
• Contains malware, phishing attempts, or malicious links.
• Impersonates others, including ANNE Media associates, or community members.

Foreign Legal Processes

Consistent with the sovereign nature of this community, users agree not to:

• Attempt to subject this forum or its participants to any external or foreign legal process, including subpoenas, court orders, or regulatory demands.
• Threaten legal action against the forum, its operators, or its users in any earthly jurisdiction.
• Invoke the authority of any governmental body to resolve disputes arising within this community.

Violation of this section shall result in immediate and permanent ostracization.

Consequences of User Misconduct

Violations of the User Conduct provisions may result in, at the discretion of moderators and administrators:

• Issuance of a warning (which may carry a deduction of 5000 ANNE Credits).
• Temporary suspension of posting privileges.
• Permanent ban from the forum.
• Forfeiture of earned bounties and slashing of ANNE Credits (including negative balances).
• Removal of rank or moderator status if applicable.

The severity of consequences shall correspond to the nature, frequency, and intent of the violation. Egregious or repeated violations will result in escalated penalties.

PART II: MODERATION TERMS

Role of Moderators

Moderators are community volunteers who serve as stewards of this digital space. They are entrusted with maintaining order, enforcing the Code of Conduct, and fostering a constructive environment. Moderators are selected based on demonstrated commitment to the ANNE ecosystem and adherence to its values.

Moderator Authority

Moderators have the authority to:

• Edit, move, close, or delete topics and posts that violate this Code of Conduct.
• Issue warnings to users, with corresponding credit deductions as specified in the bounty program.
• Temporarily suspend users from posting.
• Escalate matters to administrators for permanent bans or other actions beyond their scope.
• Exercise judgment in interpreting these rules, with the understanding that their decisions should be consistent, fair, and aligned with community norms.

Moderator decisions are final and binding within the community, subject only to internal appeal to the moderation team or administrators.

Moderator Conduct Standards

Moderators are held to the highest standards of conduct. They agree to:

• Enforce rules consistently and without favoritism or bias.
• Remain calm, courteous, and professional in all interactions, even when addressing difficult situations.
• Avoid abrupt or dismissive responses; when directing users to resources, do so helpfully rather than with "read the whitepaper" or similar curt replies.
• Lead by example in posting quality contributions and constructive discussions.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding private communications with users and internal moderator discussions.
• Recuse themselves from decisions involving personal disputes or conflicts of interest.

Prohibited Moderator Behavior

Moderators shall not:

• Abuse their authority to silence dissent, settle personal scores, or promote personal agendas.
• Engage in the same misconduct expected of regular users, including harassment, personal attacks, or dismissive behavior.
• Moderate while under the influence of substances that impair judgment.
• Share non-public information about users or internal forum matters.
• Accept bribes, favors, or inducements in exchange for moderation actions.

Moderator Accountability

Moderators who violate these standards are subject to:

• Warnings from administrators.
• Temporary suspension of moderation privileges.
• Removal from the moderator team.
• In cases of severe misconduct, account suspension or banning from the forum.

Users who believe a moderator has acted improperly may submit an internal appeal to the moderation team or directly to administrators. Such appeals should be made via private message and will be reviewed at the sole discretion of the recipient.

Moderator Appointment and Tenure

Moderators are appointed at the sole discretion of Site Administrators. The "Jump the Queue" bounty program allows users who have won 10 Exceptional Contribution awards to apply, but application does not guarantee selection. Moderators serve at the pleasure of the administrators and may be removed with or without cause, with or without notice. Upon removal, any unpaid moderator-specific bounties may be forfeited at administrator discretion.

Moderator Role Within the Sovereign

Moderators act as agents of the sovereign ANNE Media ecosystem, exercising the community's authority to maintain order and enforce its governing rules. Their actions within the scope of their authority are undertaken on behalf of the community. Questions regarding moderator conduct are matters of internal governance to be resolved exclusively within this community according to these terms, and are subject to the waivers and limitations set forth in the main Terms. No external standards of liability are recognized.

Reporting Violations

Users may report potential Code of Conduct violations by using the forum's report function or by contacting a moderator or administrator via private message. Reports should include specific details and, where applicable, links to the offending content. All reports will be reviewed, though not every report will necessarily result in action.

Acknowledgment

By participating in ANNE Forum, whether as a user or moderator, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to abide by this Code of Conduct. Failure to comply may result in the consequences outlined herein, up to and including permanent ostracization from this sovereign digital community.