Code of Conduct

[Siddhant Anand]

1. Purpose and Scope

This Code of Conduct applies to all participants of the Vjal Community Forum, including every user, visitor, and moderator across all channels, including public discussion boards, project spaces, and partner-school areas. The forum exists to support meaningful discussion, share knowledge, and foster a respectful, inclusive and safe space for innovation in AI and emerging technologies.

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2. Core Principles

At Vjal, we build with intelligence and integrity. This forum reflects those values through:

• Respect: Treat every member with dignity. Diverse perspectives are welcome.
• Constructive Dialogue: Engage in discussions that move ideas forward.
• Inclusivity: Foster an environment where everyone feels safe to participate. Prioritize emotional and digital wellness; avoid harmful or triggering content.
• Professionalism: Use appropriate tone and content at all times.
• Confidentiality: Do not share internal, proprietary or sensitive information without proper clearance.
• Responsible AI Inquiry: Engage thoughtfully on AI topics, acknowledging ethical implications.

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3. Expected Behavior

You are expected to:

• Communicate respectfully and thoughtfully, especially with newcomers, and offer actionable feedback.
• Ask clear, relevant questions to support meaningful community discussions.
• Use verified identities for internal posts and cite all external resources with proper markdown links.
• Ensure technical posts have clear titles, summaries, code snippets, and are formatted using markdown or code blocks.
• Tag posts appropriately, limit file attachments to 10 MB with descriptive filenames, and avoid duplicate threads by searching first.
• Respond within existing threads with clarity and gratitude, and consult a moderator when unsure about post suitability.

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4. Unacceptable Behavior

Certain behaviors are strictly prohibited in all areas of the Vjal forum, including public and private communications.

• Harassment and abuse in any form—such as discriminatory language, bullying, threats, or unwanted sexual commentary—will not be tolerated.
• Promotional content/Solicitation, such as advertising, self-promotion, or sponsorship posts, will result in immediate suspension from the forum.
• Spam and disruption, including repetitive posts, off-topic content, and attempts to derail discussions or provoke conflict, are unacceptable.
• Inappropriate content, such as offensive or explicit material, derogatory media, or unlicensed copyrighted content, must not be shared.
• Privacy and security violations, including doxing, unauthorized disclosure of private or internal information, phishing, impersonation, or hacking attempts, are grounds for immediate action.

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5. Moderation Guidelines

Forum moderation is handled by the internal Vjal moderation team. The team follows these intervention protocols:

A. Moderation Levels and Penalties

Violation Type	First Offense	Repeat Offense	Severe Case
Minor (off-topic, unclear)	Friendly reminder	Post removal, muted	24h suspension
Solicitation/Spam/Self-Promo	Warning	3–7 day suspension	Permanent ban (repeat offences)
Harassment or Hate Speech	24h suspension	7-day suspension	Permanent Ban
Discrimination	Immediate 7-day suspension	Permanent ban	—
Privacy/Security Breach	7-day suspension	Permanent ban	—
Threats, Impersonation	Permanent ban	—	—

• Warnings: All accumulate on user record; visible to Mods/Admins.
• Bans: Instant, permanent removal.
• No automatic escalation from warnings; moderators review entire warning history before imposing non-warning sanctions.

B. Reporting Violations

• Flag Button: Use the built‑in “Flag” button on offending posts
• Direct DM: For sensitive issues (self‑harm, harassment), DM a designated moderator handle immediately.
• Escalation: Critical incidents (threats, minors at risk) are escalated to school staff or appropriate authorities.

C. Appeals Process

If you believe a moderation decision was unjust:

• User sends direct message to designated moderator account immediately after sanction.
• Moderator/Admin reviews appeal within 1–2 days via private dashboard.
• Outcomes communicated privately; no public log.

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6. Updates and Revisions

This Code of Conduct will evolve with community needs and Vjal’s mission. Major revisions will be communicated transparently to all users. Suggestions can be sent to outreach@vjal.ai