Terms and rules

Terms and Rules

The following documents constitute TarValon.Net’s Terms and Rules and must be read and agreed to in order to be a member of our community. The documents include our updated Community Guidelines (Code of Conduct), our Discipline Process, and our Anti-Doxxing Policy.

Community Guidelines

TarValon.Net is dedicated to supporting our members in having fun, building community, and celebrating service. These Community Guidelines serve as our Code of Conduct and are designed to provide rules and expectations of behavior by our members while participating on official platforms and at official events. Additionally, reported content from unofficial spaces that violate these Community Guidelines may impact a member’s standing at TarValon.Net.

Member Expectations

We expect our members to engage with each other in a civil manner, consider their words before posting, and remember that there are real people behind the avatars on the forum. A supportive community atmosphere depends on all of us!

These expectations are in place for all members, regardless of position within the community. If a member does not uphold expectations and commits a prohibited action, then follows up with hostility and/or refusal to comply with administrative requests, that would be considered an additional offense.

Our community is run entirely by unpaid volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to maintaining a positive environment. While constructive feedback is always welcome, abuse toward volunteers is not acceptable.

Statement of Inclusivity

We are members of TarValon.Net because we have read or watched the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. That, or we have friends that did and pulled us in! We respect and value the diverse backgrounds of all our members and strive to make everyone feel welcome in the community.

Prohibited Actions

The following behaviors and actions are considered inappropriate and will result in disciplinary action as determined by the moderation team:

  • Personal attacks, including but not limited to bullying, gaslighting, or threats or intimidation
  • Hate speech
  • Defaming members of our community
  • Defaming members of our communityTrolling
  • Dogpiling or briganding
  • Harassment
  • Doxxing (see Anti-Doxxing Policy below)
  • Posting pornographic content
  • Refusing to follow administrative directives (e.g., edit requests, gag orders)
  • Any other purposefully harmful conduct

This list is not exhaustive, and actions that are in opposition to the above Member Expectations statement that align with the listed Prohibited Actions here will result in disciplinary action.

The following could result in immediate termination of membership and banning from all functions and services associated with TarValon.Net:

  • Any attempt by a member to intentionally deceive by misrepresentation of their personal information, general location, or previous membership within our community.
  • Committing acts which violate federal, state, regional, or local laws which might bring the community to public disrepute.
  • Committing acts likely to result in actual or threatened claims against TarValon.Net.

TarValon.Net reserves the right to refuse service or access to any individual at the discretion of TarValon.Net leadership. Refusal of service may include, but is not limited to, temporary or permanent removal of content, prevention of contribution of content, or temporary or permanent removal of membership. Withholding of services will not be determined based on protected classifications such as race, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, country of origin, or disability.

Discipline Process

Membership is a privilege and not a right. We earn that privilege by being constructive members of the community. All members, from the newest Citizen to the Amyrlin Seat, are held to the Community Guidelines and other official policies of TarValon.Net. All expectations and protections apply to everyone regardless of position.

Definitions

  • When we use the word “delete” to describe action taken to a post or thread on Xenforo, we mean “soft-delete.” The content is still available for moderators to view, and should review determine that the content be reinstated then we can easily do so.
  • “Loss of good standing” means the following for an impacted member:
    • Cannot hold any position at the Tower while not in good standing
        • Formerly held positions can be held or opened for hiring dependent upon administration’s discretion
    • Cannot be raised
    • Cannot aspire to any membership group
    • Cannot bond; existing bonds unaffected
    • Cannot participate in online events or activities held on official platforms
    • May or may not be permitted to attend real life events; this will be determined on a case by case basis

Consequences shared here are examples, but negative actions could be addressed in different ways that maintain similar levels of severity that are not listed here. The Amyrlin Seat has the authority to issue consequences outside of these processes in extraordinary circumstances.

Initial Actions

If a member commits an action that is in violation of the Community Guidelines for the first time, such as those shared on the Prohibited Actions list, the following measures could be taken:

  • Moderation actions such as editing posts, deleting posts, or locking threads
    • An explanation as to why will be provided in the thread or via DM by a moderator
  • Temporary loss of access to relevant forum(s) for a period of time
    • For example, contributing to a hostile environment in Community Feedback could result in a 24 hour time-out from that forum
  • Actions deemed to be at this level can occur up to three times, depending on the severity of action(s), before consequences move beyond initial actions.

Continued Actions

If a member commits any action that is in violation of the Community Guidelines within 12 months of initial action consequences, the following measures could be taken:

  • Loss of “good standing” status for 6 months
  • 3 month suspension

Escalated Actions

If a member commits any action that is in violation of the Community Guidelines within 18 months of continued action consequences, the following measures could be taken:

  • Loss of “good standing” status for 1 year
  • 6 month suspension
  • Be put before the Hall to recommend a permanent ban
  • Permanent ban based on severity of documented, repetitive, negative actions that demonstrate no change in the member’s behavior
  • Permanent ban if a member commits an action that is in violation of the Community Guidelines within 1 year of a 6 month suspension

With this system, members can return to good standing after designated periods of time. If a member receives consequences due to continued or escalated actions and turns their behavior around, this system would reset after the designated period of time. That said, if administration feels that any individual is manipulating the system in order to be able to continue to violate the Community Guidelines, that member is subject to a permanent ban.

Zero Tolerance Actions

If a member commits one of the actions detailed out in the Community Guidelines or an action of similar impact that leads to an immediate ban, then they will be banned.

Appeals Process

If a member whose actions precipitated this Discipline Process feels that their consequence(s) were not appropriate, they may appeal to the Cordamora for a review. If the Cordamora feels that there is ambiguity in action(s) taken, they will review pertinent information and determine if the consequences stand or need adjustment in conjunction with the Keeper and Amyrlin. Public discussion of moderation action while awaiting or during an appeal could forfeit your right to an appeal. All decisions made via appeal are final.

TarValon.Net Anti-Doxxing Policy

Policy Statement

At TarValon.Net, the privacy and safety of our members are of utmost importance. Doxxing—defined as the unauthorized release of personal identifying information with intent to cause harm, harassment, or intimidation—will not be tolerated. Any member who engages in doxxing, as defined below, is subject to penalties including the revocation of membership.

Definitions

  • Doxxing: The intentional act of electronically distributing personal identifying information about another member without their consent, with the intent to incite harassment, intimidation, or physical harm, or with reckless disregard for the consequences of such distribution.
  • Personal Identifying Information (PII): This includes but is not limited to:
    • Full names
    • Home addresses
    • Email addresses
    • Phone numbers
    • Social security numbers or other government-issued identification
    • Photos, videos, or any media containing personal information that has not been authorized for public release
  • Restricted Personal Information: Information that a member has not made publicly available or authorized for release. This includes:
    • Private contact details (e.g., unlisted phone numbers, private email addresses)
    • Personal images or videos not intended for public sharing
    • Any information shared within private TarValon.Net platforms or discussions
  • Electronically Distribute: The act of publishing, posting, hyperlinking, emailing, or otherwise sharing content via any electronic platform, including TarValon.Net forums, social media, emails, and messaging services.
  • Harassment and Intimidation: Any deliberate action or behavior that a reasonable person would find alarming, annoying, tormenting, or terrorizing. This includes threats of harm, unwanted persistent contact, or any conduct intended to disturb another person’s peace and safety.

Policy Application

A TarValon.Net member will be considered in violation of this policy if they:

  1. Knowingly or recklessly distribute restricted personal information about another member with the intent to:
    • Harass, intimidate, or cause harm to the individual
    • Facilitate or incite harassment, threats, or unlawful actions by third parties
  2. Share personal identifying information that could reasonably lead to threats, intimidation, or the facilitation of illegal activities (e.g., identity theft, stalking).

Exemptions

This policy does not apply to:

  • Information that is legally public (e.g., information shared in public forums or available through public records).
  • Information disclosed during activities within a clearly public context, such as organized public events on TarValon.Net or any other venue, provided that such information was not released with harmful intent.
  • The reporting of things such as child abuse that are handled via mandatory reporting laws.

Penalties

A violation of this policy is a serious offense. Members found to have engaged in doxxing will be subject to the following penalties:

    Immediate revocation of membership privileges and permanent banning from TarValon.Net.
  • Further disciplinary actions as determined by the site’s administrative body.

Appeals and Exceptions

Members who feel that their actions have been misinterpreted or that the enforcement of this policy unfairly restricts their rights may appeal the decision to the site’s governing council (Amyrlin, Keeper, and Cordamora). Appeals must be submitted in writing within 30 days of the penalty.

This policy is enforced in conjunction with any applicable laws and regulations, and is designed to protect free and lawful speech while ensuring that members’ privacy and safety are preserved.

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