Community Guidelines

Last Updated: December 8, 2024

Welcome to EduLand!

Our mission is to create a safe, positive, and educational space for students. These guidelines help everyone understand what behavior is expected and what is not tolerated. By using EduLand, you agree to follow these Community Guidelines.

Core Values

🎓 Educational - Support learning and student success 🤝 Respectful - Treat everyone with dignity and kindness 🔒 Safe - Protect privacy and well-being ✨ Inclusive - Welcome diversity and different perspectives ⚖️ Fair - Enforce rules consistently and transparently

Be Respectful

🤝 Treat others with kindness

  • Be polite and considerate in all interactions
  • Respect different opinions, backgrounds, and perspectives
  • Use inclusive and welcoming language
  • Assume good intentions and communicate constructively

🚫 No harassment or bullying

  • Do not attack, insult, belittle, or demean other users
  • Do not send unwanted or repeated messages (spamming DMs)
  • Do not engage in name-calling, slurs, or hate speech
  • Do not gang up on or "dogpile" someone
  • Do not share content intended to shame or humiliate others

🔒 Respect privacy

  • Do not share other people's private information (doxxing)
  • Do not screenshot and share private conversations without consent
  • Do not post someone's photos without their permission
  • Ask before sharing someone's content publicly
  • Do not stalk or monitor someone's activity obsessively

Stay Safe

🆔 Protect your identity

  • Use a username that doesn't reveal your real identity
  • Do not share your full name, phone number, home address, or school location publicly
  • Avoid sharing identifying details in photos (school uniforms, landmarks, car plates)
  • Be cautious about what you share in group chats (information can spread)

⚠️ Report suspicious behavior

  • If someone makes you uncomfortable, block and report them immediately
  • Report any attempts at grooming, romantic advances, or inappropriate requests
  • Report scams, fraud, or phishing attempts
  • Trust your instincts—if something feels wrong, it probably is
  • You are never in trouble for reporting something

🔐 Account security

  • Create a strong, unique password for your EduLand account
  • Never share your password with anyone (not even friends)
  • Log out on shared or public devices
  • Enable two-factor authentication when available
  • Report compromised accounts to [email protected]

🚨 Meeting in person

  • Always meet in public, well-lit places (campus cafe, library, student center)
  • Bring a friend or tell someone where you're going
  • Meet during daytime hours when possible
  • Trust your gut—if you feel unsafe, leave

Keep it Educational

📚 On-topic discussions

  • Keep conversations relevant to student life, academics, campus activities
  • Use appropriate channels:
    • Chat for messages and conversations
    • Marketplace for buying/selling items
    • Events for organizing activities
  • Respect the purpose of each feature

🤓 Help fellow students

  • Share knowledge, study tips, and resources
  • Be supportive and encouraging
  • Collaborate respectfully on academic projects
  • Celebrate each other's successes

🚫 Academic integrity

  • Do not buy, sell, or share completed assignments
  • Do not share exam questions or answers
  • Do not offer to write essays or complete coursework for others
  • You may share study materials, notes, or tutoring help (within your school's policies)

🚫 No spam or self-promotion

  • Do not post repetitive or irrelevant messages
  • Do not advertise external products, services, or businesses
  • Do not send unsolicited promotional content or referral links
  • Do not use EduLand primarily for commercial purposes
  • Marketplace listings for student items are OK; commercial advertising is not

Prohibited Content and Behavior

The following actions will result in immediate consequences:

🚫 Sexual Content (ZERO TOLERANCE)

  • No sexual messages, images, videos, or GIFs
  • No "sexting" or requests for intimate photos
  • No sexual harassment, advances, or propositions
  • No sharing of pornographic content
  • No prostitution or escort services

This applies even if both parties consent. EduLand is not a dating or hookup app.

🚫 Child Safety (ZERO TOLERANCE)

  • No child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
  • No grooming or predatory behavior toward minors
  • No requesting or sharing intimate content from anyone under 18
  • Immediate ban + report to law enforcement

🚫 Hate Speech & Discrimination

  • No racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or xenophobia
  • No religious or cultural intolerance
  • No slurs, derogatory language, or hate symbols
  • No content that dehumanizes or attacks protected groups
  • No glorification of hate groups or extremism

🚫 Violence & Harm

  • No threats of violence, harm, or death
  • No content depicting or glorifying violence
  • No encouraging self-harm or suicide
  • No terrorism or extremist content
  • No sharing methods for harming oneself or others

🚫 Illegal Activities

  • No drug dealing or facilitating illegal transactions
  • No weapons sales or trafficking
  • No hacking, doxxing, or cybercrime
  • No copyright or intellectual property theft
  • No evading bans by creating new accounts

🚫 Scams & Fraud

  • No phishing links, malware, or viruses
  • No fake giveaways, contests, or prizes
  • No pyramid schemes, MLMs, or "get rich quick" schemes
  • No impersonation or catfishing (pretending to be someone else)
  • No fake or misleading marketplace listings

🚫 Misinformation & Manipulation

  • Do not spread deliberate false information
  • Do not manipulate others through deception
  • Do not create fake accounts to manipulate discussions
  • Verify facts before sharing sensitive information
  • Disclose when content is AI-generated or altered

🚫 Platform Abuse

  • Do not use bots, scrapers, or automated tools without permission
  • Do not reverse engineer or hack the app
  • Do not create multiple accounts to evade bans
  • Do not exploit bugs or vulnerabilities (report them instead)
  • Do not attempt to access others' accounts

Marketplace Guidelines

When buying or selling items:

✅ Allowed

  • Textbooks, course materials, study guides
  • Electronics (laptops, tablets, calculators)
  • Furniture, dorm supplies, appliances
  • Clothing, accessories, shoes
  • Tickets to events (at face value or below)
  • Student services (tutoring, moving help—within school policies)

🚫 Prohibited

  • Drugs, drug paraphernalia, or controlled substances
  • Weapons, explosives, or dangerous items
  • Alcohol, tobacco, or vaping products
  • Stolen or counterfeit goods
  • Assignment answers or completed coursework (academic dishonesty)
  • Adult content or services
  • Prescription medications
  • Hazardous or regulated materials

Best Practices

  • Be honest - Accurately describe item condition and any defects
  • Fair pricing - Research fair market value
  • Clear photos - Show actual item, not stock images
  • Prompt responses - Reply to inquiries within 24 hours
  • Safe transactions - Meet in public, inspect before paying
  • Respectful negotiation - Lowball offers and aggressive haggling are discouraged

Event Guidelines

When creating or joining campus events:

✅ Do

  • Provide accurate details (date, time, location)
  • Choose safe, public venues
  • Be inclusive and welcoming to all students
  • Cancel or update events if plans change
  • Follow campus policies and local laws

🚫 Don't

  • Create fake or prank events
  • Use events for commercial promotion
  • Organize dangerous, illegal, or exclusionary activities
  • Discriminate based on protected characteristics
  • Host events that violate school policies

Group Chats

Special guidelines for group conversations:

  • Stay on topic - Respect the group's purpose
  • No flooding - Don't spam with excessive messages
  • Admins' decisions - Respect moderator actions
  • No drama - Take personal conflicts to private messages
  • Ask before adding - Don't add people without permission
  • Mute option - Use it if a group is too active

Content Moderation

What We Do

  • Review reported content within 24 hours (usually faster)
  • Use automated systems to detect prohibited content
  • May proactively moderate public content (marketplace, events)
  • Do not read private messages unless reported

What Happens to Violations

  • Content removal - Violating content is deleted
  • Account action - Warnings, suspensions, or bans
  • Law enforcement - Illegal content is reported when required
  • Evidence preservation - Serious violations are logged for legal purposes

Reporting

See something wrong? Please report it!

We rely on community reports to keep EduLand safe. You are never in trouble for making a good-faith report.

How to Report

  • Messages: Long-press → "Report Message"
  • Profiles: User profile → Three dots → "Report User"
  • Listings: Item page → "Report Listing"
  • Events: Event page → "Report Event"
  • Email: [email protected] (for complex issues)

What to Include

  • Description of the issue
  • Screenshots (if relevant)
  • Usernames or content IDs
  • Any context that helps us understand

What Happens Next

  1. Our team reviews your report (usually within 4-24 hours)
  2. We investigate and gather evidence
  3. We take appropriate action (warning, suspension, ban, or no action)
  4. You may receive a notification about the outcome (privacy permitting)

All reports are confidential. The reported user will not know who reported them.

Enforcement & Consequences

We enforce these guidelines fairly and consistently.

Warning System

Minor violations (spam, off-topic, mild rudeness):

  • 1st offense: Warning (no penalty)
  • 2nd offense: 7-day suspension
  • 3rd offense: 30-day suspension
  • 4th offense: Permanent ban

Moderate violations (harassment, marketplace abuse, misinformation):

  • 1st offense: 7-day suspension
  • 2nd offense: 30-day suspension
  • 3rd offense: Permanent ban

Serious violations (sexual content, hate speech, violence, child safety, illegal activity):

  • Immediate permanent ban
  • Report to law enforcement (when legally required)
  • No warnings given

Account Actions

  • Warning: Notification with no functional penalty
  • Suspension: Temporary loss of access (7-30 days)
  • Permanent ban: Account deleted, cannot create new accounts
  • IP/Device ban: Prevents ban evasion

Circumventing bans by creating new accounts results in immediate permanent ban of all accounts.

Appeals

If you believe you were actioned unfairly:

How to Appeal

  1. Email [email protected] with subject line "Appeal: [Username]"
  2. Include:
    • Your username
    • Date of action
    • Reason you believe it was unfair
    • Any relevant evidence
  3. Be polite and factual

Response Time

  • We review appeals within 7 business days
  • You will receive an email with our decision
  • Decisions are final after appeal review

Non-Appealable Bans

The following violations are not appealable:

  • Sexual content or child exploitation
  • Serious threats or violence
  • Repeat offenses after multiple warnings
  • Ban evasion

Additional Resources

Crisis Resources

If you or someone you know is in danger:

  • Emergency: Call local emergency services (112 in Turkey, 911 in US)
  • Suicide Prevention (Turkey): 182
  • Suicide Prevention (International): https://findahelpline.com

Thank You! 💙

Thank you for helping us build a safe, respectful, and educational community. Together, we can make EduLand a place where all students feel welcome and supported.

Questions? Contact us anytime at [email protected]

By using EduLand, you agree to follow these Community Guidelines.

These guidelines supplement our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. We reserve the right to update these guidelines at any time.

EduLand - Connect. Share. Thrive.