CandidComment™ Community Rules

CandidComment™ is built for candid, honest conversation. These rules exist to keep it that way. They are short, they are in plain language, and they apply to everyone.

The short version: say what you think, argue hard if you want to, and treat the people you disagree with as people. We lean toward leaving speech up, even speech that is blunt, unpopular, or uncomfortable. What we do not allow is a small set of things that are illegal or that exist to harm other people.

The spirit of this place

You do not have to be polite, agreeable, or right. You can be wrong. You can be sharp. You can hold views most people here reject and say so. Disagreement, criticism, and strong opinion are the point of CandidComment™, not violations of it.

That freedom ends where real harm begins. The rules below mark that line.

What is not allowed

Illegal content and activity. Do not post content or use CandidComment™ for anything against the law, and do not use the platform to plan or carry out illegal acts.

Anything that sexualizes or endangers a minor. We have zero tolerance for sexual content involving anyone under 18, for grooming or solicitation of minors, and for any attempt to exploit a child. This content is removed immediately, the account is terminated, and we report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and to law enforcement as the law requires.

Threats and incitement to violence. Do not threaten anyone, and do not encourage or organize violence against a person or a group.

Targeted harassment. Criticism is fine. Following a specific person around the platform to abuse them, coordinating pile-ons, or trying to frighten someone or drive them off is not.

Violating someone’s privacy. Do not post private information about another person, such as a home address, phone number, financial information, or identity documents, without their consent. This is often called doxxing. While I believe § 18.2-186.4 of the Code of Virginia is unconstitutional, I’ve been the victim of it, so I won’t tolerate it. If court documents are being posted, you may post them as you got them from the Court.

Impersonation and deception. Do not pretend to be someone you are not in order to deceive, and do not operate fake or coordinated inauthentic accounts.

Spam, scams, and manipulation. Do not flood the platform with repetitive or unsolicited content, run scams, or use bots and automated tricks to fake engagement.

Attacks on the platform. Do not upload malware, attempt to break into accounts or systems, or scrape the platform without our permission.

Content that is not yours to post. Do not post material that infringes someone else’s copyright, trademark, or other rights. Our Terms explain how to file and respond to a copyright complaint.

Offensive is not the same as prohibited

We draw a deliberate line between speech that offends and speech that harms. Being rude, profane, biased, or simply wrong is not by itself a violation. Threatening someone, exposing their private information, harassing them, or the other conduct listed above is. If you would not want a rule used to silence you for an unpopular opinion, do not ask us to use it to silence someone else for one.

Minors

You must be at least 13 to use CandidComment™, and the platform is not built for children. We screen for age and give younger users the protections that Virginia and federal law require. If we learn that someone under 13 has an account, we remove it. Adults who seek out minors here will be removed and reported.

How we enforce these rules

We respond to what actually happened and how serious it is. Depending on the case, we may leave content up, remove it, warn the account, limit it, suspend it, or remove it permanently. Repeated or severe violations move faster and further. Child exploitation, credible threats, and similar conduct can result in immediate removal and a report to the authorities without prior warning.

Because there is no algorithm boosting content here, we are not quietly demoting or shadow-limiting you behind the scenes. If we act on your account, it is a real action you can see.

Reporting a problem

If you see something that breaks these rules, report it through the report option on the post or the account, or contact us at admin@candidcomment.com. Tell us what you saw and where, so we can find it. Reports are reviewed, and serious safety issues are handled first.

Appeals

If we act on your content or your account and you believe we got it wrong, you can contest the decision by contacting us at admin@candidcomment.com. We will review it and respond.

Changes to these rules

We may update these rules as the platform grows or as the law changes. When we make a meaningful change, we will post the updated rules and note that they changed.