Welcome to Ausome Media! This platform is built to be a supportive, informative, and empowering space for the autistic community and allies to share, learn, and raise awareness. To ensure a positive and respectful environment for everyone, we ask all users to adhere to the following guidelines when interacting on our website, including when leaving comments, rating articles, or engaging with any other interactive features.

By participating in the Ausome Media community, you agree to abide by this Code of Conduct.

Our Core Values

Our guidelines are rooted in these fundamental values:

  • Respect: Treat all members with courtesy, empathy, and understanding, even when disagreements arise.
  • Safety: Help us maintain a secure and welcoming space free from harassment, discrimination, or harmful content.
  • Authenticity: Engage genuinely and constructively.
  • Inclusivity: We aim to be a space where diverse autistic experiences and perspectives are valued and respected.

Expected Behavior & Prohibited Content

To maintain a healthy community, please:

  1. Be Respectful and Constructive:
    • Engage thoughtfully: Focus on discussing ideas, not attacking individuals.
    • Disagree respectfully: It’s okay to disagree, but do so constructively and politely. Avoid personal insults, ad hominem attacks, or belittling language.
    • Use inclusive language: Avoid language that is discriminatory, derogatory, or exclusionary based on neurotype, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or any other personal characteristic.
    • No gatekeeping: Do not invalidate or question another person’s autistic identity or experience.
    • No “Person-First” vs. “Identity-First” Policing: We respect individual preferences. Do not attack others for their choice of language (e.g., “person with autism” vs. “autistic person”).
  2. Maintain a Safe & Supportive Environment:
    • No Harassment or Bullying: This includes, but is not limited to, intimidation, threats, stalking, repeated unwanted contact, or any behavior intended to annoy or abuse others.
    • No Hate Speech: Content that promotes violence, hatred, or discrimination against any individual or group is strictly prohibited.
    • No Defamation or Libel: Do not post false statements that harm the reputation of others.
    • No Spam or Self-Promotion: Do not post unsolicited advertisements, promotional material, or repetitive messages. Limited, relevant self-promotion in your profile or specific designated areas may be permitted, but not in general comments.
    • No Impersonation: Do not impersonate other individuals, groups, or organizations.
    • No Sharing Private Information (Doxing): Do not share private or sensitive information about yourself or others without explicit consent. This includes phone numbers, addresses, personal emails, etc.
  3. Content Standards:
    • Keep it Relevant: Ensure your comments and contributions are relevant to the article, discussion, or topic.
    • Family-Friendly Content: Keep content suitable for a general audience. No obscene, vulgar, or sexually explicit material.
    • No Illegal Activities: Do not promote, engage in, or discuss illegal activities.
    • Respect Copyright and Intellectual Property: Only share content that you have the right to share. Do not upload copyrighted material without permission.
    • No Malicious Software/Links: Do not post links to viruses, malware, or other malicious content.
  4. Moderation and Enforcement:
    • All comments and user-submitted content may be subject to moderation. Ausome Media reserves the right to review, edit, or remove any content that violates these guidelines.
    • Violations of these guidelines may result in warnings, temporary suspension, or permanent banning from participating on the Ausome Media website, at our sole discretion.
    • We strive to be fair and consistent in our moderation.

Reporting Violations

If you encounter content or behavior that you believe violates these Community Guidelines, please report it to us immediately at https://ausomemedia.com/contact-us/. Please provide as much detail as possible to help us investigate.

Changes to these Guidelines

We may update these Community Guidelines from time to time to ensure they reflect the evolving needs of our community and platform. Any changes will be posted on this page. Your continued use of the Ausome Media website after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised guidelines.

Thank you for being a part of the Ausome Media community and helping us maintain a safe, respectful, and enriching environment for everyone!