Community Guidelines

Spark is an online application designed to facilitate connections and collaborations within the Burning Man Community.  Spark provides a place for groups or individuals to post a listing for skill sets and/or resources they need or have to offer.  Spark provides a secure place to make connections with other Participants to help foster greater collaboration in efforts related to theme camps, art projects, mutant vehicles and other Burning Man related projects.

It is the goal of these guidelines to help foster a strong, supportive community.

Philosophy

• Spark exists to support the Burning Man community.
• In order to do so, it must support the interests of ongoing Spark Members who may have a variety of needs and reasons for using this online resource.
• Everyone is capable of contributing positively to the community.

Expected Behavior

• Before posting a listing, consider the 10 principles.
• The purpose of Spark is to connect Participants who have resources to offer with Participants in need of resources. Please keep this intended use in mind when posting listings.
• Illegal activities are prohibited.
• Spark is a no-commerce zone. Advertising items for sale will not be tolerated. Gifting and sharing of resources are encouraged. Please communicate financial or transaction details in private messages between interested parties. Fundraising and Event promotions for on-Playa art, mutant vehicles, and theme camps is not allowed.
• Your listings are a reflection on you. Be careful in how you present yourself.
• We encourage you to represent yourself as you are known in everyday life and on the playa. Multiple identities are prohibited.
• Remember that there is a thinking, feeling human being behind every username.

Consequences

It is the goal of the administrators to exercise the powers set forth here in a fair and even-handed manner. In most situations, efforts to mediate the issues surrounding complaints will be attempted before action is taken against violators.

Upon investigation of a complaint, or personal observation of violation of the expected behaviors, administrators may take any of the following actions as allowed in the Terms and Conditions:

• Topics or threads that are inappropriate may be moved or redirected to a more appropriate location.
• Personal attacks via username, topic or thread may result in the immediate deactivation of the account. User will be notified via email of the action.
• Cross-posting may result in freezing repeated threads with a message notifying users to continue in one appropriate thread. The original cross-posting user will be notified of the action via email and reminded of the Community Guidelines against cross-posting.
• Topics or threads intended for commercial gain may result in immediate deletion.
• Multiple violations will result in the revocation of thread creation and/or posting privileges.
• Continued or extreme violations, in Burning Man’s sole discretion, will result in account deactivation.

Privacy rights

• Your words are your own. However, this is a public forum, and anyone – law enforcement, the media, your mother – may read them and act on the information they contain.
• Information collected during registration, but not authorized for dissemination, will only be used by the administrators of Spark, and will not be used for any other purposes by Burning Man or disseminated to any other organizations.
• Burning Man will not honor requests to delete listings or deactivate user accounts solely upon complaint by other Spark Members. In response to requests for enforcement action by users, the Spark administrators will investigate such accusations and determine whether the Spark Terms of Service or these Guidelines have been violated before taking action.

Modifications

These Guidelines are subject to revision in order to allow maximum benefit to the Burning Man community.  Member can always review the current version of the Spark Community Guidelines, the Spark Terms of Service Agreement, and the Burning Man Privacy Policy.