Community Guidelines
Effective September 28, 2026 · Version 2026-09-launch-v2
Observatory Commons is designed for evidence-aware discussion connected to D&A records and Watch Conditions. Discussion may be vigorous; participation must remain lawful, relevant and safe.
Participate in good faith
Address the claim, evidence or system rather than attacking the person. Distinguish facts, interpretations, questions and personal experience. Corrections and disagreement are welcome.
Not permitted
Do not post threats, targeted harassment, hateful abuse, doxxing or private personal information, sexual exploitation content, instructions for serious wrongdoing, malicious links or malware, impersonation, fraud, spam, coordinated manipulation, unauthorized automation or access-control circumvention, or material that unlawfully infringes another person’s rights.
Evidence and misinformation
Members may discuss uncertain or contested claims, but should not knowingly fabricate sources or present altered evidence as authentic. D&A may add context, limit distribution, close a thread or remove content where necessary to protect the integrity of a discussion.
Privacy
Do not post another person’s private contact, financial, health, location or identifying information without a lawful and appropriate basis. Treat youth information with particular care. Do not disclose private Studio material, client information, non-public verification material or protected D&A methodology.
Your contributions
You retain ownership of original material you submit. By posting in a participatory area, you give D&A the limited permission needed to host, format, display, secure and moderate that contribution. Removal does not require D&A to erase copies that must reasonably be retained for security, legal, audit or dispute purposes.
Monitoring and publication
Commons is monitored periodically and is not staffed continuously. Contributions may be visible to other members before human review. Publication does not mean D&A has reviewed, verified or endorsed a contribution. Members remain responsible for following these Community Guidelines.
Reporting a concern
To report a contribution that may breach these guidelines, email admin@deciphernews.ca. Include the discussion link and enough detail to identify the contribution, such as the member name and posting date. Reports are reviewed periodically; an immediate response is not guaranteed.
Moderation
D&A may use automated tools to flag material for human review, but consequential moderation decisions remain subject to human review. Actions can include warning, temporary hiding, removal, posting restrictions, suspension or account termination. Moderation records may be retained for safety, audit and appeals.
Appeals and corrections
Members should have a reasonable way to request review of a moderation decision or correct their own contribution. To request review of a moderation decision, email admin@deciphernews.ca.
Research boundary
Member comments are discussion, not D&A editorial records. A comment does not become part of a canonical D&A record unless it separately passes the platform’s normal evidence and editorial process.