The OpenStudy Code of Conduct

These are the rules of openstudy, if you like openstudy then I suggest you read these to continue to be a Openstudy User.

## OpenStudy Code of Conduct

OpenStudy is a global learning community - built for you and by you. We ask all members to abide by a few core principles, an OpenStudiers’ pledge if you will. As an OpenStudier, I will:

Be Nice
I will stay positive, be friendly, and not mean
Give Help, Not Answers
I will encourage and guide those needing help, and not just give them an answer
Thank Others for Their Help
I will thank people for taking the time and effort to help me
Besides the pledge, we also have some specific guidelines on what not to do, outlined below. Failure to follow the guidelines may lead to your suspension or banning from the site. If you see any violations, please report them by using a report abuse link.

### OpenStudy values the *Learning* process - not the ‘Give you an answer’ process

* Don’t post only answers - guide the asker to a solution.
* Have homework problems? We can help you - as long as you are looking to learn how to get your solution (and not just the answer).
* Please do not copy and paste your problems. If people are going to spend time to help you, you should at least spend the time to ask your question as clearly as possible.

### Don't devalue the question/answer process!

* Don't provide someone with just the answer - explain the process, and help guide them through *understanding* the problem.
* Don't just provide the answer to a problem when someone else is in the middle of helping! But if you want to help, by all means, join in!

### Don't spam! Common forms of spam include:

* Posting a question multiple times within a short period of time.
* Posting a question that is off topic for a particular group (i.e. posting a physics question in the Mathematics group).
* Posting a reply that is not relevant to the topic of discussion within that question.
* Posting questions that are not, in fact, questions (for example, starting a question in the Mathematics group to wish someone "Happy Birthday").
* Sending the same chat message repeatedly.
* Filing false abuse reports on a user repeatedly.

### Don't be offensive, inappropriate, or creepy! So avoid:

* Insulting, berating, or otherwise discouraging others.
* Cursing and bypassing the language filters.
* Sexual innuendo, or "hitting on people".
* Soliciting personal, private, or offline contact information.
* Any form of racism, sexism, or any other prejudicial "isms".

### Don't game the system! Keep medals and achievements valuable, so please avoid:

* Participating in "Medal Parties", which are questions specifically designed to inflate the medal count of the users who are participating.
* Creating multiple accounts, or colluding with friends to gain unearned medals or achievements.
* Artificially inflating your stats in any other way.

Keep in mind that OpenStudy is an open, transparent system where everyone can see all your posts, chats, comments, questions and answers. So OpenStudy documents your greatness and your helpfulness. If on the other hand you do not follow our code or post inappropriate content that is creepy, rude, or violates your school's Honor Code, it is also openly viewable. We care about you. So our advice is to be nice and honest.

### Finally, if you do make a mistake, please be respectful to the moderators.

* Moderators are the users whose names are in purple. If you go outside the code of conduct, one of them will likely contact you. If they do, listen to what they have to say and be polite.
* If you are issued a temporary suspension because of a Code of Conduct violation, just wait until your suspension is expired. Go read a book, throw a football, unwind, and come back when the suspension is over.
* If you create new accounts to bypass a suspension, you will be permanently banned from the site. No questions asked.
* If you are permanently banned, or you feel you did not deserve a suspension that you were issued, feel free to email abuse@openstudy.com to discuss your suspension with one of the OpenStudy team members.

Welcome! And thank you for being a positive member of OpenStudy.