VivaramVivaram

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

Effective Date: 20-07-2026 Last Updated: 20-07-2026

Table of Contents

  1. Welcome to Vivaram
  2. Our Mission and Why These Guidelines Exist
  3. Our Core Community Principles
  4. Respect Others
  5. Share Accurate Information
  6. Community Reports (Naatile Samsaram)
  7. Government Notices
  8. Questions and Discussions
  9. Local Events
  10. Privacy and Personal Information
  11. Harassment and Abuse
  12. Hate Speech and Discrimination
  13. Violence and Dangerous Content
  14. Misinformation
  15. Spam and Promotional Content
  16. Impersonation
  17. Illegal Activities
  18. Intellectual Property
  19. Anonymous Posting
  20. Children and Vulnerable People
  21. Account Safety
  22. Reporting Problems
  23. How Moderation Works
  24. Enforcement
  25. Appeals
  26. Be a Great Community Member
  27. Changes to These Guidelines

1. Welcome to Vivaram

Vivaram is a community-driven hyperlocal information platform. People come here to find out what is happening in their locality — to read community reports, ask questions, check government notices, discover local events, and stay informed about things like weather, electricity outages, market prices, and train and bus timings.

What makes Vivaram work is trust. When you read a report here, you should be able to believe that a real person shared it honestly. When you share something, your neighbors should be able to rely on it. These Community Guidelines exist to protect that trust.

This document explains:

  • what we encourage you to do;
  • what is not allowed;
  • how moderation and enforcement work; and
  • what to do if you see a problem or disagree with a decision.

These Guidelines apply to everyone who uses Vivaram — registered users, anonymous posters, and guest browsers alike — and to everything posted on the platform, including reports, questions, answers, notices, events, comments, and replies. They work together with our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, which contain the full legal terms that govern the platform. If anything here seems inconsistent with the Terms of Service, the Terms of Service controls; but we have written these Guidelines in plain language so that they are the document you actually reach for.

A note on tone: these Guidelines are not a list of threats. Most of what follows is about how to be useful to your community. The rules exist so that the helpful majority can rely on the platform.

2. Our Mission and Why These Guidelines Exist

Vivaram's mission is to improve access to reliable local information while encouraging responsible community participation. We believe the people who know a place best are the people who live in it — and that a well-run platform can turn that local knowledge into something everyone benefits from.

That mission shapes these Guidelines in three ways:

Information quality comes first. Vivaram is an information platform, not a social network. Content is valued for how useful and truthful it is, not for how much attention it attracts. These Guidelines are designed to reward accuracy and discourage sensationalism.

Local context matters. A platform about neighborhoods, towns, and districts touches real life directly — water supply, transport, public safety, local administration. Errors here have real consequences, so our standards for things like emergencies, government information, and public safety are stricter than they would be on a general-purpose platform.

People deserve a safe space to participate. Community reporting only works if people feel safe contributing. Harassment, hate, and intimidation are not just unpleasant; they silence the voices the platform exists to hear. We take them seriously for that reason.

3. Our Core Community Principles

Everything in these Guidelines flows from ten principles. When you are unsure whether something is appropriate, these are a good compass.

Community first. Contribute things that help people around you. Before posting, ask: will this be useful to someone in my locality?

Respect. Treat others the way you would treat a neighbor face to face. Disagree with ideas; do not attack people.

Accuracy. Share what you know, not what you assume. If you are not sure something is true, say so — or do not post it.

Integrity. Be honest about who you are, what you know, and where your information comes from. Do not fabricate, exaggerate, or manipulate.

Local relevance. Keep content relevant to the community and the scope you choose. A district feed is not the place for national debates or personal broadcasting.

Transparency. Say where information comes from, correct yourself when you are wrong, and do not hide agenda behind content.

Constructive participation. Add to discussions rather than derailing them. Criticism is welcome when it moves things forward.

Safety. Never put people at risk. When content could affect someone's safety, health, or rights, hold it to the highest standard of care.

Accountability. Stand behind what you post — including anonymous posts, which follow all the same rules. If you make a mistake, correct it.

Inclusiveness. Vivaram is for everyone in a locality: every language, religion, caste, gender, age, and background. Content that pushes people out of the community weakens it for all.

4. Respect Others

Vivaram brings together people who may disagree strongly about local issues — and that is healthy. What is not healthy is treating disagreement as a licence for abuse.

We encourage you to:

  • be patient, especially with new users who are still learning how the platform works;
  • be kind, and assume good intent until proven otherwise;
  • criticize ideas, decisions, and institutions — vigorously if you like — while treating people with dignity;
  • listen before responding, and acknowledge when someone makes a fair point;
  • disagree openly and respectfully, including with public officials and institutions.

We do not allow:

  • insults, name-calling, or personal attacks against other users or private individuals;
  • bullying, mockery, or ridicule of a person — including mocking someone's question, language, or writing ability;
  • threats or intimidation of any kind, whether explicit or implied;
  • dogpiling — encouraging or joining a pile-on against a person;
  • targeting someone across multiple posts, threads, or features;
  • using replies, comments, or votes as tools of abuse rather than discussion.

A useful test: if you would not say it to the person's face in a village meeting, do not post it here.

5. Share Accurate Information

Vivaram's value depends on whether people can believe what they read. Accuracy is therefore the single most important norm on the platform.

Describe what you know, not what you assume. A good community report says what happened, where, when, and how you know it. "The water supply on Church Road has been off since 6 a.m.; I checked with two neighbors" is far more valuable than "The water board has failed again." The first is information; the second is opinion dressed as information.

Distinguish fact from opinion. Both are welcome, but label them honestly. If you are interpreting, speculating, or passing on something you heard, say so. Never present a rumor as a confirmed fact.

Provide sources when you can. If your information comes from an official announcement, a news report, or a public document, say which one. Sources let others verify — and verification is how a community builds confidence in its platform.

Update and correct. Local information changes. If something you posted is no longer true — an outage has ended, an event time has changed, a report you relied on was wrong — update it or correct it. Users can also request corrections on content; treat correction requests on your own posts as help, not criticism.

Small errors are human. Honest mistakes corrected in good faith will never be punished. What we act against is carelessness about important matters and, most seriously, deliberate falsehood — which is covered in Section 14.

6. Community Reports (Naatile Samsaram)

Naatile Samsaram is the heart of Vivaram: first-hand reports from people about what is happening around them. Because others make decisions based on these reports, they carry particular responsibility.

A strong community report:

  • has a clear, factual title that tells the reader what the report is about — for example, "Power outage in Kacheripady area since this morning" rather than "SHOCKING news from Kacheripady!!";
  • describes what you actually saw, heard, or experienced, with enough detail to be useful;
  • states the correct location and chooses the right municipality or district scope, so the report reaches the people it affects;
  • is posted while the information is still relevant, and updated if the situation changes;
  • uses measured, respectful language even when the subject is frustrating.

Please avoid:

  • rumors and second-hand claims presented as fact;
  • speculation about causes, blame, or motives that you cannot support;
  • clickbait, sensational headlines, and fearmongering;
  • false or exaggerated emergencies — few things damage a community platform faster than crying wolf;
  • misleading titles that do not match the content;
  • duplicate reports of something already posted — instead, add your information as a comment or an update to the existing report;
  • personal attacks on neighbors, officials, or anyone else;
  • using reports to settle personal scores or target individuals.

Choose the right scope. Post to the smallest scope that genuinely covers the affected community. A street-level issue does not belong in a district-wide feed, and district-wide noise makes local information harder for everyone to find.

Anonymous reporting. You may post reports anonymously (see Section 19). Anonymity exists to protect honest reporting — not to shield rumor-mongering or abuse, which is treated exactly the same whether posted under a name or not.

7. Government Notices

The Government Notices feature exists to help communities find official announcements — scheme deadlines, public meetings, service changes, and similar information.

Anyone may submit a Government Notice. That does not make it official. A notice on Vivaram is a user submission. Only notices that have been reviewed by authorized Vivaram moderators or administrators receive a Verified badge — and even a Verified badge means only that our review found the notice consistent with its cited source at the time of review. It is not a government certification, and it is not a guarantee that the information remains current.

If you submit a Government Notice:

  • identify the source honestly — the department, office, or official publication it comes from;
  • reproduce the substance faithfully. Do not edit, paraphrase, or truncate official information in ways that change its meaning;
  • do not present a notice as more recent, more certain, or broader than it is;
  • do not imply that you, or Vivaram, issued the notice.

If you read a Government Notice: verify important information through official channels — the department's website, office, or published communication — before acting on it. This applies to deadlines, applications, payments, and anything with legal or financial consequences, whether or not the notice carries a Verified badge.

Fabricating a government notice is among the most serious violations on Vivaram. Creating or altering official-looking notices, orders, or documents may also be a criminal offense. We remove such content, ban the responsible accounts, and may report the matter to authorities.

8. Questions and Discussions

The Questions feature, along with comments and replies across the platform, is where the community talks to itself. Good discussions make every other feature more valuable.

Ask good questions:

  • choose questions with local relevance — about your locality, its services, events, and affairs;
  • be specific enough that someone can actually answer: "Which ward office handles trade licence renewals in Thripunithura?" will get better answers than "Why is nothing done properly here?";
  • check whether the question has already been asked before posting a duplicate.

Give helpful answers:

  • answer from knowledge or experience, and say when you are unsure;
  • point to sources where possible;
  • treat the questioner with patience — there are no stupid questions, only people looking for information;
  • disagree respectfully when you think an answer is wrong, and explain why.

In all discussions, please avoid:

  • trolling — posting to provoke, derail, or amuse yourself at others' expense;
  • mocking users, their questions, their language, or their spelling;
  • personal attacks and grudges carried across threads;
  • off-topic posting that drowns out the subject at hand;
  • spamming the same comment or reply repeatedly.

A comment thread that stays constructive becomes a permanent resource for everyone who later finds it. One that descends into abuse gets locked, and everyone loses it.

9. Local Events

Local Events helps communities discover what is happening nearby — meetings, festivals, classes, blood donation camps, markets, and more.

When you post an event:

  • give accurate details: title, description, category, date, time, and venue;
  • identify the organizer and source honestly;
  • choose the right scope so the event reaches the community it serves;
  • update the listing if details change, and note cancellations promptly — people may travel based on your listing.

We do not allow:

  • fake or non-existent events;
  • misleading venues, dates, or descriptions;
  • false claims about tickets, entry fees, or availability;
  • fraudulent promotions — events designed to collect money, data, or attendance under false pretenses;
  • using event listings as disguised advertising for unrelated products or services.

If you RSVP to an event, remember the listing comes from another user. Vivaram does not run or vet events; confirm details with the organizer before travelling or paying.

10. Privacy and Personal Information

Respecting privacy protects real people from real harm. You may share your own information as you choose; you may not share other people's.

Do not publish anyone else's:

  • phone numbers or email addresses;
  • home addresses or locations that identify where someone lives, without their consent;
  • government identification details — Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID, licence numbers, or similar;
  • financial information — bank accounts, card numbers, UPI identifiers, or transaction details;
  • private conversations, messages, or documents shared with you in confidence;
  • medical or health information;
  • photographs or details that identify children, or any personal information about children;
  • any other sensitive personal data.

Doxxing is strictly prohibited. Compiling, publishing, or linking to someone's personal information — even information assembled from public sources — in order to expose, shame, intimidate, or enable harassment is a serious violation that results in immediate removal and account action, regardless of the target.

Be careful with your own information too. Content on Vivaram may be public and persistent. Do not post your own contact details, documents, or sensitive information unless you understand and accept that risk.

Report privacy violations. If you see someone's personal information posted, report it immediately (Section 22). We treat privacy reports as high priority.

11. Harassment and Abuse

Harassment silences people, and silenced people stop contributing. We therefore treat harassment as an attack on the platform itself, not just on its target.

We do not allow:

  • bullying, mocking, or degrading any person;
  • repeated unwanted contact, replies, or mentions directed at someone who has made clear they want it to stop;
  • stalking or monitoring another user's activity in a way intended to intimidate;
  • threats of any kind — of violence, of exposure, of reputational or economic harm;
  • sexual harassment, including sexualized comments, unwanted advances, or sexual content directed at a person;
  • targeted campaigns against an individual, family, or business;
  • coordinated harassment — organizing, encouraging, or joining others to target someone, on or off the platform;
  • intimidation intended to stop someone from participating, reporting, or speaking;
  • retaliating against someone for filing a report or participating in moderation.

Context matters, and people matter more. Public figures and officials acting in their official capacity can be criticized sharply — that is part of civic life. But criticism of conduct and decisions is different from abuse of a person, and the line is crossed when content becomes threatening, degrading, or invasive of private life.

If you are being harassed: report the content, do not feel obliged to respond, and contact us if the situation is serious. If anyone is in physical danger, contact local law enforcement first.

12. Hate Speech and Discrimination

Every community is made of many communities. Vivaram is for all of them.

We do not allow content that attacks, demeans, dehumanizes, or calls for discrimination or violence against people based on:

  • religion;
  • race or ethnicity;
  • caste;
  • nationality or national origin;
  • language;
  • gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation;
  • disability;
  • age;
  • or similar characteristics central to identity.

This prohibition covers slurs, stereotypes presented as fact, dehumanizing comparisons, denial of events used to target a group, and coded language or symbols whose purpose is to express the same hostility.

Discussion is allowed; attacks are not. You can discuss religion, caste, language policy, or community issues — including critically — and you can debate ideas and institutions. What you cannot do is direct hostility at people for who they are. "I disagree with this policy" is a viewpoint; "people of this community are a problem" is hate speech.

We also do not allow content that promotes or glorifies organizations or ideologies whose purpose is hatred against protected groups, or the use of Vivaram to organize discrimination — for example, calls to boycott or exclude people from local life based on identity.

13. Violence and Dangerous Content

We do not allow:

  • threats of violence against any person or group, whether serious or "joking";
  • incitement — content encouraging others to commit violence or harm;
  • instructions for harming people, including making weapons or dangerous devices;
  • graphic violence or gore posted to shock, celebrate, or intimidate;
  • glorifying or celebrating violent acts, attacks, or their perpetrators;
  • content promoting, praising, recruiting for, or supporting terrorist or violent extremist organizations;
  • content that encourages self-harm or suicide.

Where content describes real events — for example, a community report about an accident or a crime in your locality — report it factually and with restraint. Informing neighbors about a safety concern is valuable; sharing graphic detail or imagery for sensation is not. If minors may be involved or identifiable, do not post identifying details at all.

If there is an emergency or imminent danger, contact local emergency services first. Vivaram is an information platform, not an emergency response channel. After authorities are informed, an accurate, calm report can help your community — panic and unverified claims cannot.

14. Misinformation

Misinformation on a local platform does not stay abstract. A false report about water contamination, a fabricated closure order, or a scam framed as official information can cause real harm within hours. This section is one of the most important in these Guidelines.

Do not knowingly share false information. If you learn that something you posted is wrong, correct it. If you are unsure whether something is true, either do not post it, or post it clearly labelled as unverified and asking for confirmation.

We apply particular strictness to false information about:

  • Emergencies and public safety — false alerts, false disaster or accident reports, fabricated dangers, or panic-inducing rumors;
  • Government announcements — invented schemes, deadlines, orders, closures, or benefits;
  • Health and medical information — false cures, false outbreaks, or fabricated health advisories;
  • Transportation — invented cancellations, strikes, or schedule changes for trains and buses;
  • Weather — fabricated warnings or alarms not supported by official meteorological sources;
  • Electricity and utilities — false shutdown or restoration claims;
  • Financial matters — scams framed as opportunities, false prize or lottery claims, or fabricated market information;
  • Elections and civic processes — false information about voting, candidates, polling, or results.

Fabricated materials are prohibited outright. This includes edited or doctored screenshots intended to deceive, fake documents, fake government orders, and fabricated official communications of any kind. These are treated as severely as fabricating a government notice (Section 7): removal, account action, and, where appropriate, a report to authorities.

Corrections are a strength, not a weakness. Users may request corrections on content they believe is inaccurate. If someone requests a correction on your content, consider it in good faith — an accurate community record benefits everyone, including you. Moderators may also correct, label, or add context to content, and may remove misinformation likely to cause harm, especially in the categories above.

Honest error is not punished. People make mistakes. We distinguish between a neighbor who gets a detail wrong and corrects it, and someone who repeatedly or deliberately spreads falsehoods. The latter faces escalating enforcement under Section 24.

15. Spam and Promotional Content

Spam buries useful information. To keep Vivaram readable:

We do not allow:

  • mass or bulk posting of identical or near-identical content;
  • repeated comments or replies that add nothing to the discussion;
  • fake engagement — artificial likes, votes, or RSVPs, whether self-generated or coordinated;
  • referral, affiliate, or promotional links posted for personal gain rather than community benefit;
  • SEO spam and content designed to manipulate search rankings;
  • chain messages, pyramid or multi-level marketing promotions;
  • commercial advertising unrelated to local community benefit.

Local relevance is the test. A neighborhood bakery announcing its opening in the local events feed serves the community. The same business posting daily promotions across every district feed does not. Genuine local information from local people is welcome; using the platform as an advertising channel is not.

If you represent a business or organization, participate as a community member first. Repeated promotional misuse leads to content removal and, where it continues, account action.

16. Impersonation

Trust depends on knowing who is speaking — or, where posting is anonymous, knowing that no false identity is being claimed.

You may not impersonate or misrepresent yourself as:

  • a government official, department, or public authority;
  • police or any law-enforcement body;
  • another user, or a real person in your community;
  • a business, organization, or institution you do not represent;
  • a Vivaram moderator, administrator, or team member;
  • a public figure.

This covers usernames, display names, profile content, and posts that falsely claim identity or affiliation — for example, presenting personal opinions as an official statement from a panchayat, or framing content to look like it comes from Vivaram itself.

Parody and commentary about public figures and institutions are legitimate — but they must be clear enough that a reasonable reader is not deceived, and they may not be used to spread misinformation.

Impersonation of officials is treated severely because it can misdirect people in matters of safety, money, and rights. Expect immediate content removal and account action, and, where the conduct is unlawful, a report to the appropriate authorities.

17. Illegal Activities

You may not use Vivaram for anything illegal — full stop. That includes content that promotes, facilitates, or instructs others in unlawful activity. In particular, we do not allow:

  • fraud and scams of any kind, including prize, loan, job, and investment scams;
  • sale or promotion of counterfeit goods, forged documents, or fake certificates;
  • drug trafficking or the sale of illegal substances;
  • human trafficking, exploitation, or any form of forced labor;
  • the sale of weapons, explosives, or illegal goods;
  • identity theft, phishing, or collection of others' credentials or personal data;
  • money laundering or movement of criminal proceeds;
  • cybercrime, including hacking, malware distribution, and unauthorized access;
  • offers of illegal services, gambling operations unlawful in your jurisdiction, or evasion of law enforcement;
  • copyright infringement and other intellectual property violations (see also Section 18).

We act on illegal content in three steps: we remove it, we act against the accounts responsible, and we report it to appropriate authorities where the law requires or safety justifies it. We preserve related records as described in our Privacy Policy.

If you see illegal content, report it — and where someone may be in danger, contact law enforcement directly as well. Do not engage with suspected scams to "test" them.

18. Intellectual Property

Post what you have the right to post.

  • Own it or have permission. Only publish content you created, or content you have the right or permission to share. Quoting briefly with credit is generally fine; reproducing someone else's work wholesale is not.
  • Respect copyright. Do not post copied articles, documents, images, or other works without authorization from the rights holder or a legal basis to share them.
  • Respect trademarks and names. Do not misuse the names or logos of businesses, government bodies, or organizations in ways that confuse or deceive.
  • Respect licenses. Content under an open license can often be shared — follow the license terms, including attribution.

Copyright owners can submit complaints as described in our Terms of Service, which set out the full notice and counter-notice process. Repeat infringement leads to account termination under our repeat infringer policy.

19. Anonymous Posting

Vivaram lets you post certain content anonymously. Used well, anonymity protects honest local reporting — the shopkeeper reporting a safety violation, the resident raising a sensitive local issue — from retaliation and awkwardness.

Anonymity is a responsibility, not a shield:

  • every rule in these Guidelines applies in full to anonymous posts;
  • anonymous content that violates the Guidelines is removed, and enforcement applies to the account behind it;
  • while other users cannot see who posted an anonymous contribution, Vivaram retains the account association internally, as explained in our Privacy Policy — for abuse prevention, moderation, security, and legal compliance;
  • details in your content can still identify you even when your name is hidden, so choose what you share with care.

Use anonymity for its purpose: honest reporting and genuine questions you could not comfortably attach your name to. Do not use it to attack people, spread rumors, evade accountability, or post things you would be ashamed to own. Misuse of anonymity is treated as an aggravating factor, not an excuse.

20. Children and Vulnerable People

Children's safety is absolute. We do not tolerate any content that sexualizes, exploits, or endangers children — including imagery, descriptions, grooming behavior, or attempts to contact children inappropriately. Such content is removed immediately, the responsible accounts are permanently banned, and we report to the relevant authorities, including child-protection reporting channels where applicable.

Protect children's privacy. Do not post children's names, photographs, schools, locations, or other identifying information. Parents should think carefully before sharing details about their own children on a public platform.

Age requirements. Vivaram's account features are not intended for children below the minimum ages stated in our Terms of Service. If you believe a child has created an account, let us know.

Vulnerable people generally. Do not post content that targets, mocks, or exploits people in vulnerable situations — the elderly, people with disabilities, accident victims, or people in distress. Report emergencies involving them with dignity and restraint.

21. Account Safety

Keeping your account secure protects you and the community:

  • use a strong, unique password — one you do not use anywhere else;
  • never share your password or one-time verification codes with anyone, including anyone claiming to be from Vivaram — we will never ask for them outside the official sign-in and verification flows;
  • be cautious of messages or posts asking you to "verify" your account through a link — these are scams; sign in only through the official app or website;
  • if you suspect your account has been compromised, change your password and contact us at [email protected] immediately;
  • if you find a security problem with the platform itself, report it to us rather than exploiting or publicizing it — responsible reports are welcomed and are not treated as violations.

22. Reporting Problems

Reports from users are how most problems come to our attention. If you see something that violates these Guidelines, please report it — you are helping your community.

You can report content or accounts for, among other things:

  • spam or promotional abuse;
  • harassment, bullying, or abuse;
  • hate speech;
  • scams, fraud, or impersonation;
  • misinformation, especially about emergencies, government matters, health, or safety;
  • privacy violations;
  • illegal content;
  • anything else that seems to violate these Guidelines.

Report honestly. Describe the problem accurately. A report is a signal for human review, not a verdict — moderators make the decision. A few things to know:

  • reports are confidential: the reported user is not told who reported them, except where the law requires;
  • false or abusive reporting is itself a violation. Knowingly reporting content you know is fine, or using reports to harass or silence someone, can lead to action against your own account;
  • reporting does not guarantee removal: content is actioned only if it violates the Guidelines or the law, not simply because it is unpopular;
  • in an emergency, contact local emergency services first — then report to us.

Correction requests are a separate, lighter tool: use them when content is inaccurate rather than abusive. They ask the author and moderators to fix the record, and they help keep the platform reliable without escalating every error into a dispute.

23. How Moderation Works

Moderation at Vivaram combines human judgment with automated assistance, and exists to protect the community and the reliability of information — not to police opinions.

How it happens:

  • automated systems flag likely spam, abuse, and policy violations for review, and in clear cases may act immediately;
  • user reports and correction requests feed a review queue handled by moderators and administrators within the Vivaram Team;
  • moderators review content in context — the feature, the discussion, the history — before acting;
  • where a situation is urgent or serious, we may act first and review afterwards.

What moderators may do:

  • review and act on reports;
  • remove content or restrict its visibility;
  • correct, label, or add context to content;
  • request corrections from authors;
  • lock discussions or remove comments;
  • issue reminders and warnings;
  • limit features available to an account;
  • suspend accounts temporarily or ban them permanently;
  • remove verification badges;
  • take emergency action where there is a risk of serious harm.

What moderators do not do is arbitrate which side of a local debate is right. Viewpoints expressed civilly and honestly stay up even when moderators disagree with them. Enforcement targets conduct and accuracy, not opinion.

24. Enforcement

Enforcement is proportionate. Most problems on a healthy platform are small, and most are resolved without drama. Our response is scaled to the severity of the violation, the harm involved, and the account's history.

The ladder of enforcement includes, roughly from mildest to most severe:

  • educational reminders — a note explaining the relevant guideline, for minor or first-time issues;
  • content correction or labeling — fixing the record or adding context, for accuracy problems;
  • content removal — for content that violates the Guidelines;
  • warnings — a formal notice that conduct must change;
  • temporary restrictions — limits on posting, commenting, or other features for a period;
  • feature limitations — longer-term loss of specific features, such as anonymous posting;
  • removal of verification — where a verified party misuses that status;
  • temporary suspension — loss of account access for a defined period;
  • permanent suspension — a permanent ban, including blocks on re-registration.

Some violations skip the ladder. Child exploitation, credible threats of violence, terrorist content, fabrication of government notices, doxxing, and serious fraud lead directly to removal and permanent bans, and to reports to authorities where appropriate.

History matters. A first minor mistake is a teaching moment; a pattern of violations is not. Equally, genuinely corrected behavior is taken into account — the goal is a better community, not a bigger ban list.

Evasion makes things worse. Creating new accounts to get around a suspension or ban is itself a violation and typically results in permanent exclusion of all associated accounts.

25. Appeals

If you believe we made a mistake — your content was removed, or your account was restricted or suspended unfairly — you may appeal.

How to appeal: contact us at [email protected], tell us which action you are appealing, and explain calmly why you believe it was wrong. Where practicable, someone other than the original decision-maker reviews appeals.

A few honest expectations:

  • appeals should be respectful — abuse of the appeals channel, or repeated frivolous appeals, may mean further appeals are not reviewed;
  • we aim to respond within a reasonable time, but complex reviews take time;
  • appeal does not guarantee reversal — it guarantees a fair second look;
  • for serious violations (child safety, threats, fraud), reinstatement is extremely unlikely, and appeals are reviewed with the safety of the community foremost.

We will tell you the outcome. Where we uphold a decision, we will explain why to the extent we reasonably can.

26. Be a Great Community Member

Rules describe the floor, not the ceiling. The users who make Vivaram valuable go further:

  • help newcomers understand the platform and the locality;
  • correct mistakes respectfully, including your own;
  • provide sources so others can verify what you share;
  • keep discussions productive — bring them back to the point rather than the provocation;
  • update outdated information when you notice it, even in old threads;
  • report problems honestly instead of amplifying them by engagement;
  • support community trust — thank good contributors, vote helpfully on solid information;
  • celebrate local achievements — the platform is for what is going right, too.

Every report you file honestly, every rumor you decline to forward, and every careful answer you give makes the platform more useful for everyone in your locality. That is the entire point.

27. Changes to These Guidelines

The community evolves, and so will these Guidelines. When we update them, we will revise the "Last Updated" date above, and for significant changes we will notify users through the app, by email, or on our website. Continued use of Vivaram after an update takes effect means you accept the updated Guidelines.

Feedback on these Guidelines is welcome at [email protected]. Many of the best rules on platforms like this one were suggested by the communities they protect.

These Community Guidelines work together with the Vivaram Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Questions, reports, and appeals: [email protected].

© [email protected] Vivaram. All rights reserved.