1. Purpose of the Community

The Central Illinois Resource Center (CIRC) Community Portal and Forums exist to create a safe, respectful, and collaborative space where individuals can:

• Ask questions and receive support

• Share ideas, resources, and feedback

• Discuss community needs and solutions

• Connect with others across Central Illinois

Our goal is to foster a supportive environment built on respect, empathy, and collaboration.

Participation in the community requires adherence to this Code of Conduct.

2. Respectful Communication

All participants are expected to interact in a respectful, constructive, and professional manner.

Community members must:

• Treat all users with courtesy, respect, and empathy

• Use appropriate language and tone

• Share ideas constructively

• Engage in healthy discussions even when opinions differ

Disrespectful, hostile, or inflammatory behavior will not be tolerated.

CIRC-style community standards emphasize respectful and sincere participation to maintain positive collaboration. 

3. Prohibited Conduct

The following behaviors are strictly prohibited in the CIRC Community Portal:

Harassment or Abuse

Users may not engage in:

• Bullying or harassment

• Personal attacks or insults

• Threats or intimidation

• Hate speech or discrimination

Platforms using CIRC's services prohibit abusive, harassing, or bullying behavior. 

Discrimination or Hate Speech

Content that promotes discrimination or hostility toward any individual or group based on characteristics such as:

• Race

• Gender

• Sexual orientation

• Religion

• Disability

• National origin

• Gender identity

• Age
  
  

will be removed immediately.

Illegal or Harmful Content

Users may not post content that:

• Encourages illegal activity

• Promotes violence or harm

• Involves fraud or deception

• Shares explicit or obscene material

• Promotes exploitation or trafficking
  
  

Illegal or fraudulent activities are prohibited on community platforms. 

Spam and Advertising

The community is not a marketplace.

Users may not:

• Post spam or repetitive content

• Promote commercial services without permission

• Solicit donations or sales

• Send unsolicited messages to users

Unauthorized commercial content and mass solicitation are prohibited. 

Impersonation or Misrepresentation

Users may not:

• Impersonate another individual

• Misrepresent their identity

• Create fake accounts

• Attempt to deceive other members

Intellectual Property Violations

Users must respect intellectual property rights.

Do not post:

• Copyrighted material without permission

• Unauthorized proprietary information

• Content belonging to others without proper attribution

4. Privacy and Safety

To protect community members:

Users should not share sensitive personal information, including:

• Home addresses

• Phone numbers

• Financial information

• Private communications

• Medical records or identifying data

CIRC reserves the right to remove posts containing sensitive personal information.

5. Constructive Participation

We encourage members to:

✔ Ask thoughtful questions

✔ Share resources and solutions

✔ Offer constructive feedback

✔ Support other community members

✔ Help build a positive and inclusive environment

Community feedback and discussion are welcomed when shared respectfully and constructively. 

6. Moderation and Enforcement

Central Illinois Resource Center Inc moderators may:

• Edit or remove posts that violate this policy

• Lock discussions

• Issue warnings

• Temporarily suspend accounts

• Permanently ban users from the portal

Violations may result in immediate removal from the platform without prior notice.

7. Reporting Violations

Community members are encouraged to report violations of this Code of Conduct.

If you encounter concerning or inappropriate behavior, please report it through Email at: community@centralillinoisresourcecenter.org

All reports will be reviewed and addressed promptly.

8. Disclaimer

The CIRC Community Portal is a public forum. Opinions expressed by community members do not necessarily represent the views of Central Illinois Resource Center.

Participation in the portal constitutes agreement to follow this Code of Conduct.

9. Policy Updates

Central Illinois Resource Center reserves the right to modify this Code of Conduct at any time to maintain a safe and productive community environment.