Community is at the heart of all we do. Modern Stitches Members use community spaces to find inspiration, share knowledge, discuss ideas, and build relationships that help them grow their businesses.
The Modern Stitches Community includes the Forums, Groups, and the Member Handbook. This policy is a part of our Terms of Use. By using any of Modern Stitches community spaces, you’re agreeing to this policy and our Terms of Use.
1. Using the Modern Stitches Community
1. Using the Modern Stitches Community
Our community spaces are public areas where members can interact with one another. Members who use any of the community spaces must be over 18 years old. To make sure that the Modern Stitches community continues to be a place that’s safe, welcoming and respectful, you agree to comply with the following policies in all community spaces:
- Respect other members’ privacy, and protect your own. Don’t share private or personally identifying information in public areas of the site. This includes, but is not limited to, transaction details, personal contact details and the verbatim contents of private correspondence.
- Do not use community spaces to discuss interactions with Modern Stitches representatives, or to share verbatim extracts of such conversations ( i.e., emails, DMs or messages, live chats etc.). Remember, most messages between you and Modern Stitches are considered private correspondence and we ask that you respect this confidentiality. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more information.
- Be honest and transparent about who you are. Don’t use a fake identity.
- Be respectful towards other Members and, when in doubt, lead with kindness, assume best intentions and act on that basis. Don’t use community spaces to publicly disparage a specific Member, an Modern Stitches representative, shop, listing or category of item.
- Don’t use community tools or spaces to interfere with another Member’s business.
- Don’t spam. This includes unsolicited or duplicate posts or links to your shop, fundraisers, surveys, social media or other promotional content.
- Don’t use community spaces to coordinate pricing or discuss fee avoidance with other Members.
- Don’t use community spaces to harass other Members. Similarly, don’t post content in community spaces that may promote, support, or glorify hatred, misinformation, or that would be in violation of Modern Stitches’s policies including our Anti-Discrimination Policy.
- Don’t publish or post threats of violence against others or promote or encourage others to engage in violence or illegal activity.
- Don’t engage in illegal activity or activity that infringes someone’s intellectual property, or encourage others to engage in that type of activity.
- Don’t use community spaces to encourage others to violate Modern Stitches’s policies.
Continue reading below for some additional policies that apply to you while using specific community spaces.
2. Forums
Forums is a public space where Members can gather with other Members to discuss their Modern Stitches businesses.
By using Modern Stitches’s Forums, you acknowledge and agree that:
- Your role is to help us create a safe space for Members to learn from one another and grow their businesses.
- Your contributions help us build a public database of valuable knowledge and experiences that are available to everyone.
- Tone is challenging to interpret on a public forum and our community spaces are for Modern Stitches Members at every level. When in doubt, lead with empathy and kindness.
- Your posts will stay on topic. Off topic posts may be removed.
- Your posts in the Forums are permanent and can be viewed in various places including your User Profile (unless they are removed by Modern Stitches).
- Your posts should be helpful, constructive, and encouraging when voicing dissent or criticism. Don’t harass, target, insult, troll, or call out other members or Modern Stitches representatives.
- Moderators may take certain actions to keep the Forums welcoming, organized, and helpful for everyone. Such actions are not up for public discussion.
- You will respect others’ opinions and report content responsibly. Flagging posts is reserved for content that specifically violates Modern Stitches’s policies.
- Modern Stitches reserves the right to remove content from the Forums at any time for any reason, including, for example, violation of our policies, removal of dormant content, content that causes privacy issues, or due to changes to how the Forums operate.
- If you have concerns about actions taken in the forums, you can follow these instructions to contact Modern Stitches Support.
3. Direct Messages
Members may send each other direct messages using the Community’s built-in messaging system. These messages are separate from Modern Stitches Messages and can be accessed and read when you are in community spaces.
By using direct messages in the Modern Stitches Community, you agree to all of the above policies. In addition, you may not send messages that are considered:
- Abusive, threatening, defamatory, harassing, or otherwise in violation of our Anti-Discrimination Policy.
- Obscene or vulgar.
- Unsolicited advertising or promotions.
If you receive an inappropriate message, follow these instructions to report it.
4. Groups
Modern Stitches Groups is a community feature where you can connect with Modern Stitches Members to help you grow your business. Modern Stitches Groups are self-organized by members and not run by, part of, or affiliated with Modern Stitches.
By using Modern Stitches’s Groups feature, you acknowledge and agree that:
- Except as set forth below, Modern Stitches is not responsible for or involved in a group’s membership policies, dues, finances, or any other actions.
- Groups that do not comply with Modern Stitches’s policies, including our Anti-Discrimination Policy, may be removed, and Modern Stitches reserves the right to remove a group for any reason.
- Modern Stitches will not mediate disputes between groups and outside parties, nor disputes between groups and group members.
- Modern Stitches will not monitor third-party forums or other independent group sites.
- Any use of the term “Modern Stitches,” Modern Stitches’s visual marks such as the stylized Modern Stitches name logo, other Modern Stitches Trademarks (all trademarks worldwide owned by Modern Stitches, Inc. and its affiliates), or marks confusingly similar to the Modern Stitches Marks must comply with Modern Stitches’s Trademark Policy and our Group branding guidelines. See below for more details.
- A group may not use mature, profane, or hateful language or images in the group’s name, banner, or logo.
- A group may not be used for the sole purpose of redirecting traffic to another web location. Modern Stitches reserves the right to remove links on any profile page or group page for any reason. Unsolicited promotion or advertisement from representatives or affiliates of outside services, websites, or other products is not allowed.
- Groups are created by and run by Group Captains. A group must have a Captain in place in order to function successfully.
- Group Captains are responsible for moderating their Group’s content. In addition, Group Captains may appoint additional roles and responsibilities to their members.
- Groups that are inactive for 6 months or more, or who do not have a Group Captain in place to moderate the Group, are subject to removal from the platform and cancellation at Modern Stitches’s discretion. This includes revocation of the right to use Modern Stitches’s name or the Modern Stitches Trademarks.
- Group forums and on-site publications (i.e., blogs and knowledge base articles) are subject to this Community Policy and may not be used to demonstrate or discuss disputes with other members or with Modern Stitches.
- A group may have a charter detailing membership requirements and expectations for the group. Group leadership is responsible for enforcing the group’s charter. A group’s charter must abide by all of Modern Stitches’s policies, including our Terms of Use .
- If a group chooses to use a dedicated item listing tag (also called a “group tag”), it must contain the word “group.” Modern Stitches will not mediate disputes regarding use of group tags on item listings.
5. Branding Guidelines for Groups and Captains of Groups
Groups must adhere to these branding guidelines when identifying as an Modern Stitches Member Group.
You can use the word Modern Stitches in the name of your Group. (e.g. Modern Stitches Greek Group, Brighton Modern Stitches Group). However, you cannot use the term ‘Modern Stitches’ alone, or the Modern Stitches logo by itself in your Group name, or in any promotional materials that reference your Group in any manner.
Things to keep in mind when creating an Modern Stitches Group Logo:
- You cannot use the Modern Stitches logo to promote your Group without your Group name included at any time.
- You can create a stand-alone Modern Stitches Group logo so long as your Group name is clearly presented on the logo image.
- If you use the word “Modern Stitches” in your Group logo, you must make sure it is not the most prominent or the largest word visually on the logo image.
- If you are promoting your Group or any Group related activities, you must include the terms “Organized by a Group of Modern Stitches Members” visibly and prominently. It is also your responsibility to make it clear that you are not an agent or employee of Modern Stitches.
- You are solely responsible for any costs relating to your use of all promotional materials, venues or other items used to promote your Group.
Modern Stitches does not pre-approve Group branding and we reserve the right to take action on any usage brought to our attention that causes confusion, potential harm to the Modern Stitches brand, or is in direct violation of our Trademark Policy.
In particular:
Groups’ use of the Modern Stitches name and Modern Stitches Trademarks is subject to periodic Modern Stitches’s review at any time, and Modern Stitches may require changes in your use of the Modern Stitches Trademarks to comply with Modern Stitches policies, including our Trademark Policy, Modern Stitches’s marketing needs, or to ensure Modern Stitches’s Trademarks are not used in a way that suggests your Group is affiliated with, or part of Modern Stitches, Inc. In addition, you may not use the Modern Stitches Trademarks or similar marks in a way that tarnishes or causes harm to Modern Stitches’s brand or reputation, or in relation to non-Modern Stitches services. At Modern Stitches’s sole discretion, including if you violate this policy, or any of Modern Stitches’s Terms of Use, Modern Stitches reserves the right to revoke your right to use the Modern Stitches Trademarks.
Modern Stitches may take action, including termination or suspension, on any account that violates these policies. For example, we may temporarily or permanently suspend your community posting privileges, remove your community access or close your Modern Stitches account, which will immediately suspend all Modern Stitches shop activity. If we do so, it’s important to understand that you don’t have a contractual or legal right to continue to use our Services, including Community spaces or the Modern Stitches Trademarks. Generally, Modern Stitches will notify you that your account has been terminated or suspended, unless you’ve repeatedly violated this policy or our Terms or we have legal or regulatory reasons preventing us from notifying you.
Last updated on 3/9/2021