theLoop: Terms of Use

Please read these Terms of Use completely before using theLoop which is owned and operated by Professional Photographers of America. By using or accessing theLoop in any way, viewing or browsing the theLoop, or adding your own content to theLoop, you agree to the boundaries set by these Terms of Use.
 

PPA believes that the photography community prospers when we work together. We support all photographers and reject discrimination based on age, race, disability, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation and expression.

We recognize and embrace our similarities and differences, encourage opportunities to learn from our members, and cultivate inclusive communication and multicultural skills for the betterment of the photography community.

Use of the Site: theLoop website hosts a blog and a self-moderated forum, both of which are equipped with commenting facilities. While we invite you to share your opinions and questions in this way, they must not be used to distribute spam messages, post commercial advertisements, or to spread links to malicious or dangerous websites. We do retain the right to moderate any comment or written content submitted to theLoop website and remove any content deemed to have violated our policies.

Disclaimer: All of the content posted on theLoop website is member/opinion based. PPA does not edit, check, or verify the accuracy of any of the member-posted content. We cannot guarantee either its accuracy or safety of any external links it might contain or responses to requested advice. 
 

Prohibited Content:

The following content is prohibited on theLoop:

• Commercial Messaging:  Do not post commercial messages on any discussion list, resource library entry, or other areas where others might see it. This space is to nurture, foster and develop professional networking, exchange ideas, bridge gaps and foster the community of professional photographers. 
• Antitrust:  All discussions regarding pricing must be hypothetical and theoretical. Discussions related to pricing must be done carefully to ensure compliance with federal and state antitrust laws. PPA members are responsible for understanding those laws. Please refer to the Antitrust Guidelines provided by PPA’s attorney for further understanding about associations and antitrust laws.
• Intersectionality: Racial, gender, sexual, religious and /or politically divisive or discriminatory postings are strictly prohibited on theLoop. The platform is meant for discussions and comments to stimulate creative conversation related to the industry and best practice, not to create contention. Let others have their say, just as you may, and remember that it’s always perfectly fine to respectfully agree to disagree.
• Cyberbullying: The use of theLoop to bully a person is prohibited. Members may not participate in the following: flaming, harassment, cyberstalking, denigration, exclusion, trilling, impersonation, outing and/or trickery on theLoop. Any member associated with participating in the aforementioned will face temporary or permanent termination of access to theLoop.

Moderation: theLoop is a self-moderated community, meaning that peers as wells as administration have the power to mark a post as inappropriate. PPA reserves the right to moderate posts as necessary when they do not adhere to the Terms of Use and Code of Conduct. Any abuse of moderation power can lead to temporary or permanent termination of access to theLoop.
 

Termination: Professional Photographers of America reserves the right to terminate your access to theLoop without any advance notice due to the violation of the outlined Terms of Use, and/or Violation of PPA’s Online Community’s Code of Conduct.

Online Community Etiquette: 

PPA online communities, including theLoop, ourPPA LinkedIn group, any PPA managed social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, are here for PPA members and others in our photography group to share ideas, thoughts, and experiences about professional photography. As the host of these communities, PPA is committed to creating a fun and beneficial experience for all. These communities do not exist to foster attacks against others or PPA. Any attacks, personal criticisms, or threats are outside of the defined purpose of PPA’s online community and will not be tolerated.

• Stay on topic. Good contributions help the entire community by providing relevant, insightful information or asking important questions. If your post contains anything unrelated to the topic of photography in the forum or article, it may be removed, especially if it’s spamming in nature.
• Make your subject line concise, accurate and specific. This makes it easier for people to respond appropriately and to search the archives by subject. Remember your readers and try to follow standard email etiquette.
• Be honest, be yourself. The community is intended to be used for the helpful exchange of information between members. False, inaccurate, or otherwise misleading information is not helpful. Please be sincere in your community participation by only contributing content you know is accurate. Be mindful to respect the "closed" environment of PPA’s online communities and do not forward messages to non-members.
• Keep it clean, keep it friendly. Every post should make a positive contribution. The community is open to all points of view on the intended topics; mature, polite debate is encouraged. Attacks or cyber-bullying will not be tolerated.
• Keep marketing efforts separate; minimize clutter. Respect the community's purpose by not using it as a marketing channel or submitting any content you've been paid or otherwise rewarded by a third party to write. Any marketing or sales related content will be removed immediately. 
• Use the right channels for complaints. PPA online communities are not the appropriate platforms to resolve personal issues or start disputes against any member or organization. Posts of this nature will be removed.
• Submit only your own, original content. Help us maintain the community's integrity and observe the intellectual property rights of others by only submitting content you have personally written or else used with permission and properly attributed. The community should not be used to distribute unauthorized copies of any copyrighted material.

In March 2013, PPA’s Board of Directors approved a one-strike-out policy, outlining consequences for participants who violate the Code of Conduct and Terms of Use as follows:

             The first violation will result in immediate and permanent suspension of all online community participation privileges, along with revoked access to any and all platforms facilitated by PPA. These platforms include theLoop, any PPA managed social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest and ourPPA LinkedIn groups. You may petition the Community Coordinator to regain access at [email protected].

Violations: PPA reserves the right to take immediate action on any post that we feel violates the rules of conduct outlined above. That action includes, but is not limited to, issuing warnings, removing content and terminating accounts and/or subscriptions.

PPA reserves the right to remove any content we deem inappropriate for use in the community, and/or to revoke any member's access to the community at any time and for any reason. However, because situations and interpretations vary, we also reserve the right to take no action.

We may modify these guidelines or our Terms of Use at any time, and your continued use of the community signifies your assent to such modified terms.

If you are a victim of, or witness to inappropriate content in any of the PPA online communities’ discussion threads, resource libraries, or member profiles, please notify PPA immediately by emailing our Community Coordinator at [email protected].

Contacts: Should you have any further questions or concerns about these Terms of Use, or if you encounter difficulties while navigating and using the site, please contact Melody at [email protected].

Legal Jumbo (a.k.a. The Fine Print)
This site is provided as a service for the members of Professional Photographers of America (PPA). PPA is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site by others. PPA disclaims all warranties with regards to information posted on this platform, whether posted by PPA or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall PPA be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site.

Members of this site may not post any defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive or illegal materials. Members of this site may not post any information or other materials protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. In addition, the posting party grants PPA and users of this site the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other materials.

Messages should not be posted if they encourage or facilitate members to arrive at any agreement that either expressly or impliedly leads to price fixing, a boycott of another's business, or other conduct intended to illegally restrict free trade. Messages that encourage or facilitate an agreement about the following subjects are inappropriate: prices, discounts, or terms or conditions of sale; salaries; profits, profit margins or cost data; market shares, sales territories or markets; allocation of customers or territories; or selection, rejection or termination of customers or suppliers.

PPA does not actively monitor the site for inappropriate postings and does not on its own undertake editorial control of postings. However, in the event that any inappropriate posting is brought to the attention of PPA, we will take all appropriate actions.

PPA reserves the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by the above guidelines.