Acceptable Use Policy

1. Purpose and Scope

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") governs your use of Dudes That Code's platform, services, and applications. This policy is designed to protect our users, maintain platform integrity, and ensure compliance with applicable laws.

By accessing or using our Services, you agree to comply with this AUP in addition to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

2. Prohibited Activities

2.1 Illegal Activities

You must not use our Services to:

• Violate any local, state, national, or international law or regulation
• Engage in or promote illegal activities of any kind
• Facilitate money laundering, tax evasion, or other financial crimes
• Infringe intellectual property rights (copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets)
• Engage in insider trading or securities fraud
• Violate export control or sanctions laws
• Engage in activities related to terrorism or violent extremism

2.2 Fraudulent and Deceptive Practices

You must not:

• Provide false, misleading, or inaccurate information
• Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation
• Engage in phishing, social engineering, or identity theft
• Create or use fake accounts or multiple accounts without authorization
• Manipulate project bids, pricing, or payment information
• Submit fraudulent invoices or payment requests
• Engage in pyramid schemes, multi-level marketing, or ponzi schemes
• Misrepresent your skills, qualifications, or work history

2.3 Harmful Content

You must not post, upload, or transmit content that:

• Is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, or harassing
• Contains hate speech or promotes discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics
• Promotes violence, terrorism, or self-harm
• Contains pornography, obscenity, or sexually explicit material
• Exploits or harms minors in any way
• Defames, libels, or invades privacy rights of others
• Is intentionally false or misleading (disinformation)

2.4 Security Violations

You must not:

• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any account, system, or network
• Probe, scan, or test vulnerabilities without authorization
• Breach or circumvent security or authentication measures
• Access data not intended for you or log into servers you are not authorized to access
• Upload or distribute viruses, malware, ransomware, or other harmful code
• Launch denial-of-service (DoS) or distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks
• Use packet sniffers, port scanners, or other hacking tools
• Intercept or monitor data transmission without authorization
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of our Services

2.5 Abuse and Harassment

You must not:

• Harass, bully, stalk, intimidate, or threaten others
• Send unsolicited or unwanted communications (spam)
• Engage in coordinated harassment campaigns
• Doxx others (publish private personal information without consent)
• Make credible threats of violence
• Engage in sexual harassment or unwanted sexual advances
• Create a hostile work environment

2.6 Spam and Unsolicited Communications

You must not:

• Send spam, bulk messages, or unsolicited commercial communications
• Use our platform to send phishing emails or malicious links
• Scrape or harvest email addresses or user information for marketing
• Use automated systems to send messages without consent
• Circumvent spam filters or CAN-SPAM requirements
• Send chain letters or pyramid scheme solicitations

2.7 Automated Access and Scraping

You must not:

• Use bots, scrapers, or automated tools to access our Services without permission
• Crawl or index our platform using automated means
• Use scripts to automate account actions (creating accounts, posting content)
• Overwhelm our servers with excessive requests (rate limit violations)
• Bypass robots.txt or other access restrictions
• Use our API in violation of rate limits or terms

2.8 Platform Integrity Violations

You must not:

• Interfere with or disrupt the Services or servers
• Manipulate metrics, votes, ratings, or reviews
• Create artificial engagement or fake activity
• Exploit bugs or vulnerabilities for personal gain
• Circumvent technical limitations or restrictions
• Use the platform in ways that harm other users' experience
• Attempt to modify, adapt, or hack the Services

3. Professional Conduct Standards

3.1 Client Responsibilities

Clients must:

• Provide clear, accurate project requirements
• Communicate professionally and respectfully with contractors
• Make timely payments per agreed terms
• Provide necessary access, resources, and information
• Give constructive feedback on deliverables
• Honor agreements and commitments
• Respect intellectual property rights

3.2 Contractor Responsibilities

Contractors must:

• Accurately represent skills, experience, and qualifications
• Deliver quality work that meets agreed specifications
• Meet deadlines and communicate proactively about delays
• Maintain confidentiality of client information
• Respect intellectual property and licensing requirements
• Provide honest status updates and progress reports
• Disclose conflicts of interest
• Only use authorized tools and resources

3.3 Team Collaboration

All users must:

• Communicate professionally and courteously
• Respect diverse perspectives and backgrounds
• Collaborate in good faith
• Address conflicts constructively
• Maintain professional boundaries
• Contribute positively to team dynamics

4. Content Guidelines

4.1 Acceptable Content

Content should be:

• Relevant to the platform's purpose (software development, project management)
• Professional and appropriate for a business environment
• Accurate, truthful, and not misleading
• Respectful of others and their viewpoints
• Original or properly attributed/licensed
• Compliant with copyright and trademark laws

4.2 Project Descriptions

Project postings must:

• Clearly describe scope, requirements, and deliverables
• Provide realistic timelines and budgets
• Not request illegal or unethical work
• Not violate intellectual property rights
• Include all relevant technical requirements

4.3 Communications

All communications must:

• Be relevant and on-topic
• Use appropriate language and tone
• Not contain spam or promotional content (unless authorized)
• Respect others' time and attention
• Maintain confidentiality when required

5. Intellectual Property Respect

5.1 Copyright

You must:

• Only upload content you own or have permission to use
• Respect others' copyrights and not use their work without authorization
• Properly attribute and license third-party content
• Comply with open-source licenses and terms
• Not distribute pirated software or cracked applications

5.2 Trademarks

• Do not use others' trademarks without permission
• Do not create confusion about brand affiliations
• Do not register domain names that infringe trademarks

5.3 Trade Secrets and Confidential Information

• Maintain confidentiality of proprietary information
• Do not share client or employer confidential data
• Honor non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)
• Do not use insider information for competitive advantage

6. Account Security Requirements

6.1 Account Protection

You must:

• Keep your password secure and confidential
• Use a strong, unique password
• Enable two-factor authentication when available
• Log out from shared or public devices
• Not share your account credentials with others
• Report unauthorized access immediately
• Keep your contact information up to date

6.2 Account Integrity

• Maintain only one personal account (unless authorized for multiple)
• Provide accurate and complete registration information
• Update information promptly when it changes
• Not sell, transfer, or share your account
• Not use automated account creation tools

7. Payment and Financial Conduct

7.1 Payment Obligations

• Make timely payments per agreed terms
• Provide valid payment information
• Not engage in payment fraud or chargebacks abuse
• Dispute charges through proper channels
• Honor financial commitments and agreements

7.2 Financial Transparency

• Accurately report income for tax purposes
• Provide truthful financial information when required
• Not engage in money laundering or financial crimes
• Comply with tax laws and reporting requirements
• Not use the platform to evade taxes

8. Reporting Violations

8.1 How to Report

If you encounter behavior that violates this AUP, please report it immediately:

• In-Platform: Use the "Report" button on content or profiles
• Email: admin@dudesthatcode.com for policy violations
• Support: support@dudesthatcode.com for general concerns

8.2 What to Include

When reporting violations, provide:

• Description of the violation
• Links or references to violating content
• Screenshots or evidence (if applicable)
• Date and time of occurrence
• Your contact information for follow-up

8.3 False Reports

Submitting false, malicious, or frivolous reports is itself a violation of this AUP and may result in account suspension or termination.

9. Consequences of Violations

9.1 Enforcement Actions

Violations of this AUP may result in:

• Warning: Formal notice of violation with requirement to cease
• Content Removal: Deletion of violating content
• Feature Restriction: Temporary or permanent loss of specific features
• Account Suspension: Temporary suspension of account access
• Account Termination: Permanent ban from the platform
• Legal Action: Civil or criminal prosecution for serious violations
• Financial Consequences: Forfeiture of payments, fees, or balances

9.2 Factors Considered

We consider the following when determining consequences:

• Severity and frequency of violations
• Intent (intentional vs. accidental)
• History of previous violations
• Harm caused to others or the platform
• Whether the violation was illegal
• Your cooperation with investigation

9.3 Appeals

If you believe enforcement action was taken in error, you may appeal by contacting admin@dudesthatcode.com within 30 days. Include your account information and explanation. We will review and respond within 14 business days.

10. Legal Compliance and Cooperation

10.1 Law Enforcement Cooperation

We cooperate with law enforcement and may disclose user information when:

• Required by valid legal process (subpoena, warrant, court order)
• Necessary to prevent imminent harm or danger
• Required to comply with applicable laws
• Necessary to protect our rights or property

10.2 Regulatory Compliance

You must comply with all applicable laws and regulations including:

• Tax laws and reporting requirements
• Labor and employment laws
• Data protection and privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA)
• Export control and sanctions
• Anti-money laundering (AML) requirements
• Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations

11. Monitoring and Enforcement

We reserve the right to:

• Monitor platform activity for compliance with this AUP
• Investigate suspected violations
• Access and review account information and content
• Use automated systems to detect violations
• Take enforcement action at our sole discretion

We do not actively monitor all content but may investigate when violations are reported or detected.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Acceptable Use Policy periodically. Changes will be communicated by updating the "Last Updated" date and posting the new policy. Significant changes will be announced via email or platform notification. Your continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated AUP.

13. Contact Information

For questions about this Acceptable Use Policy or to report violations:

14. Related Policies

• Terms of Service - Overall platform terms and conditions
• Privacy Policy - How we collect and use personal information
• Communications Policy - Email, SMS, and notification guidelines
• Cookie Policy - How we use cookies and tracking technologies