1. Acceptance of Terms
By accessing or using TheSynesthesiaNetwork.com (“the Platform”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service (“Terms”). If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.
2. Description of the Platform
TheSynesthesiaNetwork.com is a social networking platform that connects people who experience synesthesia with each other and with researchers studying synesthesia. The Platform enables community interaction and facilitates voluntary research participation opportunities.
3. Eligibility
You must be at least 13 years old to use the Platform. If you are between 13 and 18, you must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian. By using the Platform, you represent that you meet these requirements.
4. Accounts
- You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.
- You agree to provide accurate and complete information when creating your account.
- You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
- You may delete your account at any time. Upon deletion, all your personal data will be permanently removed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
5. User Conduct
You agree not to:
- Impersonate any person or entity, including falsely claiming to have synesthesia or to be an affiliated researcher.
- Harass, abuse, threaten, or intimidate other users.
- Use the Platform to spam, solicit, or distribute unsolicited communications.
- Collect or harvest user data without consent.
- Upload malicious code or attempt to compromise Platform security.
- Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose.
- Misrepresent your credentials or institutional affiliation as a researcher.
6. Researcher Accounts
Researchers using the Platform agree to the following additional terms:
- Verification: Researchers may be required to verify their identity and institutional affiliation.
- Respect user preferences:Researchers must honor users' contact and data-sharing preferences at all times. Contacting a user who has opted out of researcher contact is a violation of these Terms.
- Ethical standards: Researchers must comply with all applicable ethical guidelines, institutional review board (IRB) requirements, and laws governing human subjects research.
- No scraping: Researchers may not scrape, bulk-download, or programmatically collect user data from the Platform.
- Independent responsibility: Any research conducted with participants found through the Platform is the sole responsibility of the researcher and their institution. The Platform does not review, approve, or endorse any research studies.
7. Research Participation
- Participation in any research opportunity discovered through the Platform is entirely voluntary.
- You may opt in or out of researcher contact and research data sharing at any time through your account settings.
- The Platform facilitates introductions only. All research agreements, consent forms, and protocols are between you and the researcher/institution.
- The Platform is not responsible for the conduct of any research study.
8. Intellectual Property
- The Platform and its original content, features, and functionality are owned by TheSynesthesiaNetwork.com and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws.
- Content you post on the Platform remains yours. By posting, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive license to display it on the Platform as part of normal operations (e.g., showing your profile to other users or researchers you have opted to connect with).
- You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from Platform content without permission.
9. User Content
- You are solely responsible for the content you post on the Platform.
- We reserve the right to remove content that violates these Terms or that we reasonably believe is harmful, misleading, or inappropriate.
- We do not endorse or verify the accuracy of user-submitted content, including descriptions of synesthetic experiences.
10. Privacy
Your use of the Platform is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. Please review the Privacy Policy to understand how we collect, use, and protect your data.
11. Data Deletion
You have the right to delete your account and all associated personal data at any time. To do so, use the account deletion feature in your settings or contact us at thesynesthesianetwork@gmail.com. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.
12. Disclaimers
- The Platform is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.
- We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content on the Platform.
- We do not guarantee that the Platform will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.
- We are not a medical, therapeutic, or diagnostic service. The Platform does not provide medical advice.
13. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, TheSynesthesiaNetwork.com and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Platform, including but not limited to any harm resulting from research participation facilitated through the Platform.
14. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless TheSynesthesiaNetwork.com and its operators from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the Platform, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third-party rights.
15. Modifications to the Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify users of material changes by posting a notice on the Platform. Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
16. Termination
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms. You may terminate your account at any time by deleting it through your account settings.
17. Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles.
18. Dispute Resolution
Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Platform shall first be addressed through good-faith negotiation. If unresolved, disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, conducted in California.
19. Contact Us
If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at:
Email: thesynesthesianetwork@gmail.com
Website: TheSynesthesiaNetwork.com