Commenting & Posting Policy

IRCNA Commenting & Posting Policy: Comprehensive Governance Document

Effective Date: June 27, 2026

1. Purpose, Scope, and Intent

This Commenting & Posting Policy (“Policy”) serves as the formal framework governing all user-initiated interactions on IRCNA (Independent Reporting and Community Networking in Armenia). This Policy applies to all comment threads, forum-style discussions, user-submitted articles, and any interactive features hosted on the IRCNA platform. By engaging with these features, users acknowledge that they are entering a governed digital space and agree to be bound by these terms in full.

2. User Conduct and Prohibited Content

IRCNA operates as a neutral, civic-focused, non-partisan hub. All users are expected to maintain professional standards. The following activities are strictly prohibited:

  • Political and Partisan Activity: IRCNA is an independent platform. Any content, including comments or articles, that functions as political campaigning, electoral advocacy, the promotion of political parties, or partisan ideological proselytizing, is prohibited.
  • Hate Speech and Harassment: Content that promotes violence, incites hatred, or discriminates against individuals or protected groups based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic is strictly forbidden.
  • Ad Hominem Attacks: Debate must remain focused on the merit of ideas. Targeted harassment, personal insults, bullying, cyber-stalking, or any communication intended to demean a specific person, whether a public figure or a private user, is prohibited.
  • Obscene and Explicit Material: Content that is profane, vulgar, sexually explicit, or otherwise grossly offensive to community standards will be removed.
  • Spam and Unauthorized Commercialization: IRCNA is a non-commercial, community-first space. Users may not post unsolicited advertisements, promotional links, commercial offers, or “spam” (defined as repetitive, irrelevant, or disruptive content).
  • Impersonation and Privacy Violations: Impersonating another person or entity is strictly prohibited. The disclosure of an individual’s private or sensitive information (“doxxing”) without their explicit, verifiable consent is a violation of these terms and constitutes grounds for permanent expulsion.
  • Illegal Acts: Content that encourages, promotes, or instructs on how to engage in illegal activities under the laws of the Republic of Armenia or international legal standards is strictly prohibited.

3. Rights, Moderation, and Enforcement

IRCNA maintains full editorial control and discretion over all user-submitted material.

  • Editorial Authority: IRCNA reserves the right, but is under no obligation, to review, edit, redact, reformat, or remove any comment or User-Generated Content (UGC) at any time and for any reason, without notice.
  • Moderation Protocols: IRCNA utilizes a combination of pre-moderation (reviewing before publishing) and post-moderation (reviewing after publishing). The administration determines the moderation level for any given thread.
  • Disciplinary Actions: Violations of this Policy may result in, at the sole discretion of the IRCNA founder, one or more of the following: (a) a formal warning; (b) the immediate deletion of content; (c) a temporary suspension of posting privileges; (d) permanent termination of the user’s account.
  • Reporting Mechanism: Users are encouraged to act as community monitors. Suspected violations of this Policy should be reported immediately to: Mikael.Yamiosei@gmail.com.

4. Intellectual Property and Content Licensing

  • User Ownership: Users retain the copyright to content they create and post.
  • License Grant: By submitting content to IRCNA, the user grants IRCNA a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, and irrevocable license to host, store, display, reproduce, modify, translate, and distribute said content in any media now known or hereafter developed, including for promotional purposes.

5. Disclaimers, Liability, and Precedence

  • Non-Endorsement: The opinions expressed by users are their own and do not necessarily represent the views, official stances, or values of IRCNA.
  • Limitation of Liability: IRCNA assumes no responsibility for the accuracy, reliability, or legality of any content submitted by users. IRCNA expressly disclaims all liability for any damages (direct, indirect, consequential, or punitive) arising from the use of, or reliance upon, user-generated content, including defamatory or illegal material.
  • Conflict of Law: This Policy is subordinate to any formal, signed Partnership Agreement or Memorandum of Understanding. In the event of an inconsistency between this Policy and a specific signed contract, the terms of the signed contract shall take precedence.

6. Policy Updates and Acceptance

IRCNA reserves the right to modify this Policy at any time. Updates take effect immediately upon posting to this page. Continued use of the IRCNA website or any subscriber features constitutes formal acceptance of the updated Policy. Users are encouraged to review this page regularly.