Terms of Use
Our attempt at a "Cory Doctorow-approved" terms of service built on agency, transparency, and the rejection of enshittification.
Last Hardened: February 7, 2026
The Golden Rule
TL;DR:
We provide the tools, you provide the talent. Don't be a jerk, and we won't treat you like a product.
These Terms are not a trap. They are a mutual agreement between peers. By using w3Develops, you agree to respect the community and the platform, and we agree to respect your rights as an individual.
1. The Right to Interoperate
TL;DR:
You have the right to build tools that interact with your data. We won't sue you for being creative with how you use the site.
We reject the use of the DMCA or "Computer Fraud and Abuse" laws to prevent **Adversarial Interoperability**. You have the right to build alternative clients, bots, or scrapers to interact with your own data or public community data, provided they do not disrupt the service for others. We will never use legal threats to stop you from building tools that help you leave or improve your experience.
2. User Content & Ownership
TL;DR:
Your code is yours. We only ask for the minimum permission needed to show it to the community.
You retain full ownership of the code, text, and projects you submit. When you post content, you grant us a non-exclusive license to display it on the platform. We encourage you to use **Open Source** or **Creative Commons** licenses for your work, ensuring that the community can learn from and build upon your contributions.
3. No Forced Arbitration
TL;DR:
If we have a legal dispute, you keep your right to go to a real court. No secret private "arbitration" here.
Many platforms use "Forced Arbitration" to strip users of their day in court. We find this practice abhorrent. If a legal dispute arises that cannot be settled through a simple conversation, you retain the right to resolve it in a court of law or participate in a class-action lawsuit.
4. Freedom to Leave
TL;DR:
We won't hold your data hostage. You can export your info and delete your account at any time.
Platform lock-in is a form of digital serfdom. We commit to **Data Portability**. You can export your data and delete your account whenever you choose. We will not create "roach motels" where it's easy to check in but impossible to leave.
5. Community Integrity
The only way this works is if we treat each other with respect. Harassment, spam, and malicious disruption are the only things that will get you shown the door.
Questions or concerns? reach out: legal@w3develops.org