Community Posting Guidelines

Welcome

NamasteJAX welcomes everyone in the Greater Jacksonville, Saint Augustine, and Saint Johns area — whether you are part of the Indian diaspora or simply a neighbor who wants to connect, support local businesses, and enjoy community events.

Think of it as a neighborhood notice board — welcoming, helpful, respectful, and community-focused.

Important Reminder About Moderation

Content on NamasteJAX is created by users. Admin review is a basic content screening to check for obviously offensive, inappropriate, or prohibited material. It is not an investigation, verification, guarantee, endorsement, or certification of any listing or submission.

Please use caution when meeting others, arranging transactions, hiring providers, renting housing, or acting on information shared through the site.

1. What You Can Post

We encourage content that genuinely helps the local community, including:

local events, cultural programs, and community celebrations

items for sale or wanted

housing and roommate listings that follow Fair Housing rules

jobs, tutoring, classes, and community resources

small business and professional services, including wellness, yoga, meditation, and holistic health (subject to Section 6 below)

carpooling, childcare, eldercare, and pet care services

Places of Worship listings for temples, churches, mosques, synagogues, meditation centers, and other communal prayer spaces

community announcements, local updates, and informative articles

testimonials based on real experiences with NamasteJAX

If it benefits local families, neighbors, and businesses, it probably belongs here.

2. What Is Not Allowed

To keep the platform safe, useful, and legally sound, the following are not permitted:

illegal goods or services, stolen property, drugs or controlled substances, weapons, dangerous items, explosives, or fireworks

adult, sexual, pornographic, or escort-related material

harassment, threats, hate speech, discriminatory content, stalking, intimidation, or abusive language targeting any individual or group

impersonation of any person, business, organization, or authority; malicious accusations; defamation; rumors presented as fact; or publishing private information about another person without their permission (doxxing)

fake listings, scams, advance-fee fraud, pyramid schemes, multi-level marketing recruitment posts, misleading offers, counterfeit goods, or deceptive business claims

automated postings, spam, duplicate submissions, excessive cross-posting, or irrelevant promotions

political campaigning, electioneering, or divisive ideological content that does not fit the local community purpose of the platform

medical, legal, financial, immigration, or other professional claims presented in a misleading way or without the qualifications you actually hold

unsubstantiated health claims, miracle cure claims, or therapeutic promises not supported by credible evidence — see Section 6 for wellness-specific rules

content that infringes another person's copyright, trademark, logo, photo rights, or other intellectual property rights — see the DMCA Takedown Procedure in the Terms of Service if you believe your intellectual property has been infringed

attempts to harvest contact information, mass-message users, or push users into unsafe or hard-to-trace payment methods such as gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency without a clear legitimate purpose

AI-generated or synthetic content submitted as if it were original human-created content, or AI-generated images presented as real photographs of a business, property, or event — see Section 5 for details

content that violates COPPA by targeting or collecting information from children under 13

3. Housing and Fair Housing Compliance

Housing and roommate listings must comply with the federal Fair Housing Act, the Florida Fair Housing Act, and applicable local fair housing laws and ordinances. We do not allow housing listings that express a preference, limitation, or exclusion based on a protected characteristic, including race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Examples of prohibited housing language include any language that excludes or prefers people based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, familial status, disability, or other protected characteristics.

Examples of generally acceptable preferences include: non-smoking preferred; quiet or professional environment; pet-free home.

Even where narrow exemptions may exist under federal or Florida law for certain owner-occupied properties or small buildings, NamasteJAX reserves the right to decline any housing listing that it determines, in its sole discretion, uses exclusionary, discriminatory, or otherwise inappropriate language.

Accommodation listings may be reviewed before publication for obvious compliance issues. This is a limited content review only and does not mean NamasteJAX verifies the accuracy, legality, fairness, safety, or completeness of any housing listing.

4. Articles and Testimonials

Community Articles

Articles must be constructive, community-relevant, and respectful.

Articles must not exceed 1,500 words.

Article content must not include defamation, personal accusations, unverified allegations, political campaigning, medical misinformation, or harassment.

Document uploads (DOCX, PDF, RTF, ZIP, etc.) are not supported for article submissions.

Article images must be inserted inline through the site editor and must be JPG or PNG only.

AI-generated articles must be disclosed as AI-assisted. Articles that are entirely AI-generated with no meaningful human editorial contribution may be declined at Admin discretion.

Testimonials

Testimonials must reflect a real, personal experience with NamasteJAX.

Anonymous testimonials are not accepted.

First name and city are shown publicly after approval. Email is collected for moderation and follow-up only and is never shown publicly.

Testimonial text is limited to 500 characters.

Submitting a false, fabricated, or misleading testimonial may result in removal and account action.

5. AI-Generated Content Policy

NamasteJAX recognizes that AI tools are increasingly used in content creation. The following rules apply to all submissions:

AI-generated listing text is permitted provided the content is accurate, does not make misleading claims, and complies with all other Guidelines. You remain fully responsible for the accuracy of AI-generated content you submit.

AI-generated images may not be submitted in place of real photographs of a business, product, property, event, or person. AI images used as decorative or illustrative graphics are permissible only if they are clearly non-deceptive and comply with all image rules.

AI-generated articles must be disclosed as AI-assisted in the submission. Articles that are entirely AI-generated with no meaningful human editorial contribution may be declined.

AI-generated content that fabricates reviews, fake business details, false credentials, or misleading endorsements is strictly prohibited and constitutes a serious violation.

NamasteJAX reserves the right to decline or remove content it reasonably believes was generated by AI in a deceptive or misleading manner.

6. Wellness, Spiritual, and Health Services

NamasteJAX is proud to serve a community that values yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, holistic health, spiritual guidance, and similar wellness practices. Listings in these categories are welcome but must follow these additional rules:

Do not claim to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, illness, or medical condition unless you hold the relevant state-recognized medical license and are providing a legitimate medical service. This applies to listings for energy healing, herbal remedies, Ayurvedic treatments, spiritual counseling, and similar services.

Do not misrepresent your training, certifications, or professional credentials. If you list a certification (e.g., Yoga Alliance RYT-200, Reiki Master, Board-Certified Nutritionist), you must actually hold it.

Do not make promises of guaranteed outcomes, miraculous results, or cures for physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual conditions.

Do not discourage users from seeking conventional medical or mental health treatment.

Clearly identify whether your service is spiritual, wellness-oriented, or culturally traditional in nature, as distinct from licensed medical or clinical care.

Pricing, session details, and descriptions must be accurate and not misleading.

NamasteJAX does not verify credentials, certifications, or claims made by wellness practitioners. Users are responsible for independently verifying any service provider before engaging their services.

7. Business and Advertiser Rules

Businesses are welcome on NamasteJAX, but must follow these rules:

Describe your services truthfully, clearly, and without exaggeration.

Do not claim licenses, certifications, insurance coverage, credentials, or endorsements that you do not actually hold.

If your business or service is subject to state or local licensing requirements (e.g., contractors, real estate agents, healthcare providers, financial advisors), you must hold the required license and must not misrepresent your licensed status.

If your business makes claims in advertising (e.g., "#1 in Jacksonville", "best-rated", "as seen on"), those claims must be truthful and verifiable.

If you are compensated or have a material connection to a product or service you discuss in a listing or article, FTC guidelines require you to disclose that relationship clearly. Undisclosed paid endorsements are prohibited.

Respect competitors. Do not make false or misleading statements about competing businesses.

Each paid section placement is a separate posting and separate purchase. Buying one section does not grant placement in another section.

NamasteJAX may limit repetitive promotions, excessive posting volume, misleading pricing, placeholder listings, or listings that provide too little useful information to be helpful.

Paid placement does not guarantee approval, top placement outside the platform's defined display logic, search prominence, business results, or immunity from moderation.

8. Posting Best Practices

Please help keep the site clean and useful:

be honest and accurate in all listings and descriptions

use clear, descriptive titles and complete descriptions

include real prices when applicable; avoid vague pricing like "call for price" where a price range is possible

post in the correct category or section

upload only content you have the legal right to use, including photos, logos, and text

keep language respectful and protect other people's privacy

do not include sensitive personal information unless it is necessary and you are comfortable making it permanently public

do not use the site as a lead list, mailing list, or data-harvesting tool

you are solely responsible for ensuring your content complies with all applicable laws, including advertising law, fair housing law, consumer protection law, and professional licensing requirements

9. Image Rules

To maintain site quality, security, and a good user experience, follow these image rules:

standard free postings (Classifieds, Events, Entertainment, Places of Worship): 4 images maximum

paid listings (Local Businesses, Professional Services, Food and Catering, Wedding Services): 7 images maximum

Real Estate Listings and Featured Business: 7 images maximum

community articles: inline images only through the site editor

maximum file size: 5 MB per image

allowed formats: JPG and PNG only

images must be relevant to the listing and comply with all content rules

you must have the legal right to use any image you upload

AI-generated images may not be submitted as real photographs of a business, product, property, event, or person — see Section 5

10. Listing Duration and Expiration

standard free postings become active after Admin approval and expire 60 days later

events stop appearing once the event end date and time have passed

Places of Worship listings do not expire automatically

paid listings are one-time purchases only; recurring subscriptions and auto-renew are not supported

paid terms may be one month, one quarter, six months, or one year depending on the selected purchase; the paid term begins on the Admin approval date, not the purchase date

expired content is removed from public view, soft-deleted by the site's scheduled cleanup process, and permanently purged after six months

11. Moderation, Enforcement, and Appeals

To protect the community and the platform, NamasteJAX may approve, place on hold, choose not to publish, edit for housekeeping, remove, reclassify, limit, or delete content that does not meet these Guidelines, the Terms of Service, applicable law, or the operational needs of the site.

Previously approved free posts that are later edited are sent back for review before they appear publicly again. Paid postings may not be edited by the user after approval; if changes are needed, a new paid posting must be created.

Repeated or serious violations may lead to content removal, account restrictions, suspension, permanent bans, or referral to law enforcement where appropriate. NamasteJAX may cooperate with law enforcement and share information when required by law or reasonably necessary to protect safety, rights, or the platform.

Moderation Appeals. If you believe content was removed or an account action was taken in error, you may contact NamasteJAX using the Contact Us page and explain your concern. NamasteJAX will review appeals in good faith but retains sole discretion over all final moderation decisions. Submitting an appeal does not guarantee reinstatement of content or account access.

12. Safety Reminders

NamasteJAX is a community directory. All transactions are solely between users. NamasteJAX does not guarantee, verify, or endorse any listing, user, or transaction. For your protection:

meet in public places for in-person transactions whenever possible

verify the identity, credentials, and legitimacy of buyers, sellers, landlords, and service providers before committing to any transaction

be cautious of any request for payment by wire transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency, money orders, or other hard-to-trace methods — these are common fraud tactics

never send a deposit or full payment for housing you have not personally verified exists and is actually available for rent or sale

be alert to rental fraud — if a listing price seems too low or a landlord is "abroad" and wants payment before you can view the property, treat it as a red flag

be alert to romance scams and identity-based manipulation — users who quickly develop a personal relationship and then request money or financial assistance should be treated with extreme caution

never share your bank account, routing number, Social Security number, or government ID with someone you met on NamasteJAX unless you have independently verified their identity and legitimacy

trust your instincts — if something feels unsafe or too good to be true, walk away

13. Questions and Reporting Problems

If you see something wrong, use the Report Abuse button where available, use the site's feedback or incorrect-content form, or use the Contact Us page.

We review reports as quickly as practical. NamasteJAX does not guarantee action on any specific schedule and retains sole discretion over what action, if any, is appropriate in response to any report.

NamasteJAX will not disclose the identity of a person who submits a report or abuse complaint to the subject of that complaint, except as required by law.

14. Age Requirement

You must be 18 years or older to create an account and submit listings, events, articles, testimonials, or advertisements on NamasteJAX.

Parents or legal guardians may create an account and post on behalf of minors where appropriate, but the account must be held by an adult. The adult account holder is fully responsible for all content submitted under their account.

NamasteJAX is not directed to children under 13 and does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. See the Privacy Policy for more information.

15. Your Responsibility for Legal Compliance

You are solely responsible for ensuring that all content you submit to NamasteJAX complies with applicable federal, state, and local law, including but not limited to: consumer protection and advertising law; fair housing law; professional licensing requirements; FTC advertising disclosure guidelines; copyright and trademark law; and any laws specific to your industry or profession.

NamasteJAX's review or approval of your content does not constitute a legal opinion, endorsement, or confirmation that your content is lawful. NamasteJAX may remove or refuse content that it reasonably believes violates applicable law, even if it has previously been approved.

A Note From NamasteJAX

NamasteJAX is a community space built for everyone in the Greater Jacksonville, Saint Augustine, and Saint Johns area.

Be kind. Be honest. Help each other.

If you are unsure whether something is appropriate, it is usually best not to post it. When in doubt, please use the Contact Us page for guidance before submitting.