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Community

Our community guidelines

In The Loop works because people trust it. These guidelines are how we keep it kind, fair and useful for everyone.

Be yourself, honestly

  • Only show work that's yours, or that you have permission to share — and credit collaborators.
  • Describe your skills, prices and lead times accurately.
  • Don't impersonate anyone or claim qualifications, awards or partnerships you don't have.

Post fair opportunities

  • Paid opportunity: commercial work shows a budget, deliverables, timing and rights—or an honest explanation of why the price is negotiable.
  • No speculative work. Don't ask for free samples, unpaid pitches or “trial” pieces for commercial projects.
  • Skill swap: state the skill, time or service each person exchanges. It cannot be a one-sided request for free labour.
  • Community collaboration: explain the shared purpose, credit, ownership, costs and any future income.
  • Volunteering: identify the organisation, expenses and flexibility. A volunteer must be free to say no or stop; calling a role voluntary does not remove minimum-wage rights where the real relationship is work.
  • Don't offer “exposure” as payment.
  • Reply to applicants, even if it's a no.

Be kind and professional

  • No harassment, discrimination, hate or abuse — on the platform or in conversations that start here.
  • No spam, pyramid schemes or unrelated sales messages.
  • Respect people's time, their boundaries and their “no”.

Keep the Common Room useful

  • Talk like you would in a welcoming shared studio: informal is good; cruel, sexual, threatening or deliberately disruptive is not.
  • Do not share somebody else's private information, messages or photographs without permission.
  • Use the Opportunities board for paid work and formal briefs, Borrow & Share for equipment and materials, and Project Rooms when an idea becomes an organised collaboration.
  • Report anything worrying rather than escalating it publicly. Moderators may slow, hide or remove conversations where needed.

Keep each other safe

Agree the details of work in writing before you start. Never share bank details in a public listing, and be wary of anyone who asks you to pay to receive work. Read our safety tips.

Share only suitable items

Borrow & Share is for approved creative equipment, event kit, props and materials. Do not list vehicles, passenger transport, hazardous substances, weapons, medical or safety-critical equipment, childcare, or anything you do not have permission to share. Use the sharing checklist before handover.

What happens if guidelines are broken

We review reports and may relabel or remove content, hide a profile, message or opportunity, limit features or suspend an account. Serious or repeated misuse can lead to a permanent ban. We'll explain significant decisions where it is safe and lawful to do so, and you can ask us to look again.

Community guidelines · In The Loop Creative