Community Guidelines

1. Respect for Nature and Collection Sites

Mineral collecting depends on the goodwill of nature, local communities, and landowners. Please keep the following in mind:

• Do not collect in national or quasi-national parks, designated natural monument sites, or other protected areas.
• On private land, riverbanks, harbor zones, and similar areas, follow the rules set by the owner, the local government, or relevant cooperatives.
• Do not take more than you need; leave samples for future collectors and for the ecosystem.
• Fill in any holes you dig, and carry out all trash. Leave the site cleaner than you found it.
• Do not post content that encourages access to dangerous cliffs, off-limits areas, or private property in ways that conflict with safety or the law.

2. Etiquette for Sharing Location Information

Location information is a meaningful part of a collecting record, but the way it is shared can lead to over-collection or environmental damage.

• Do not casually publish precise coordinates for rare minerals or for sites that risk attracting unsustainable crowds. We recommend keeping public references at the level of a region or general area (e.g., "a coast in X prefecture").
• Do not publish location information for private land or off-limits areas.
• Always choose for yourself whether to make location information public when posting.

3. About Posted Content

Posts should reflect your own experience.

• Post only photos that you took or specimens you collected. Do not repost others’ photos without permission.
• If a mineral name or locality is uncertain, use cautious phrasing such as "thought to be" or "under identification".
• When mixing raw finds, polished pieces, purchased specimens, or reference samples, make their origin clearly distinguishable.

4. Respect for Other Users

The community brings together people of many backgrounds, from first-time collectors to long-time enthusiasts.

• Offer identification feedback and advice politely and constructively.
• Do not look down on or mock beginners, children, or people whose interests differ from yours.
• Whether to share a collecting spot is the poster’s choice. Do not pressure others to disclose locations.
• Respect a variety of approaches to minerals — collection, polishing, jewelry, scientific study, and more.

5. Commerce and Promotion

The Service exists to record time spent with minerals. Commercial use is limited as follows:

• Do not use the Service for sales solicitation, brokering transactions, or price negotiations.
• Do not post content primarily aimed at affiliate links or driving traffic to external e-commerce.
• Sharing your own activities or pieces in moderation is welcome, but content judged to be overly promotional may be subject to action.

6. Privacy Considerations

Photos can unintentionally capture information about other people.

• Do not post images that identify other people’s faces, license plates, name plates, or homes. Use blurring or cropping as needed.
• When posting photos of children, obtain consent from a parent or guardian.

7. Respect for Intellectual Property

Do not repost photos or text from field guides, books, or other websites without permission. When quotation is necessary, cite the source and keep within the bounds of fair quotation.

8. Prohibited Posts and Behavior

Posts or behavior such as the following may be removed or restricted without notice, depending on severity:

• Posts that endorse or boast about illegal collection, looting, or collection in off-limits areas.
• Posts that encourage or normalize dangerous behavior (e.g., climbing cliffs, entering rivers during flooding).
• Posts describing intentional harm to plants or animals, or other actions that damage ecosystems.
• Discrimination, defamation, harassment, sexual or violent content, or other content contrary to public order.
• Intentionally spreading false information.

9. Reporting and Response

If you encounter content or behavior that violates these Guidelines or the Terms of Service, please use the in-app report function or contact contact@cobolabo.jp.

Reports are reviewed, and depending on the situation we may take actions such as those below. Minor issues typically begin with a warning; serious cases may be acted on immediately. If you disagree with our response or believe it was made in error, you may also submit an appeal through the same contact channel.

• Removing or hiding the post in question
• Issuing a warning to the poster
• Temporarily suspending the account
• Terminating the account or canceling registration

10. Status of These Guidelines

Legal rights and obligations are governed by the Terms of Service. These Community Guidelines build on that framework by outlining the conduct we ask Users to follow. They will be updated over time as the community grows.

Thank you for helping keep this a place where everyone can safely record their time with minerals.