How we look after each other.

1. Who this is for

The Community Trade is for ordinary people in Australia who want to swap skills, time, tools, and goods with their neighbours. Not as a business. Not as a side hustle. As a network of trust that grows over time.

If you're here because you want to give and receive at a human scale, you're in the right place. If you're here to sell something at a profit, recruit for an MLM, run ads disguised as listings, or extract value from people, you're not.

2. What's welcome

• Genuine swaps. Your skill, time, or thing for someone else's. No money changing hands.
• Reasonable asks. If you need help, ask for help. You don't need to apologise for needing things.
• Reasonable offers. If you have something to share, share it. You don't need to be qualified to be useful.
• Honest descriptions. If your trailer has a dodgy left indicator, say so. If your sourdough starter is six months old and reliable, say that too.
• Public coordination. All conversations happen in the comment threads on listings. Visible to everyone. This is for everyone's safety, including yours.
• Discretion when it matters. Sensitive trades (e.g. help with a sensitive form, sitting with someone unwell) can still be coordinated publicly without sharing private details.
• Saying no. Not every swap has to happen. "No thanks" is a complete answer. So is "not this time."
• Saying thanks. When something works, say so. The next person reading will know it's a real network.

3. What's not

• Paid services in disguise. If you're running a business, run it through normal channels. This isn't an ads platform.
• MLM, recruiting, prosperity sales. No "join my team," no "let me show you how to make $$$ from home," no chain offers.
• Scams, fake listings, phishing. Removed immediately. Accounts banned.
• Misrepresentation. Pretending to have skills or qualifications you don't have. Pretending to be someone you're not.
• Harassment of any kind. Including racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, religious vilification, harassment based on appearance or class. Removed.
• Threats or doxxing. Sharing someone's address, workplace, or details without consent. Removed and reported if necessary.
• Content that endangers people. Instructions for hurting yourself or others. Endorsing harm. Removed.
• Sexually explicit content. Not the platform.
• Political recruiting or campaigning. Discussing the systems we navigate is welcome. Recruiting people into political organisations or campaigns is not.
• Selling people's data or contact details. Obvious, but stated.

4. Keeping yourself and others safe

Most trades go well. A few don't. These are the habits of people who keep themselves and others safe.

• Meet in public for first exchanges. A cafe, a library carpark, a community centre. Save someone's home for after trust is built.
• Bring someone if you feel uncertain. A friend, a family member, a neighbour. "I'll bring my brother" is a complete sentence.
• You decide what to share, and when. Phone number, email, address. Nobody is entitled to your personal details. You set the pace.
• Trust grows in small steps. A first swap. A second. A favour returned. Nothing has to be big to be real.
• Children, vulnerable adults, and money. Anything involving these deserves slower trust and a witness. Working with Children Checks are not formally required here but they're sensible if children are involved.
• Trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is. You owe no one an explanation for walking away.
• Money is not the medium here. If someone tries to turn a swap into a cash transaction, that's a red flag. Walk away and report it.

5. When things go wrong

Between members

Most disagreements between two members are between those members. We don't arbitrate "you said you'd bring two dozen eggs and you only brought one." But if something has gone badly wrong, here's the path:

• Talk first, where possible. Try to resolve it directly. Misunderstandings happen.
• Step back if you can't. You don't have to engage. You can leave the trade unfinished and move on.
• Tell the host if you can't move on. If a member acted in bad faith, treated you badly, or broke these guidelines, report it.

How to report

• Use the report link on any listing or comment (coming when the platform goes live).
• Or email hello@rootsgrowinthedark.org with the listing or member name and what happened.
• Reports are read by the host (Kayla) and acted on. You'll get a reply.
• Reports can be anonymous. If you want a reply, give us a way to reach you.

What happens after a report

• Clear rule break: the content or account is removed. No appeal needed.
• Less clear: we'll look at it, talk to people involved where relevant, and make a call. Sometimes that's a warning. Sometimes a removal. Sometimes nothing, with an explanation.
• Criminal behaviour: we'll cooperate with police. Your safety comes first.
• Repeated bad behaviour: permanent removal. We don't owe anyone unlimited chances.

6. How moderation works

This is a small project. Moderation is done by the host (currently Kayla). That means:

• New members get their first listing reviewed before it goes live. Usually within 24 hours. Once trusted, posts publish immediately.
• The host can remove anything that breaks the guidelines. Listings, comments, accounts. The decision is the host's. There's no automated appeals process, but you can always email and explain.
• The host can edit listings for safety reasons (e.g. if a member has accidentally included personal details that put them at risk).
• Decisions aim to be fair, not perfect. If a decision feels wrong, say so. The host reads every email.
• Bad-faith complaints (e.g. mass-reporting someone you disagree with) will be ignored. Real harms will be acted on.

7. Money, fees, and what you pay

• Browsing is free. Always.
• Posting or commenting costs $2 once. Not a subscription. Not annual. One time, ever.
• The $2 is a spam filter and helps cover hosting. Not a profit centre.
• If $2 is a real obstacle, email hello@rootsgrowinthedark.org. We'd rather you in than out.
• No subscriptions, no algorithms, no advertising, no data sales. Ever.
• The trade itself is not for money. Members swap directly with each other. Cash should not change hands within trades. If someone tries to introduce money, that's a violation.

8. Privacy

• We store what we need to run the platform. Your name, email, phone (for verification), state, and your listings/comments.
• We do not share your details with anyone. Not advertisers, not data brokers, not third parties.
• You decide what's public on your profile. Your display name and the listings you choose to post. Your phone and email stay private.
• Coordination is public. Comments on listings are visible to anyone browsing. That's a safety feature, not a bug.
• You can leave at any time. Email and we'll remove your account and your listings.
• Police requests are taken seriously, but we will only share information where legally required.

9. Changes to these guidelines

These guidelines will change as the community grows and as we learn what works and what doesn't. When something material changes, we'll say so on the Community page and email members. The point of the rules is to keep the community good for the people who want to be in it. If a rule isn't doing that, we'll fix it.

10. Who to talk to

For anything: hello@rootsgrowinthedark.org.

Reports, complaints, suggestions, ideas for the platform, "I think rule 3 is wrong because" — all welcome. The host reads everything.