Terms of Service

Last updated: May 5, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you and DONUM APOLLINIS, LLC d/b/a Pholk.io ("Pholk," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing or using the Pholk.io platform (the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms. The most important practical document is the Community Guidelines — these terms cover the legal foundation underneath them.

1. What Pholk is

Pholk.io is a hyperlocal community platform operated from Portland, Oregon, USA.

2. Your account

You must be at least 16 years old to create an account. If you are under 18, you may use the Service only with permission from a parent or legal guardian, and by using the Service you represent that you have that permission. Pholk does not currently collect verifiable parental consent. To access content marked as Not Safe For Work (NSFW), you must be at least 18 years old and affirmatively verify your age.
One account per person. We may suspend or terminate duplicate accounts.
You're responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
Don't share your login credentials. You must immediately notify us of any unauthorized use of your account.

3. Direct Messages

Direct messages are provided for user-to-user communication. You may not use direct messages to harass, threaten, evade moderation, send unlawful content, or violate these Terms or the Community Guidelines.

4. Acceptable use

See the Community Guidelines, which are incorporated herein by reference. Violations may result in content removal, Phorum bans, or site-wide suspension. We retain the right to take action when we believe the spirit of the guidelines is being violated even if no specific clause is named. Pholk assumes no liability for user-generated content and has no obligation to monitor the Service.

5. Content ownership and license

You own what you post. By posting on Pholk, you grant Pholk a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to display, distribute, modify, adapt, and back up your content as needed to operate and improve the platform.

When you delete content or your account, the license ends — though backup retention may persist for up to 90 days for legal, operational, or archival purposes.

6. Termination

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate the Community Guidelines, especially for zero-tolerance offenses (doxxing, threats, harassment campaigns, sexual content involving minors). We reserve the right to terminate or suspend your access to the Service at our sole discretion, without notice, for any reason. You may delete your account at any time by emailing phil@pholk.io.

7. Copyright Infringement (DMCA)

We respect the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe your copyright has been infringed, please send a notice to our designated agent at phil@pholk.io including: (a) a description of the copyrighted work; (b) the location of the infringing material; (c) your contact information; and (d) a statement under penalty of perjury that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner. We may remove allegedly infringing content and terminate repeat infringers where appropriate. Users who believe their content was removed in error may contact us at phil@pholk.io to submit a counter-notice.

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

Pholk is provided "as-is" and "as available." We don't guarantee uptime, accuracy of user-generated content, the conduct of other users, or any specific outcome. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. Use your judgment, especially when meeting people offline that you've only interacted with online.

9. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Pholk, its affiliates, and its members shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the platform. In no event shall our total aggregate liability exceed the greater of one hundred U.S. dollars ($100.00) or the amount you paid us in the past twelve months.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Pholk and its affiliates, members, and agents from any claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including attorneys' fees) arising out of your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

11. Governing law and Dispute Resolution

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Oregon, USA, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Any disputes will be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts of Multnomah County, Oregon, and you consent to personal jurisdiction in such courts.

12. General Provisions

Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms will otherwise remain in full force and effect and enforceable.

Waiver: Our failure to enforce any part of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of our right to later enforce that or any other part of these Terms.

Entire Agreement: These Terms, including the Community Guidelines, constitute the entire agreement between you and Pholk concerning the Service and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications.

Assignment: You may not assign these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction.

Headings: The section headings in these Terms are for convenience only and have no legal or contractual effect.

13. Changes to these terms

We'll announce material changes to these terms before they take effect, either via the site or by email. Continued use after the effective date counts as acceptance.

14. Contact

Questions, legal notices, or concerns: phil@pholk.io

Questions? phil@pholk.io