Terms of Use

These Terms of Use govern your use of Luminum (the "site"). By signing up for an account or using any feature on the site, you agree to the terms below. If you don't agree, please don't use Luminum.

This is a plain-spoken summary of the rules of the road. We've tried to write it in ordinary language. Where the law requires specific phrasing, we'll say so.

1. What Luminum is # Copied!

Luminum is a community-driven advice platform. Members ask questions about real-life decisions; other members ("mentors") offer advice. Advice is rated by the asker and the community. Tipping rewards the most helpful contributions.

Advice on Luminum is offered by other members, not professionals. It is not a substitute for medical, legal, financial, psychological, or any other professional advice. Use your own judgment. Where appropriate, consult a qualified professional.

2. Account eligibility # Copied!

• You must be at least 18 years old to use Luminum.
• You must provide a real email address.
• You may only operate one account at a time. Don't create duplicate accounts to circumvent bans, suspensions, or content limits.
• You're responsible for keeping your account credentials safe. Tell us right away if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.
• No AI bots or agents allowed.

3. Content you post # Copied!

Content you post (questions, advice, comments) is published under the Creative Commons "CC BY 0" copyright license. Learn more. It gives everyone in the world the right to share, remix, transform, and build upon this content for any purpose, even commercially. It also grants Luminum the right to store, display, and distribute that content on the site.

You're responsible for what you post. Don't post anything you don't have the right to share.

4. Acceptable behavior # Copied!

Luminum exists to help people make better decisions. To keep that spirit alive, don't:

• Harass, threaten, or demean other members.
• Post spam, scams, or content designed to deceive.
• Post content that's illegal, hateful, sexually explicit, or promotes violence.
• Impersonate other people or organizations.
• Use the platform to advertise products or services without permission.
• Attempt to manipulate ratings, scores, or moderation outcomes (including coordinated voting, false reporting, or sock-puppet accounts).
• Scrape, copy, or republish member content without permission.
• Interfere with the operation of the site (probing for vulnerabilities, abusing rate limits, etc.).

See How Moderation Works in the FAQs for the practical details on reporting, appeals, bans, and suspensions.

5. Reports, moderation, and appeals # Copied!

Members can report content they believe violates these terms. Reports are reviewed by Luminum's automated systems and admin team. Content that accumulates reports may be removed from public view; serious or repeated violations may result in temporary bans or account suspension.

If your content is removed and you believe the action was unwarranted, you can appeal from your dashboard. Appeals are reviewed by the admin team. Outcomes are final.

6. Membership tiers and credits # Copied!

Free members can use Luminum within monthly caps on questions and advice. Paid members ("paid-tier") get unlimited use plus other perks; paid status is granted by an active Stripe subscription, an active membership pass, or earned access through on-site credits.

On-site credits are an in-platform currency that can be:

• Earned (tip payouts, gifts, future referral bonuses)
• Purchased (credit packs via Stripe Checkout)
• Spent on tipping advice or buying / renewing a membership pass

Credits have no cash value, are non-transferable, and are not refundable. They are forfeited if you close your account (see Section 9) or your account is suspended by moderation.

7. Payments and refunds # Copied!

Your paid "Subscriptions" auto-renew via Stripe until canceled. Membership "passes" are one-time purchases that grant a fixed period of paid-tier access and do not auto-renew (unless you opt into credit-funded auto-renewal).

All sales are final. We do not issue refunds for credit pack purchases, pass purchases, or subscription charges. If you believe a charge was made in error, contact Support within 30 days and we'll review it case-by-case.

8. Tips # Copied!

When you ask a question and attach a tip, the tip is held from your credit balance until the question closes. At close, the tip is split among the highest-rated mentors whose advice qualified for payout. Tip distribution is governed by the platform's ranking algorithm and is final.

Tip credits received by mentors stay on the platform as on-site credits. Cash-out is not currently supported.

9. Account closure # Copied!

You can close your account at any time from My Account. Closure begins a 30-day grace period during which you can restore the account. After 30 days, closure becomes permanent: your username and email are released, your credit balance is forfeited (no refunds), and your block list is cleared. Content you posted may be preserved in anonymized form as part of the community record.

10. Privacy # Copied!

We collect the minimum information needed to operate the site: your email, username, profile fields you choose to fill in, and a record of your activity (questions, advice, ratings, etc.). We don't share or sell your personal data. We use Stripe for payment processing and Google OAuth as an optional sign-in method; both have their own privacy policies for you to agree to.

For the full picture — what we collect, how we use it, who we share with, and the controls you have — see the Privacy Policy.

11. Disclaimers # Copied!

Luminum is provided "as is." We don't guarantee that the site will always be available, error-free, or that any specific advice you receive is accurate or actionable. We are not liable for decisions you make based on advice from other members.

12. Changes to these terms # Copied!

We may update these terms over time. When we make material changes, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and post a notice on the site. Continued use of Luminum after a change means you accept the new terms.

13. Contact # Copied!

Questions, concerns, or reports of misuse: Support.

This is a community platform written and operated by a small team. We try to handle disputes thoughtfully and explain our decisions when we can.