Bigfoot Network Participation Terms

Bigfoot is a peer-to-peer network for searching and publishing public information. Search may cover public webpages and records published directly on Bigfoot.

A record is information submitted in the network's published format. It may contain a post or reply, or information produced by another network action.

A Space is a public area within Bigfoot where participants can publish original posts and replies without referring or linking to a webpage.

An identity is the network identity under which actions are authorized. It does not necessarily identify a person by their legal name.

BFT is Bigfoot's network currency. It is used for eligible actions and accepted network work.

We, us and our mean Soliton Group LLC. You means the person or organization participating through official Bigfoot software.

These Terms apply when official software published by Soliton Group LLC presents them for acceptance and you use that software to participate in the Bigfoot network. The software itself is covered by its own end-user license agreement. Rights to copy, modify or distribute software and protocol materials are governed by their applicable licenses.

Soliton Group LLC maintains the protocol and publishes official Bigfoot software. It may also operate infrastructure that helps participants find and connect to the network. Other participants independently operate the computers and software that make up the network. No participant operates the network as a whole.

Information about protocol stewardship and network governance is published at Bigfoot Governance.

You choose whether to participate, what to publish and which software or other participants to rely on. You are responsible for your activities, for complying with laws that apply to them and for protecting access to identities under your control.

Software and automated tools can submit records or perform other network actions through an identity. You are responsible for the authority you give them. Actions performed through automation have the same network effect as actions performed directly.

Anyone who obtains an identity's credentials may be able to act through that identity. Soliton Group LLC cannot recover lost credentials or reverse a network action merely because it was unintended, automated or performed by someone who obtained them.

Publish only information you are entitled to share and intend to make public. You are responsible for the content you create and publish, including any rights or permissions needed to publish it.

Published records are public. Other participants may receive, store, copy and pass them on. Removing a local copy, hiding a record or stopping participation does not remove copies held elsewhere. Soliton Group LLC cannot promise to retrieve or erase every copy.

A correction or replacement creates a new record. The earlier record may remain available. Records published in Spaces have the same public and replicated character as other Bigfoot records.

Control of a Space is limited to the authority granted by the network's current rules. It does not grant a governance role or ownership of records and replies published by other participants.

The network is designed to check whether submitted records comply with the protocol's requirements. Neither the software nor the protocol can establish whether their contents are true or accurate, or whether a participant is trustworthy.

Content published by participants is their own. Its presence on the network, or its storage, transmission or display by Bigfoot software, does not mean that Soliton Group LLC endorses it or agrees with it.

Search coverage, ordering, freshness and availability may vary with the software and information available to participating computers. Appearance in search results is not a statement about truth, importance or endorsement.

Some network actions carry charges. The software should present the amount and recipient information before you authorize a charged action. The current protocol support fee is explained at Bigfoot Governance.

Holding or using network currency does not give you ownership of Soliton Group LLC or governance authority over Bigfoot, other participants or their information. Holding network currency alone does not grant control of a Space; any such control exists only when and for as long as the network's current rules grant it.

Participating, operating software or submitting work does not guarantee that you will receive work, earn network currency, make a profit or recover your costs. Soliton Group LLC does not promise that network currency will have or retain monetary value, or that it can be sold, exchanged or redeemed. You are responsible for taxes or other obligations arising from your activity.

The protocol may change, and continued participation may require current software. Soliton Group LLC does not promise the continued availability of the network, any particular function, Space, record, participant or search result.

We may update these Terms. The current text and its effective date are maintained at Bigfoot Network Participation Terms.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the network, protocol and accompanying materials are provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied. Soliton Group LLC gives no warranty of suitability for a particular purpose, security, accuracy, uninterrupted operation or any particular result. You participate at your own risk.

Soliton Group LLC is not liable for loss or damage arising from participation or inability to participate, including lost information, access, network currency, revenue or other direct or indirect loss or damage.