1. No Institutional Affiliation

Zilker Network is an independent, student-operated platform. Zilker Network is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, funded by, approved by, or in any way officially connected to the University of Texas at Austin, Austin Community College, the University of Texas System, or any of their respective departments, offices, administrators, faculty, staff, or representatives. Use of institutional email domains for account verification does not create or imply any institutional affiliation or approval. No institution named herein has reviewed, approved, or takes any responsibility for the Platform, its content, or its operations.

2. Section 230 Safe Harbor — No Liability for User Content

Zilker Network is an "interactive computer service" as defined under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, 47 U.S.C. § 230 ("CDA"). Under federal law, Zilker Network is not the publisher or speaker of any user-generated content and shall not be treated as such. We do not create, author, edit, review, approve, verify, endorse, or control user-generated content, and we expressly disclaim all liability for any such content, including content that is defamatory, false, inaccurate, offensive, illegal, harmful, or otherwise objectionable. Users are solely and exclusively responsible for content they post. This disclaimer applies to all forums, posts, comments, messages, profiles, and any other user-submitted material on the Platform.

3. No Liability for User Conduct or Off-Platform Actions

Zilker Network acts solely as a neutral technological intermediary. We are not responsible for and expressly disclaim all liability for any actions, conduct, communications, agreements, transactions, collaborations, or interactions between users, whether occurring on or off the Platform. This includes but is not limited to physical meetings, financial arrangements, employment relationships, academic partnerships, and any harm, injury, loss, or damage — physical, financial, emotional, reputational, or otherwise — arising from such interactions. You assume full and sole responsibility for all interactions with other users.

4. Not for Academic Dishonesty — No Liability for Consequences

Zilker Network is designed exclusively to support legitimate student networking, project collaboration, and skill-sharing. The Platform expressly prohibits any form of academic dishonesty, including contract cheating, assignment sharing for submission, exam assistance, and essay mills. Users found to engage in academic dishonesty will be permanently removed. Zilker Network expressly disclaims all liability for any academic consequences, including but not limited to failing grades, academic probation, suspension, expulsion, degree revocation, or harm to academic or professional reputation, arising from any user's conduct on or off the Platform, whether or not that conduct was facilitated through the Platform.

5. No Professional Advice of Any Kind

Nothing on the Platform constitutes, or should be construed as, legal, financial, medical, psychological, career, academic, or professional advice of any kind. Content shared by users is for general informational and collaborative purposes only. Zilker Network expressly disclaims all liability for any action taken or not taken in reliance on content posted on the Platform. Always consult a qualified, licensed professional for advice specific to your situation. No user-to-user interaction on the Platform creates any professional, fiduciary, or advisory relationship.

6. No Guarantee of Identity, Credentials, or User Representations

Zilker Network does not verify, authenticate, or vouch for the identity, credentials, skills, experience, qualifications, enrollment status, or any other representation made by any user. While we verify that users hold an active institutional email address at registration, this verification is limited and does not confirm any other fact about a user. Any user may misrepresent themselves. You are solely responsible for exercising your own independent judgment when interacting with other users. Zilker Network expressly disclaims all liability for any loss, harm, or damage arising from reliance on any user's representations.

7. No Guarantee of Results or Opportunities

Zilker Network makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding any outcomes, employment opportunities, academic benefits, project successes, financial gains, collaborations, or results of any kind that may or may not arise from use of the Platform. Any reliance on information, connections, or opportunities presented through the Platform is entirely at your own risk. Past results, if any, are not indicative of future outcomes.

8. No Professional Advice

Nothing on the Platform constitutes legal, financial, medical, or professional advice of any kind. Content shared by users is for general informational and collaborative purposes only. Always consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation.

9. Third-Party Links and Integrations

The Platform may display, link to, or integrate with third-party websites, services, or content. Zilker Network has no control over and assumes no responsibility for the content, accuracy, privacy practices, security, availability, or legality of any third-party site or service. Inclusion of any link or integration does not imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation. Access to any third-party site or service is entirely at your own risk and subject to that party's own terms and policies.

10. Platform Availability and Data Integrity

Zilker Network makes no warranty, express or implied, that the Platform will be continuously available, free from errors, secure, or free from interruption. The Platform may be taken offline for maintenance, updates, security incidents, or any other reason at any time without notice. Zilker Network shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or inconvenience arising from interruptions in service, data loss, data corruption, or permanent discontinuation of the Platform. You are solely responsible for maintaining backups of your own content.

11. Security and Data Incidents

Despite our efforts to maintain reasonable security practices, no system is perfectly secure. Zilker Network expressly disclaims all liability for any unauthorized access to, disclosure of, modification of, or destruction of your data resulting from security incidents, cyberattacks, hacking, third-party infrastructure failures, or any other cause. You acknowledge and accept that your use of the Platform and submission of any personal information carries inherent security risks that cannot be eliminated.

12. Comprehensive Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ZILKER NETWORK, ITS FOUNDERS, CONTRIBUTORS, OPERATORS, VOLUNTEERS, AND AFFILIATES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OF ANY KIND — INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF GOODWILL, PERSONAL INJURY, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, HARM TO REPUTATION, ACADEMIC CONSEQUENCES, OR ANY OTHER TANGIBLE OR INTANGIBLE LOSS — ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO: (A) YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PLATFORM; (B) ANY USER-GENERATED CONTENT; (C) ANY INTERACTION WITH ANOTHER USER ON OR OFF THE PLATFORM; (D) ANY SECURITY INCIDENT OR DATA BREACH; (E) ANY PLATFORM DOWNTIME OR DATA LOSS; OR (F) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE PLATFORM, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES WERE FORESEEABLE AND REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY (CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, STATUTE, OR OTHERWISE). THIS LIMITATION APPLIES EVEN IF ZILKER NETWORK HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. BECAUSE THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE, OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY AND ALL CLAIMS SHALL NOT EXCEED ZERO DOLLARS ($0.00 USD).

13. Indemnification

By using the Platform, you agree to fully indemnify, defend (at our option), and hold harmless Zilker Network and its founders, contributors, operators, volunteers, and affiliates from and against any and all third-party claims, demands, actions, proceedings, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to: (a) your use of or access to the Platform; (b) your violation of this Disclaimer, our Terms of Service, or our Privacy Policy; (c) your violation of any applicable law or regulation; (d) any content you submit to the Platform; (e) any misrepresentation you make; or (f) any dispute between you and another user. This obligation survives any termination of your account or these terms.

14. Force Majeure

Zilker Network shall not be liable for any failure or delay in the provision of the Platform arising from events beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, government action, pandemics, epidemics, civil unrest, cyberattacks, infrastructure failures attributable to third-party providers, internet outages, power grid failures, or any other Force Majeure Event. The occurrence of such an event excuses performance for its duration and a reasonable period thereafter.

15. No Employment, Partnership, or Agency Relationship

Nothing in this Disclaimer, the Terms of Service, or any aspect of your use of the Platform shall be construed to create any employment, agency, partnership, joint venture, franchise, or fiduciary relationship between you and Zilker Network. You are an independent user of the Platform, not an agent, employee, or representative of Zilker Network in any capacity.

16. Intellectual Property

The Zilker Network name, logo, visual design, and original platform source code are the proprietary intellectual property of Zilker Network. You may not reproduce, redistribute, reverse engineer, copy, or create derivative works from any Platform materials without our prior express written permission. User-posted content remains the intellectual property of the respective user, subject to the license granted in our Terms of Service.

17. Severability

If any provision of this Disclaimer is determined by a court or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or severed entirely if modification is not possible, without affecting the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions.

18. No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of this Disclaimer shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision. Any waiver of any right or provision must be in writing and signed by an authorized representative of Zilker Network to be effective.

19. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

This Disclaimer is governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Subject to the mandatory arbitration provisions in our Terms of Service, any dispute arising from this Disclaimer shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts of Travis County, Texas, and you consent to personal jurisdiction in such courts.

20. Changes to This Disclaimer

We reserve the right to update this Disclaimer at any time. Your continued use of the Platform following any update constitutes acceptance of the revised Disclaimer. It is your responsibility to review this page periodically.

21. Contact

For legal inquiries, contact [email protected].