← Back

Terms of Service

Last updated: DRAFT — pending lawyer review before launch

1. Who we are

Stringer is a publication operated by Stringer Media Inc. (a Delaware C-Corporation; "Stringer", "we", "us", "our"). Our mailing address and contact email are provided on the homepage and at max@joinstringer.com.

2. Acceptance of these terms

By accessing or using joinstringer.com (the "Service"), joining the waitlist, subscribing to a paid plan, or applying to write, you agree to these Terms of Service ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service. If you are under 18, you must have your parent or legal guardian's permission to use the Service and to enter into these Terms.

To submit a writer application, you must be at least 18 years old, currently or recently enrolled at an accredited post-secondary institution, and warrant compliance with any non-disclosure or intellectual-property obligations imposed by your current or recent employer (see Writer Agreement).

4. Subscriptions and billing

Stringer offers a free tier and paid subscription plans (collectively, "Subscriptions"). Pricing as of the date of these Terms is published on the Pricing section of the homepage and may be updated by us; existing subscribers will be given at least 30 days notice before any price increase applies to their renewal.

  • Auto-renewal. Paid Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period (monthly or annual) unless cancelled at least 24 hours before renewal.
  • Cancellation. You may cancel any Subscription at any time from your account settings or by emailing max@joinstringer.com. On cancellation, you retain access through the end of the current billing period.
  • Refunds. Annual Subscriptions are refundable on a pro-rated basis within 30 days of first purchase or first renewal. Monthly Subscriptions are non-refundable past 7 days from charge.
  • Founding Reader rate. The first 1,000 readers to join the waitlist before launch are eligible for a permanent annual rate of $69/year ("Founding Reader Rate"). This rate is locked for the duration of continuous Subscription. If a Founding Reader cancels and re-subscribes later, standard pricing applies to the new Subscription.
  • Payment processing. Payments are processed by Stripe, Inc. By subscribing, you also agree to Stripe's terms and conditions.

5. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

  • Scrape, copy, redistribute, or republish journals or any content from the Service without express written permission.
  • Use the Service to train any machine-learning model or generate derivative works without a separate licensing agreement.
  • Share your account credentials with anyone else.
  • Reverse-engineer or attempt to access non-public portions of the Service.
  • Use the Service in violation of any applicable law.
  • Harass, threaten, or impersonate any writer, reader, or Stringer staff.

We may suspend or terminate any account that violates this section, with or without notice, at our discretion.

6. Content disclaimers

Journals published on Stringer are first-person opinion and experience accounts by named writers. They do not represent the views of Stringer Media Inc., the writer's employer, or any other third party. Stringer makes no warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any purpose of any journal or content on the Service.

Journals are not legal, financial, career, or medical advice. Readers should not rely on journal content as such and should consult qualified professionals for advice in those domains.

7. Intellectual property

Stringer's name, logo, design, and proprietary technology are owned by Stringer Media Inc. Journals are owned by their writers and licensed to Stringer for publication, distribution, and inclusion in aggregate datasets per our Writer Agreement.

Subscribers may read and personally save journals for non-commercial use only. Re-publication, mirroring, translation, or commercial use of journal content requires a separate license.

8. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Stringer Media Inc. and its directors, officers, employees, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service. Our total liability to you for any claim arising under or related to these Terms will not exceed the greater of $100 USD or the amount you paid us in the 12 months immediately preceding the event giving rise to liability.

9. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Stringer Media Inc. and its representatives from any claim, damage, loss, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your violation of these Terms, your misuse of the Service, or your infringement of any third-party rights.

10. Modifications to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent change. Material changes will be notified via email to active subscribers at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

11. Governing law and dispute resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, USA, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will be resolved by binding arbitration in Delaware, USA, under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except that you may bring small-claims actions in your home jurisdiction. Class actions and class arbitrations are waived to the extent permitted by law.

12. Contact

Questions, complaints, or legal notices: max@joinstringer.com (or, for legal-specific items, legal@joinstringer.com once that mailbox is active).