Terms of Use

These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of Maps & Cards (also called the Scroll Map Builder) at this website (the “Service”). The Service is operated by Dan Pacheco (“we,” “us,” or “our”).

The Maps & Cards software is open source under the MIT License. That license applies to people who install or modify the software. These Terms apply to your use of this hosted instance of the Service.

By using the Service, you agree to these Terms.

Effective date: July 21, 2026

1. Who may use the Service

The Service is intended for educational and creative use—including K–12 students, college students, teachers, journalists, and the general public who want to create scroll-driven map stories.

If you are under 18, you may use the Service only with permission from your school, teacher, or parent/guardian, as required by applicable law and your institution.

You may use the Service in one of two ways:

• Guest Mode — use the builder without a password; drafts stay in your browser
• Full editor — enter the site password (when enabled) to create and save stories on this hosted instance

2. Guest Mode

If you use the Service in Guest Mode, you do so at your own risk.

• We do not save your guest stories or drafts to our servers.
• Work in progress is kept in your browser (for example, in localStorage) so you can continue editing on that device. That data stays on your device unless you choose to export it.
• You may export your work as a ZIP (“Export Local Site”) and host it yourself, on your own website or elsewhere.
• Exported stories that use online map tiles require a proper web server (HTTPS or local development server). Opening the HTML file by double-clicking it may not load maps.
• You are solely responsible for any content you create, export, or host outside the Service, and for complying with applicable law and your school’s or organization’s policies.

Guest Mode is for exploration and local creation. Do not rely on it for long-term storage of your work.

3. Full editor (password-protected saving)

When a site password is enabled, the full builder can save stories to this hosted instance (for example, in a database or on the server). Example stories listed on the home page may also be stored here so visitors can view them.

Keep the site password confidential. Do not share it beyond people who are authorized to edit stories on this instance.

Stories saved with the full editor may be viewable by anyone who can open this website, depending on how the instance is configured. Treat anything you save here as potentially public unless you have a private deployment.

4. Acceptable use

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes. You must not:

• Create or publish illegal, harassing, hateful, or sexually explicit content
• Attempt to bypass the password gate, access other people’s guest drafts on their devices, or disrupt the Service
• Abuse hosting, storage, or map/tile services used by the Service
• Share personal contact information of yourself or others in stories unless your school or organization allows it
• Use the Service in a way that violates your school’s or organization’s policies or applicable law

We may remove content or suspend access that violates these Terms or threatens the safety of users.

5. Your content

You retain ownership of map stories, text, annotations, and other materials you create (“User Content”).

By saving User Content with the full editor on this hosted instance, you grant us a limited license to host, store, back up, and display that content as needed to operate the Service (including showing example or published stories to visitors).

You are responsible for ensuring you have rights to any text, images, or other media you include, and for complying with the terms of third-party map and basemap providers (for example, OpenFreeMap, Carto, or Esri) when your stories load their tiles or styles.

6. Exports and third-party maps

The Service may let you export a standalone ZIP of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and story data so you can host the story elsewhere. Exported files and any hosting you choose are your responsibility.

Map display depends on third-party tile and style services. Those providers have their own terms and availability; we do not control them.

7. Disclaimers

The Service is provided “as is.” We do not guarantee uninterrupted availability, that maps will always load from third-party providers, or that the Service will meet every need.

8. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Dan Pacheco shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from use of the Service. Guest users acknowledge that they use the Service and any content they create or export at their own risk.

9. Changes

We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

10. Contact

Questions about these Terms should be directed to Dan Pacheco via danpacheco.com.

Template notice: Have qualified legal counsel review these Terms before production use.