What is BearSpotting?

On consent

Brian knows this site exists, has seen what’s on it, and has asked for it to keep existing. That’s the whole premise — this only works because it’s affectionate, not invasive. If that ever stops being true, the site stops existing. Anyone submitting a photo is asked to confirm they have permission to share it; submissions without that confirmation aren’t accepted.

Community guidelines

• Spot, don’t chase. Submit photos from sightings that happen naturally. Don’t follow, corner, or stake out anyone to get a shot.
• Keep it kind. The tone here is dry and affectionate, never mocking, humiliating, or cruel. Captions that cross that line get rejected.
• Nothing sensitive. No medical situations, family matters, or anything Brian wouldn’t want documented — even as a joke.
• Broad locations only. “Office” or “Airport,” never an address. We don’t publish precise locations, and we strip location data from every photo automatically.
• Photos you have the right to share. Take it yourself, or have clear permission from whoever did.

Privacy, in plain language

• Every photo is stripped of EXIF and GPS metadata before it’s ever displayed — automatically, no exceptions.
• Nothing goes public without a person reviewing it first. There’s no such thing as an automatically-published sighting.
• The “Bear Activity Meter” and status messages (“currently roaming,” etc.) are just for fun, generated from how many past sightings were posted recently — never a real-time signal of where anyone actually is.
• Brian (or a moderator, on his behalf) can remove any post, instantly, for any reason — no explanation required.
• If it’s ever needed, the site has a “Hibernation Mode” that immediately pauses new submissions and hides recent activity, no questions asked.

Something wrong with a post?

Every sighting has a “Report this sighting” link on its page. Use it — reports go straight to the field team and posts can be pulled immediately.