Terms of Service

Because (app.philmaps.com) · Effective August 24, 2026

The service

Because is a free web-based editor for argument maps (.mup files), operated by Disagree Wisely, Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit. By using the app you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the app.

Your content

The argument maps you create are yours. The app stores them where you choose — on your device or in your own Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive — and we claim no ownership of, license to, or access to them. Because the app runs entirely in your browser, your content does not pass through any server of ours.

Your responsibilities

• Use the app only in ways that are lawful and that do not disrupt the service or its hosting.
• You are responsible for keeping copies of work that matters to you. Use File > Save (or one of the cloud integrations) rather than relying on the browser's crash-recovery autosave.
• If you use the Google Drive integration, your use of Drive remains governed by Google's Terms of Service; if you use the OneDrive integration, your use of OneDrive remains governed by Microsoft's Services Agreement or your organisation's own agreement with Microsoft.

Availability and changes

The app is provided free of charge. We may change, suspend, or discontinue it, in whole or in part, at any time. Because your files are stored on your device or in your own Drive or OneDrive, discontinuation of the app would not affect your access to your own files, and the .mup format is plain JSON readable by other MindMup-compatible tools.

Disclaimer of warranty

The app is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Disagree Wisely, Inc. and its officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data or work, arising out of or relating to your use of the app.

Open-source components

The app itself is open source under the MIT license: github.com/symonh/because. Its rendering engine is mindmup/mapjs, also used under the MIT license; the other bundled libraries are MIT and the two bundled fonts are under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. Full notices are in THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md.

Changes to these terms

We may revise these terms by updating this page and its effective date. Continued use of the app after a change constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

Contact

Questions about these terms: info@disagreewisely.org.