PLEASE READ: Forum rules (updated January 7th, 2012)

[Tom Chick]

Welcome to Quarter to Three! We're a mostly laid back place, but we do have rules. They are as follows:

* You must be 18 or older. Or you must at least successfully pretend to be 18 or older.

* Don't be too much of a jerk. Think of the other people in a thread as if they were in the same room with you.

* Don't drag in your baggage from another thread. This can be a tough balancing act, because how we interact is often related to what we know about each other. But dragging down a discussion with an argument you're hashing out elsewhere or that you had six months ago isn't welcome. If you're going to hold grudges, learn to have a polite discussion with someone you might dislike. See the previous rule.

* The politics and religion subforum gets a little extra leeway than the other sections of the forum. It's naturally a place where you can expect more impassioned rough-and-tumble conversations. Please don't abuse that leeway and, more importantly, please leave P&R in P&R if you can't be good-natured about your disagreements. See the previous rule.

* Do not post disturbing images or text. If you want to share something that might be construed as disturbing, link to it instead and provide a warning about what you're linking. Also, don't treat the forum like a boys' locker room. Although this is an adult forum, it's also a forum that people would like to be able to browse from work, or with their families in the same room, or with some reasonable assurance that they're not going to be suddenly confronted with something gross, disturbing, or inappropriate for viewing in public.

* Do not disclose personal information about another poster without his or her permission. That includes using names, photographs, job histories, and so forth. That said, keep in mind that the internet isn't what it once was. Sometimes the toothpaste is out of the tube.

* Use one account. An alternate account is only allowed if you have a good reason for needing multiple accounts. If that's the case, let me know and I'll make an allowance for you. If you're unhappy with your account name, I'm always open to changing it. But please don't post from multiple accounts.

* The forum will use an infraction system -- expect it to be in place by mid-January -- to help remind folks when they're doing something inappropriate. If you accumulate too many infractions, you're in danger of being permanently banned. Note this won't preclude me asking you to chill out or closing your account if I feel things aren't working out. This infraction system will just be one aspect of how the forum is moderated. It won't be the only aspect.

Here are some of the infractions, which will be accompanied by a temporary ban:

1) "Inappropriate image or text". See above.
2) "Disproportionate response during argument". Sometimes arguments escalate. That's fair. But please avoid scorched earth escalations. The nuclear option is never the right option.
3) "Incompetent trolling". This is a tough one. Very subjective, I know. Trolling means different things to different people, so you can't very well prohibit it. If you're going to willfully troll, either be creative or don't bother. Preferably the latter, but this is the internet.
4) "Dragging baggage into unrelated discussion". See above.

* I need your help. The forum has a "report post" button to the left of every post. It is not there so you can downvote a post. It is there so you can let me know if someone is violating the rules or generally messing up the forum. Also, if you want to use the "report post" button, make sure your account is associated with a valid email address, as I may email you a response regarding the reported post.

* Here is a link to a database of gamertags, Steam IDs, and so forth for various forum members. If you're looking for folks to play with, we're a pretty friendly bunch. You can add your own name as well.

* PM me or email me at [email protected] if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions. My virtual door is always open. Furthermore, we're always looking for guests for the weekly Quarter to Three games podcast. If you'd like to join us for a very low-key, low-pressure, hang-out-and-talk-about-videogames podcast, contact me and I'll happily add you to the schedule.

-Tom