Welcome to the ThinkingWithPortals Community Forums
Welcome to the ThinkingWithPortals discussion boards. These rules exist to keep the forum friendly, useful, and enjoyable for everyone. Please read them carefully before posting.
Community Guidelines
- Be respectful. Treat all users with courtesy. Personal disputes should be handled privately, not on public boards.
- Post meaningful content. Avoid low-effort posts such as memes, images without context, or content that does not contribute to discussion.
- No spam or advertising. Repetitive posting, self-promotion, and referral or signup links are considered spam.
- Give constructive criticism. Be fair and thoughtful when offering feedback, and be open to receiving it.
- Use spoiler tags. Always censor spoilers, even for older games or well-known content.
- English only. Please make a reasonable effort to post in English.
- No NSFW or NSFL content. Pornographic, gory, or otherwise inappropriate material is strictly prohibited.
- Do not backseat moderate. If someone is breaking the rules, report the post and let moderators handle it.
- Ask good questions. Do some research first and provide clear, detailed information.
- Give good answers. Be patient and aim to be helpful and accurate.
- Zero tolerance for hate. Racism, homophobia, transphobia, or similar behavior will result in an immediate ban.
Signature Rules
- Maximum image size: 500×100 pixels
- Maximum total height (text + image): 100 pixels
- Text-only signatures should be no more than 4–5 lines
Signatures that exceed these limits will be permanently removed.
Posting and Content Rules
- Links that require users to sign up, click referral links, or visit personal promotion pages are not allowed.
- First offense: warning
- Second offense: ban
- Do not post links to illegal content, including warez, pirated software, or torrents.
- Discussion that promotes piracy or software theft may result in thread removal and user bans.
Spam, Bots, and Reporting
- If you see spam or bot posts, do not reply.
- Use the Report Post button to notify moderators.
- You may include a message when reporting to provide context.
- Abuse of the report system will result in a warning.
The forum follows a three-strike policy:
- Each warning counts as a strike.
- Upon receiving a warning, you will be notified of the reason.
- If you believe a warning was issued in error, discuss it privately with a moderator.
Using Spoilers
Because ThinkingWithPortals focuses on Portal and Portal 2, spoilers are common but must be handled carefully.
- Always use spoiler tags when discussing story content.
- This applies to single-player content, custom maps, and narrative elements.
- Do not assume everyone has already experienced the content.
Using the Search Feature
Before posting a question, use the site Search feature, or check the official Valve Developer Wiki for existing documentation or answers.
Many common questions have already been answered. If you cannot find what you need after searching, feel free to start a new thread.
If you have questions about these rules, contact a forum moderator or post in the General Discussion board.
Thank you for being part of the ThinkingWithPortals community.
