Last updated: March 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of ThinkingWithPortals.com ("TWP", "we", "us", "the site"). By creating an account or using the site you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the site.

Terms of Service

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to register an account. By registering you represent that you meet this requirement. Users under 18 must have parental permission to use the site.

2. Account Responsibility

You are responsible for keeping your password secure and for all activity under your account. Do not share your account credentials. Notify us at [email protected] if you suspect unauthorised access.

3. Community Conduct

All members must treat others with respect. The following are prohibited:

• Harassment, threats, bullying, or personal attacks directed at other users
• Hate speech or content that discriminates based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality
• Impersonating other users, moderators, or staff
• Spamming, flooding threads, or posting off-topic commercial promotions
• Posting or linking to malware, phishing sites, or other harmful content

4. Content Policy

By posting content (forum posts, downloads, screenshots, comments) you confirm that you have the right to share it and that it complies with the following:

• No illegal content — do not post content that violates applicable law.
• No obscene material — no pornographic or excessively graphic content.
• Respect copyright — do not upload files, images, or text that you do not own or do not have permission to distribute. Portal 2 Workshop content must comply with Steam Subscriber Agreement and Valve's policies.
• DMCA / copyright complaints — if you believe content hosted on TWP infringes your copyright, please contact [email protected] with details of the infringement and we will investigate promptly.

5. User-Generated Content

You retain ownership of content you post. By submitting content to TWP, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to store, display, and distribute that content as part of operating the site. This licence ends when you delete your content or your account is removed.

6. Moderation and Enforcement

Moderators and administrators may remove or edit any content, issue warnings, or suspend or permanently ban accounts that violate these Terms, at our sole discretion. We are not obligated to provide advance notice before taking action.

7. Disclaimer of Warranties

TWP is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee that the site will be available at all times, error-free, or free of viruses. We are not responsible for user-generated content or for any damages arising from your use of the site.

8. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

9. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email us at [email protected].

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains what information TWP collects, how it is used, and your choices regarding that information.

1. Information We Collect

When you register:

• Username — publicly visible on all your posts and profile.
• Email address — used to verify your account and for password reset. Not publicly displayed.
• Password — stored as a secure hash; we never see your plaintext password.

Automatically when you use the site:

• IP address — logged with each page request. Used to track "users online" counts, prevent spam and abuse, and for security investigations.
• Browser user agent — used to distinguish human visitors from bots for online-user statistics.
• Cookies — see the Cookies section below.

Content you upload:

• Forum posts, attachments, download files, screenshots, and avatar images are stored on our server and associated with your account.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your account
• To send account-related emails (activation link, password reset)
• To display "users online" counts and community statistics
• To investigate abuse, spam, or violations of these Terms
• To operate and improve the site

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

3. Cookies

TWP uses the following cookies:

• Session cookie — stores your login state. Expires when you close the browser or log out.
• Activity tracking cookie — a random identifier assigned to every visitor (logged-in or not) to count online users. Contains no personal information. Expires after the session.
• Theme preference cookie — remembers your chosen site theme (Aperture, BTS, Signage). Persists across sessions.

No third-party advertising or analytics cookies are used. If you register via the registration form, Google reCAPTCHA v3 is loaded, which may set its own cookies in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy.

4. Data Retention

Your account data is retained as long as your account exists. If you wish to have your account and associated data removed, please contact [email protected]. Note that posts and uploads may be retained in anonymised form (attributed to a deleted account) to preserve forum continuity.

5. Security

Passwords are hashed and never stored in plaintext. We take reasonable precautions to protect your data, but no online service can guarantee absolute security. Use a strong, unique password for your account.

6. Children's Privacy

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has registered an account, please contact us and we will remove it.

7. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy. The "last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance.

8. Contact

Privacy questions? Contact us at [email protected].

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ThinkingWithPortals.com is not affiliated with Valve Corporation. Portal and Portal 2 are trademarks of Valve Corporation.