These rules are disclosed to clarify the various responsibilities of all community members here on PinWiki. They shall be adhered to by everyone to ensure that our board runs smoothly and provides a fun and productive experience for all of our community members and visitors.

1. Firstly, welcome to the PinWiki forums. While each point made below is important, we want to sum up a few key points.
   
   - All information here comes with no promises, guarantees, etc. If you follow advice from here you are assuming all liability and are responsible for anything that may happen. If your machine catches fire from following someone's suggestion, know that you willingly made the choice to follow such suggestions. Everything here is presented "as-is" which means the information could be outright wrong, processes could have changed, etc. Simply put, we are not liable for any damages.
   
   - We are an all ages community, keep it friendly. A discussion is great, a flame war is not. Pinball is a hobby of many opinions and you won't always agree with each other, but being civil is not hard. #

2. Personal Conduct

   1. Attacks/Flaming/Etc.: This should go without saying, however there is no tolerance for attacking or flaming other members. The purpose of the forums is to encourage members to engage in constructive discussions of various topics. Flaming and attacking members for any reason is not constructive. #
   2. Politics and Religion: It does not matter if it is a pinball section or an off topic section, politics and religion are strictly forbidden to be discussed. Pinball is not inherently seeded in politics or religion so it should come as no problem to avoid discussing these topics. #
   3. Adult Content: As has been stated, PinWiki is available worldwide and to an all ages audience. With that said, there is no need for any adult content on a pinball website. The only exception to this rule would be if it is directly pinball related. A "nude calendar with models on pinball machines" is not going to be allowed, however things like Stern's Playboy pinball machine contains potential nudity in the artwork, and would be allowed to be discussed in a productive manner. In these exceptions please mark the topic of the thread as [NSFW]. #
   4. Profanity: Profanity is deemed not necessary when communicating with others. If it can't be spoken on US broadcast television, then assume its not acceptable to be spoken on here. #
   5. Illegal Activity: PinWiki is hosted on servers located in the USA. This means that we are to follow their laws. Be especially mindful of this when sharing copyrighted materials (i.e. make sure you have the right to do so) such as (but not limited to) art or ROM files. #
   6. Self Representation: The PinWiki forums offer a voice for people to speak their minds. With that said, posts, information, pictures, etc. come from individuals who have signed up for the forums, and are not necessarily the opinions and views of PinWiki itself. Members are forbidden from knowingly spreading misinformation. This includes (but is not limited to) false rumors about the industry, misleading/bad repair information, and the discrediting of others. #

3. Forum Etiquette

   1. Common Sense: Above all else, use your common sense judgement. If you have to hesitate and wonder if you should post something, then it is very likely you should NOT post said item. We are trying to promote a healthy community, free of toxic drama. #
   2. Constructive Criticism: In an effort to discourage bickering, we expect members to focus their efforts toward constructive criticism rather than just "complaining". Pinball caters to a wide variety of tastes, and not everything is universal. Just because you do not see the appeal of a certain title does not immediately make it a bad title. Please see further examples below of what we are and are not looking for.
      
      - Say you are reading a thread discussing playfield imperfections on new in box games. Replying to the thread with pictures of your own playfield would be considered productive. Simply commenting saying "Wow I'd never spend money on a NIB game with the quality these days" or "Well manufacturer X doesn't have that same problem as manufacturer Y, spend your money elsewhere" does not provide constructive help. There is a distinct difference in making potential buyers aware of issues they may come to see with their purchase vs. just trash talking.
      
      - Someone is cleaning their game and decides to use a water-based cleaner on the playfield. Constructive criticism would be to reply "I personally recommend against using such a cleaner as you are shortening the life of the playfield.". Saying "You are ruining your game you idiot" is not constructive. At the end of the day it's not your game, it is their game, and they can do as they see fit. #
   3. Advertising: We recognize that members here can potentially be creating/selling products that fit within the realm of pinball. While we do want to support those people, it has to be done within reason. Creating a new topic to show off your up and coming product is all well and good as long as it is put into the proper category. What is not fine is spamming others topics with your products. A simple "hey I make a product for what you are looking for, see here" is okay, but someone posting up about their recently purchased pinball should not then see an out of context reply along the lines of "Wow I like that game, you should buy my mod to make it that much better!". #
   4. Best Answer: Some categories such as our troubleshooting section allow the original poster to mark a "best answer". We ask that you please take advantage of this feature. Over time this will allow others who come across a similar issue to easily find what was determined to be the fix as a basis for them to start working on their own issue. If there is not one singular post that can be credited with the "best answer", we ask you do your best to write a reply of the multiple steps you have taken and to mark that as the best answer. This should be treated in a similar manner as to how a technician would close out a repair with a log book. #