House rules & privacy

Borrowing a game

• We lend because we love sharing games. It’s all just neighbors sharing, so there’s never any pressure on either side. If the timing doesn’t work out, that’s completely okay.
• One game at a time, for about a week. No due-date stress and no late fees. Near the end we’ll check in, and if you’d like it longer, just ask.
• Enjoy it like it’s your own. Keeping the pieces together, away from drinks and curious pets, and back in its box keeps it ready for the next neighbor.
• Accidents happen. If a piece goes missing or something gets bent, just let us know when you bring it back so the next player knows. No fines, no fuss.
• Pickups and returns are at Pantry Hour: Saturdays, 11am–noon at Marina Library. One set time each week keeps things simple for everyone. Once you request a game, we’ll message you with the Pantry Hour it’ll be ready, usually the next one if it’s on the shelf. Can’t make it? Let us know and we’ll figure something out.

Who’s free & game plans

• Neighbors plan their own games. Who’s free is a friendly place to find other players. Each game is arranged between the players themselves, so please look out for one another.
• Start somewhere public. The library or a café is a great first spot. Share home addresses privately, once you feel comfortable.
• Be kind, especially to new players. Everyone was new once.
• Post times you can make. If plans change, just update or remove your entry so no one’s left waiting.

For everyone

• Sign-ups are for grown-ups (18+). That covers borrowing, posting times, offering to teach, and signing up to learn. Kids are always welcome at the table with their grown-ups.
• Come as yourself. Use your first name, or the name neighbors know you by, and keep things honest and friendly.
• Help keep it cozy. Spam and unkind posts get tidied away so the site stays welcoming for everyone.
• “Up for grabs” games come as they are. Take a good look before you take one home.
• Game info and covers come from BoardGameGeek and the publishers, and rulebook and video links go to their sites. Thanks to them!

Privacy

The short version: no accounts, no ads, and no following you around the web. We never sell your info, and it only goes where it’s needed to make the site work. Here are the details.

What we keep

• When you borrow: your name or Nextdoor handle, how to reach you, and any note you add. Only we see your contact details. We also get a copy of each request by email so none slip through the cracks.
• On Who’s free: the name you choose, how you’re connected, your times, and the games you’d like to play. All of this is public on that page. How to reach you stays hidden until a visitor taps “Show contact,” so anyone using the page can see it that way. Share only the contact details you’re comfortable with.
• Game plans (game, time, place, note) are public so people can join.
• “I can teach this” shows only the name you enter.
• “I’d like to learn this”: your name, which only counts toward the number shown, and an optional contact only we see. The contact is removed after 6 months.
• Teach session sign-ups: your name shows on that session so the teacher knows who’s coming. An optional contact is seen only by us and is removed after 6 months.
• Tip jar: what you write, which page you sent it from and, if you add them, your name and a way to reply (removed after 6 months). Only we see them.
• Visitor counts: the site counts how many times pages and games are viewed, and where visits come from (like “from Nextdoor”). These are just totals, kept on this site, with no names, internet addresses or tracking cookies. They just help us see which games people are curious about.
• Spam protection: to keep spam out, the site stores a scrambled code made from your internet address. It can’t be turned back into the address, and it’s only used to block repeat spam.

What we don’t collect

• No sign-up, passwords, or home addresses.
• No Google Analytics, ad trackers, or social media pixels. The only cookie is a temporary one that keeps forms secure. It holds nothing about you and goes away when you close your browser.
• Your browser remembers your own entries (like your private request link) on that device only. Clearing your browser data removes it.

How long we keep it

• Who’s free entries: names, contact details and notes are removed automatically after 8 weeks. Only anonymous counts stay.
• Borrowing: contact details and notes are removed automatically 6 months after a loan or request is closed. We keep your name and which games you borrowed, so we remember who’s who.
• Visitor counts are kept by day for 90 days, then combined into monthly totals.
• Backups of the site are kept for up to 2 weeks, then replaced.

Your choices

• Remove yourself from Who’s free anytime with the Remove me button.
• Cancel a borrow request from its private link. Lost the link, or switched phones? Just ask and we’ll help.
• Want everything about you removed sooner? Contact us and we’ll take care of it within a week.

The site is hosted by Hostinger. Some box covers load straight from BoardGameGeek, which can see that a visitor loaded the image, just as with any website.