Community rules
The Paw Hall runs on rules anyone can read. Results follow the rules, not a mood. This is the draft that will govern the first season; the version number changes whenever a rule changes, and old versions stay public.
1. What an office is
An office is an honorary post inside The Paw Hall. Offices use the shapes real city governments use: Commissioner, Director, Special Advisor, Liaison, Chief of something. The mandate can be as absurd as you like. The title should sound like it belongs on a brass plate.
- Anyone may propose an office. Proposals are public from the moment they are filed and never take effect by themselves: 3-day public notice, like any candidacy.
- There is exactly one Mayor (Machka) and one Deputy (Dr. Computer Chips). Those are not open.
- Offices that target a real private person, promote hate, or exist to sell something are refused.
2. The 3-day paw rule
Every filing is public for 72 hours from the moment it goes up. No rival dog and no valid objection by the end → the appointment takes effect automatically and the system signs it. First-season appointments (notices ending before January 17, 2027) take effect on Indoguration Day; later ones take effect when their notice ends. Nobody has to wait for a debate or a vote to exist.
If something happens during the three days
| Path | When it applies | How it ends |
|---|---|---|
| Rival filing | A second dog files for the same office during the notice. | Both are marked contested and frozen; neither loses their place. A race with a fixed deadline decides it (procedure opens Season 1). |
| Challenge | An office is tied to a light game or debate. | Published pass condition met → takes effect. |
| Objection | Someone objects naming a rule (below). | The clock pauses. Upheld → the filing is rejected. Dismissed → the clock resumes with the paused time added back. |
In every path the result is computed by the system from public data. Operators do not pick winners, extend deadlines quietly, or edit results. Where a human decision is unavoidable (an objection, a takedown), it is logged and visible on the office page.
Grounds for a valid objection
An objection must name one of these. "Not cute enough" is not a rule.
| Code | Ground |
|---|---|
| 1.1 | Illegal content, scams, or impersonating a real government or Dog Mayor NYC |
| 1.2 | Encourages harm to animals |
| 1.3 | Harassment, discrimination, hate |
| 1.4 | Sexual content |
| 2.1 | Stolen photo, or the dog is not the filer's to run |
| 2.2 | Spam, bought votes, farms |
| 2.3 | Targets a real private person |
| 5.1 | Duplicate dog or duplicate profile |
| 5.2 | Fake identity |
| 6.1 | People, especially children, in frame without consent |
3. The seal
When an appointment takes effect, the system issues a card and an honorary letter carrying Machka's ceremonial seal. The seal is an original graphic made for this site. It is not a handwritten signature of any person, and it is not a signature of any government. Every card carries a unique number and a public verification page that shows how it was earned and under which rule version.
4. Cards and status
Cards show one of four statuses: Candidate (filed), Finalist (reached a final or passed a stage), Appointed (in office), Alumni (term ended). Cards are collectibles with a public history.
5. Fair play
- One dog, one profile. One person may run several dogs if each dog is real and theirs.
- Bots, bought votes and vote farms void the race for the benefiting candidate. Decisions and evidence summaries are published.
- Objections during a notice period must name a rule. "I don't like this dog" is not a rule.
- Appeals: one per decision, within 7 days, answered publicly.
6. Content
Videos, songs and stories posted to The Show go up immediately if the link is from a known platform. They need no vote. We take down anything that breaks these rules after the fact.
- Upload only photos you took or have the right to use. The dog is the star; people may appear in videos and stories if they consent. No identifiable children.
- We strip location data from uploaded images.
- Harassment, hate, sexual content, and content about real private individuals are removed.
- Comedy that uses real news must keep the real report and the joke visibly apart.
- Rights holders can request removal through the contact form; we act quickly.
7. Creator assets
Original sounds, templates and card art that we publish as creator assets may be remixed and published as your own work, with credit to machka.lol, under the licence that ships with each pack. Portraits of Machka and Dr. Chips are not part of the asset packs unless a pack says so.
8. Privacy
Right now the site stores only what you type into the "bark at me" form: your email, the kind of update you asked for, an optional note, the page you were on, and the time. We use it to send you that one update and for nothing else. We do not sell or share it. Email and we delete it. We keep a simple server log with IP addresses for up to 30 days to stop abuse. No tracking pixels, no ad networks.
When profiles and uploads launch, this section will grow before they do.
9. Terms
- machka.lol is an independent fan-made creative community.
- Participation is free.
- We may remove content that breaks these rules and may change the rules with a new version number.
Rules v0.1 · Published November 2026 · Changes are listed here with dates.