In the spirit of quality, integrity, and transparency, The Nerd Stash follows a strict set of editorial guidelines.

Importantly, as of 2024 The Nerd Stash has overhauled these editorial guidelines to better serve our readers. These changes include but are not limited to a stronger emphasis on the following:

  • All written content on TheNerdStash.com is worded, structured, and formatted in a way that ensures it is as helpful and informative as possible. Writers and editors are instructed to produce content that is written in a concise fashion that is quick to its point, void of fluff, and structured in a way that conveys information helpfully. Bullet points, tables, images, and video content will often be used alongside written word where useful.
  • The Nerd Stash is not invested in trend-chasing or writing for search engines. Quality content is king; we do not insist our writers consider optimizing for search engine performance before or after writing in their preferred style. Importantly, we write content for our audience and whatever best serves their interests first and foremost.
  • Our editing team ensures that only writers who are experts in the subject matter they are writing are chosen for specific assignments — whether a writer is taking on a guide, news article, or special feature.
  • Regular updating of articles that may require new information over time. The Nerd Stash has introduced new measures to ensure that all articles potentially requiring new information and flagged at the management level and continually inspected over time to validate they are still accurate.
  • New functionality has been added to The Nerd Stash to indicate when an article is old and may potentially contain out-dated information. When updated, this is removed or an editor’s note added to clearly indicate as much.

Fact-Checking Policy

Accurate reporting is at the core of The Nerd Stash’s news and feature articles. Editors carefully evaluate news and feature content to ensure it meets the standards of the website. Where relevant, a distinction is always clearly indicated between content based on verified sources and hearsay or speculation. Opinion articles are labeled as such by use of the correct category.

Dependable Sources and Accurate Information

We believe that words are powerful, and our writers and editors are held to a standard that ensures they act responsibly. It is the writer’s responsibility to verify all facts and confirm that all information used in our content comes from dependable sources per our guidelines and ethics policy. This is then double-checked by our editing team ahead of publish.

The Nerd Stash stands against misinformation and the spread of false claims or fake news. It is against our policy to share unverified or inaccurate information with our integrity on the line.

Corrections and Updates

Mistakes are unavoidable and will inevitably occur on occasion. When we have discovered a mistake, we will always strive to correct the errors promptly. Integrity is of utmost importance to The Nerd Stash, and we will always own up to our mistakes.

As highlighted earlier, previously published content is regularly reviewed and occasionally updated with new and accurate information as part of our ongoing commitment to providing accurate and up-to-date information. If an update pertains to a topic that has more than one story, our goal is to make sure you have easy access to the whole story.

To discuss a correction or make an update inquiry, please contact [email protected]

Fair and Impartial Information

The Nerd Stash also understands the importance of providing fair and impartial information. When information or statements are disputed, we will make every effort to notify our readers.
When we are provided information (i.e., rumors, leaks, announcements, etc.) that is not from an official source, we will attempt to make contact with a representative to allow them the opportunity to share their perspective or side of the story.

There are policies and guidelines in place, and if the content submitted by writers does not meet the standards, they will be asked by the editorial staff to adjust it accordingly.

Product & Entertainment Review Guidelines

TheNerdStash.com regularly reviews video games, hardware, movies, TV Shows, and more. It is our goal to bring you an honest and transparent view of our experience when writing a review. We simply want to give you our opinion for you to reference when making a purchasing decision. In the interest of transparency, please note the following:

  • Companies may provide us with game codes, products, or other items to review on our website. We do not allow the fact they were provided to sway us to give them a positive review. Our reviews are 100% based on the writer’s true experience, and the final evaluation will reflect their unbiased opinion. You can trust that we will write what we truly think.
  • Any third party company which has provided a review opportunity will see our final score at the same time it is published on the website. We do not discuss our opinions with them before it is published.
  • Once in a while, we will write a review based on something that we purchased ourselves or watched on our own without special access. The review will be written in the same unbiased opinion as all others.

Video Game Reviews

  • Except when stated otherwise, game reviews are written using a game copy that was provided to The Nerd Stash before the release date by the publisher or their PR firm. When we receive a game to review, our staff will play the game before they can form a true opinion. Typically, this requires playing the game to the end; occasionally, in the case of live-service games, we will write a “review in progress” or “early impressions” piece before amending a final review if necessary.
  • Once the review is submitted for publishing, the editors will look to make sure it has all the elements needed in a good review, including the pros and cons.
  • We know everyone has different views when it comes to video games, and our reviewer’s opinion may be different from the experience you had while playing the game. Overall, we want our readers to have a detailed description that provides all the game’s features and any other important information that someone looking to purchase a new game might want to know.

Product Reviews

  • Products and samples are sent to us for our writers to review. We do not promise a positive review based on the fact the items were provided. We strive to offer a true and honest opinion of these products to let you know whether we would buy them.
  • If the product is provided to use before it is available to the public, we will not publish the review before the embargo that we agree upon with the company.

Review Scoring System

The Nerd Stash uses a 10-point scale when writing a review. The scores range from 1 – 10 with half points used with needed.

10 – Remarkable!
This is as close to perfect as you can get! It embodies the best characteristics of one of the best games ever! People will be playing this game for years to come!
9 – 9.5 – Superb!
Almost perfect but not quite there.
8 – 8.5 – Great!
A great game-playing experience, and possibly some might think this is one of the best. It may not be an all-time classic for everyone, but if you are a fan of the genre, you will enjoy playing this game.
7 – 7.5 – Very Good
These games are still fan favorites and possibly only fit a certain niche which keeps them from getting overall high ratings.
6 – 6.5 – Good
Product of someone with great ideas and a valiant effort, but its deficiencies are too noticeable, not to mention.
5 – 5.5 – Average
These games are for those who are on the fence. It’s not terrible, but it’s not the best.
4 – 4.5 – Mediocre
Just a run-of-the-mill game. Most people will lose interest because it has a not-so-great design, technical issues, and is simply boring.
3 – 3.5 – Bad
There are still some people who will play this game as bad as it is.
2 – 2.5 – Awful
If you are into a painful gameplaying experience, this is the game for you. It is not fun, not pretty, and a waste of time.
1 – 1.5 – Horrible
Play at your own risk! It probably isn’t a good idea to spend money on this game unless you’re an absolute diehard fan of the genre or IP.

Social Media/Other Media Platforms

Content creators for The Nerd Stash are encouraged to create their own social media accounts, YouTube channels, blogs, etc., and use them at their discretion.

Although we allow our staff the freedom to use these platforms as they want, we do reserve the right to act if they are used for the purpose of harassment, discrimination, or slander. Each instance will be investigated and could lead to the termination of the contract with this individual.
Opinions on their personal accounts are not to be considered as a representation of the opinions or beliefs of The Nerd Stash.

Discrimination or harassment is not an acceptable practice at The Nerd Stash.

Representing our Brand

On occasion, our team members may have the opportunity to make public appearances in person or online as a representative of The Nerd Stash. All team members are expected to represent our brand in a positive way (i.e. respectful, thoughtful, without bias or negative opinion, etc.).

We strive for our brand to be one that is respected in the industry, and our team members are expected to represent this when making appearances on behalf of The Nerd Stash.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is not an acceptable practice when creating content for The Nerd Stash. We strive to give credit to the original source, and at no time will we ever deliberately plagiarize. We will make every effort to provide attribution to the original source in one of the following ways:

  • Acknowledgment or citation within an article
  • Links to the original source

If you find an instance on our website you believe to be plagiarized, please contact us, and we will investigate and resolve the issue by either providing a citation or confirming it is the writer’s original statement/thought. We genuinely want to resolve any matter in question.

Advertising

The Nerd Stash relies on advertising revenue to support our content creators. To ensure a positive experience for our visitors, we adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Ad Standards: Advertisers must ensure their ads comply with laws and regulations. We may reject or remove ads that are false, illegal, offensive, or damaging to our brand.
  • Prohibited Content: We do not accept ads that are indecent, promote illegal products, or contain hate speech or personal attacks.
  • Privacy: We do not sell personal data. Advertisers may use cookies but do not access personal information.
  • Ad Placement: Ads are placed for optimal performance. We prefer visitors avoid ad blockers to support our revenue through views.
  • Editorial Integrity: Ads are distinct from our editorial content. If you find an ad inappropriate, please contact us. We reserve the right to remove ads at our discretion.

Your feedback helps us maintain quality and relevance in our advertising. You can read a more in-depth overview of our advertising guidelines on our dedicated page here.

Partnerships

The Nerd Stash has the occasional opportunity to affiliate with other companies, brands, or organizations in our industry. Regardless of this affiliation, any content published that may be related to these entities will always be impartial. When necessary, the partnership or affiliation will be disclosed as part of our commitment to transparency.

Affiliate Linking

The Nerd Stash occasionally uses affiliate links via our partners (Raptive, Amazon). These links are manually inserted and only track outward-bound clicks from The Nerd Stash. Only the outward-bound clicks from these articles are tracked by The Nerd Stash.

Giveaways

The Nerd Stash sometimes conducts giveaways and contests on the website or social media. Giveaways will be done with keys or items or given to The Nerd Stash by PR or purchased by the company itself. For both website and social media giveaways, winners will be chosen with a random number generator.

Ethical Policies & Guidelines

TRUST AND CREDIBILITY

  • Companies may provide us with game codes, products, or other items to review on our website. We do not allow the fact they were provided to sway us to give them a positive review. Our reviews are 100% based on the writer’s true experience, and the final evaluation will reflect their unbiased opinion. You can trust that we will write what we truly think!
  • News or Information provided will give credit to the source if it is not The Nerd Stash or one of its PR affiliates. We believe credit should be given where it is due.
  • Any opportunity that is presented to us with early access information (i.e. previews, reviews, or guides) will always honor the embargo. We make every effort to meet those restrictions, and we also do not want to spoil anything for our readers.
  • We do not want to be known as the website that spoils your favorite TV show, movie, or game. If we are writing about something that is a major spoiler, we will do our best to give warnings ahead so you don’t stumble into it by accident.
  • We do NOT provide payment to any of our sources.

RESPECT

Respect is very important to us as our success depends on you. The consequences of those decisions and how they will affect readers, clients, and partners are taken into great consideration.

We won’t all agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for disrespectful behavior. We will all experience frustration from time to time, but we cannot allow that frustration to become personal attacks. An environment where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive or creative one.

ACCEPTANCE OF ALL

We welcome and support people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited to, members of any sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, social and economic class, educational level, color, immigration status, sex, age, size, family status, political belief, religion, and mental and physical ability.

CONDUCT

Writers and other Team Members are expected to follow these guidelines when writing content or interacting on our website or social media outlets:

  • Be kind to others.
  • Do not insult or put down others.
  • Harassment and exclusionary behavior aren’t acceptable. This includes, but is not limited to:
    – Threats of violence
    – Discriminatory jokes and language
    – Sharing sexually explicit or violent material via electronic devices or other means
    – Personal insults, especially those using racist or sexist terms
    – Advocating for or encouraging any of the above behavior.

Personal attacks against individuals or companies are not acceptable. We strive to report news and write articles with a high degree of impartiality on all the topics we cover.

In general, if someone asks you to stop something, then stop. When we disagree, try to understand why. Differences of opinion and disagreements are mostly unavoidable. What is important is that we resolve to make our ethical conduct a priority. We want to be known as a credible source for all your entertainment news and information.

Privacy

Your privacy is important to us. Here’s a summary of how we handle your information:

  • Information Collection: We collect personal information to improve our services and site experience. We use this information as described in our full Privacy Policy.
  • Data Use: We use your data for site functionality, personalization, and service improvements. We do not sell your data to third parties for marketing.
  • Cookies: We use cookies to enhance your experience on our site. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this may affect site functionality.
  • Data Sharing: We may share data with service providers and as required by law. We do not sell your personally identifiable information.
  • Security: We use reasonable measures to protect your information but cannot guarantee absolute security.
  • Children’s Privacy: We comply with laws protecting children’s privacy and do not knowingly collect information from those under 13.

For detailed information, please refer to our full Privacy Policy here.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact [email protected].