tldr: Two people watching anime!
So what is this thread for those that don't know what an "Anime Contract" is? Essentially, this is an agreement by two users as one picks an anime of their choosing they want someone else to watch, and the other agrees to watch in exchange they watch an anime of their choosing. There can be stipulations set by those making the contract such as episode number (typically equal or near the amount of episodes there are), the amount of time you have to finish it, or how you'll tell when you're done with it, it's all up to you to set these.
Essentially, "Anime Contracts" are mutual agreements between users to watch specific anime or sets of anime. The terms of each contract are completely up to the users; generally, people will each watch shows totaling about the same amount of time as each other, and the users will normally choose the show that the other person watches. However, all this is strictly optional; you're invited to create contracts with whatever terms you'd like, as long as you and the other user are in agreement.
tldr: It's a fun way of discovering and promoting shows!
This thread's goal is simply to provide a fun way of watching anime as a community. You could have someone make you watch an anime you've never heard of; you might promote an anime you love by getting more people to watch it; you could even find someone to convince you to pick back up that show you dropped! The sky's the limit with contracts, because ultimately the terms are up to you.
tldr: Browse around and accept someone else's, or make a new top-level comment to offer your own contract! There's also some tracking stuff you can optionally use if you feel like it.
The Anime Contracts thread is meant to be as open-ended as possible so people who want contracts can find and accept them. To take up a contract, just reply to someone who's offering one; to offer one of your own, outline your terms in a top-level comment and wait for someone to accept it. You'll be able to negotiate shows and other terms with the other person, and once you've both confirmed the contract you're good to go!
After you've started a contract, there are also a couple optional features you can also utilize if you'd like.
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Summons thread: Posted by the OP as the first top-level comment to each week's thread, this is an area where people can post updates on the contracts they're doing. You can mention the user you made it with and update them on the status of your side. All the summons thread is, is a place to share your experience with an anime with your partner.
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Contract Tracking Sheet: This Google Docs spreadsheet managed by the OP is a listing of contracts that have been made and completed since Anime Contracts first started. It serves as an archive and a running list of which contracts are completed. If you'd like a contract you've made to be tracked here, either you or your partner can use the "Submit a Contract" link (in the body of the weekly post) to add it to the list. Once either of you have completed your side of the contract, you can then use the "Update a Contract" link to have the doc's maintainer check your side off.
Note that both of these tools are optional; if you'd rather not have your contract tracked, or you want to talk with your partner via PM or in another sub, go for it! Again, the thread is meant to be as open-ended as possible.
At conception, Anime Contracts was a weekly part of the Warm Talk Wednesday mega thread posted by /u/pittman66. Eventually, this contracts portion got really, really successful. For the heck of it, Pittman posted a version of the thread outside the weekly megathread once, and it was a huge success. After that, he decided to move it out of WTW permanently and I took up the thread myself. The first thread posted by me as a regular weekly event went up on November 28, 2015, and we've been going strong (minus a few of my typical scheduling hiccups) ever since.
/u/pittman66: WTW organizer, the guy that I got the thread from, provided the initial FAQ and helped me get oriented with periodic threads on /r/anime, also basically the part-time poster of the thread since I forget shit a lot
/u/geo1088: Me, current thread organizer and doc custodian