PREAMBLE
1.1 The blog on the main page of this site is first and foremost a personal journal, albeit one that is published in a domain that is publicly accessible. The views, opinions and ideas stated therein are largely tentative, formulated on the basis of limited knowledge. All entries are personal.

1.2 I welcome constructive engagement on this site. In fact, I would appreciate civil and helpful discussions in reaction to my postings. You would do me, and yourself, a huge favour in that respect. However, I would first urge you to try and understand my views, opinions and/or ideas. You do not need to agree with them but it would help the discussion if you did understand them. Agreeing and understanding are not the same.

1.3 This document was not written with the intention of discouraging all participation, engagement and/or interaction. This document was written to proscribe certain behaviour that I consider unacceptable and therefore unwelcome. This document sets out the “rules of the game”, if you will, for this site. It protects me and, to some extent, you as well. It was written with the hope that we will treat each other with respect, integrity and civility.

DISCLAIMER
2.1 The fact that the public can freely access and read the entries posted on the site does serve to inform and constrain what and how I write. While every attempt is made to write in a considered, accurate and responsible manner, there will be times when my writing could be construed as being libellous, insulting, rude and/or offensive in one form or other. In the event of such a case, the effect is unintentional. I do not write with malice as a starting point.

2.2 While all thoughts expressed on the site would have gone through some reflection and/or factual check, I will at times make factual and/or interpretative errors. If and when I do, I welcome your effort (subject to the terms of engagement) in pointing out where I might have gone wrong.

2.3 If you find that there are factual errors, I would appreciate your providing me with the correct details. I will endeavour to publish an erratum where necessary and/or to credit the source of the information accordingly.

2.4 If you do not agree with my views, opinions and/or ideas, you are welcome to convince me of the error of my ways. I will grant all opposing and/or contrasting views (subject to the terms of engagement) a fair hearing. However, in the event that I choose to stand by my interpretation of things, I ask that we agree to disagree and to respect each other’s positions in a civil manner. Not everything is objective and/or factual. Many things are subjective and/or interpretative and are therefore, personal.

2.5 I may at times use strong, offensive and/or vulgar language. If you do not like it, you are free to not read the entry.

2.6 There will be times when I will make generalised statements. If and when I do, please recognise and accept them for what they are - general statements are true in most circumstances but that allow for (many) exceptions. They are understood and expressed from a lay-person’s perspective. If I had to qualify and justify every statement I make, this would no longer be a blog. It would be a thesis. I am familiar with the methods of precise and accurate communication - I have written a 30,000 word academic thesis in a previous life. Trust me - you do not want to read a thesis.

2.7 Unless I explicitly indicate as much, I am no expert or specialist on any of the topics I write. I am only an expert on me, myself and I - and even then, there are times when I doubt my own opinions.

2.8 All entries on this site are written from a personal perspective and from limited knowledge. I do not have enough time in a day to read all the material that I both want and need to read. I also have no paid obligation to be objective. My writing on this site is therefore necessarily partial, biased and incomplete. In fact, since I am a social constructivist, I would contend that all knowledge is partial, biased and incomplete. If I owe any honesty, truth and/or integrity in my writing on this site, I owe it only to myself.

2.9 I have a dry sense of humour and I enjoy sarcasm. It may not always be obvious to everyone at all times when I am writing in a tongue-in-cheek manner and am not being serious. If you are not able to tell the difference, I suggest that while going through this site you suspend your sense of reality and consider all entries as suspect. Read everything with a huge grain of salt and consider everything on this site as fiction. Then move on and leave no comment behind. If I had to point out every instance, it would no longer be sarcastic nor funny.

2.10 I shall not and cannot be held liable nor responsible for the views, opinions and/or ideas expressed in, influenced by, taken from, instigated by, linked to and/or linked from this site other than those expressed by myself. I will endeavour to remove any comment deemed to be offensive and/or unhelpful as soon as it is reasonably possible. If you have issues with the views, opinions and/or ideas expressed by those who choose to contribute to this site, please take up your argument with the respective authors. Unfortunately, I will not provide any contact details other than the URLs of their website and even then, I will do so only when they choose to have it publicly published.

2.11 If you find the terms of engagement on this site unacceptable, you are free to not return and/or to not read its content. Instead, I would encourage you to set up your own personal space on the internet to voice your own views, opinions and/or ideas. I would be more than happy to provide you with, and/or to point you to sources of, practical advice on how to do so.

TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT
3.1 If my views, opinions and/or ideas offend you, you are free to not return to my site nor to read its content.

3.2 If you choose to engage with the postings on this site, please do so in a civil and constructive manner. I ask that you engage others on this site with a view to a polite discussion and not to a confrontation.

3.3 I reserve the right to delete any and all comments and/or trackbacks that I find offensive and/or unhelpful.

3.4 Unless the content of an entry on this site concerns you personally and specifically, the ability to post comments and/or trackbacks is a privilege and not a right. Use that privilege wisely.

3.5 I reserve the right to close off the commenting and/or trackback system at my own discretion. If you have a burning desire to express your views, opinions and/or ideas when this is the case, I again suggest that you set up your own personal space on the internet to do so.

3.6 If the content of an entry on this site does concern you personally and specifically, and if I should close off the commenting system, you will still have your “right to reply” through the comment form on this page.

3.7 While I welcome constructive and engaging interaction on this site, I do not welcome offensive, rude, hypocritical, bigoted, homophobic, extremist, chauvinistic, misogynistic, xenophobic and/or any other prejudicial and/or discriminatory behaviour of any sort. There are other sites where you may express such behaviour, views, opinions and/or ideas freely - I suggest you seek them out if you intend to express yourself in such a manner.

3.8 If you feel an emotional rage developing after reading something on this site and you feel compelled to commit one or more of the said prohibited behaviour, I urge you to count to 100, shutdown your computer, talk a walk, have a shower, watch some television and go to bed. If you choose to come back to this site the following day and you find yourself reacting in the same manner, then I urge you to go elsewhere on the internet and never return. Let go and move on.

3.9 While I understand some individuals’ need to use a pseudonym and to remain anonymous, I also recognise that others’ have thought very carefully about “going public” with their views and to associate them with themselves. If you are about to enter into an important and contentious debate/discussion, I urge you to use your public legal identity. However, I would respect anyone’s decision to remain anonymous and would keep private any personal information they may have submitted to me through this site.

3.10 It is sometimes wise and preferable to hold your tongue and to let things go. We do not always have to voice an opinion. Particularly not when it concerns a stupid and obvious mistake attributable to the immaturity of my ways. Knowing when not to say something is as much a skill and an art as writing. We could all (myself included) benefit from learning and employing this skill well.

FINAL WORDS
4.1 I am aware and am keeping track of the legal issues about personal online publishing. You might find this helpful.

4.2 I also subscribe to the disclaimer on this link. I ask that you read it in conjunction with the above notes.

4.3 In the event that a situation should arise with no specific provision in this document with which to deal with it, I reserve the right treat it in the spirit underlying the totality of this document. This document is by no means definite. I reserve the right to amend it from time to time.

4.4 You are free to take this disclaimer as a model for you own. You are also free to make an exact copy of this disclaimer for use on your own site. I ask only that you credit me accordingly in both cases.