Showing posts with label blog disclaimer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog disclaimer. Show all posts

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Is Personal Blogging Policy Important?

I got a call requesting to delete one of my blog post here. The call was from one of my family member, saying that our town Mayor didn’t like this blog post: The Sleeping Town. This post is about the political and economic state of our town. Of course the request to delete, from the mayor, is not a request but a threat. 
But, hell no! It’s the truth and it’s my opinion.

The best defense is a good offense, so the saying goes. Accordingly, I realized that this blog should have a disclaimer or some sort of a personal policy for those dumb readers who got the nerve to threaten me and also for other idiots in general. When messy situations occur, I can just refer them to my disclaimer page. That will save me time and effort in arguing and explaining.

This README page is now my blogging guidelines, a way to let my readers know my standards to which why I blog, and what they can expect from me. I'm not a lawyer so my disclaimer doesn't have any legal brouhaha in it but more of a  personal statement. This is a personal blog anyway.  

In our sue-happy, complaint-infested, onion-skinned people in the blogosphere, it’s important to make it clear that our personal blog is for informational, entertainment and opinion purposes only and when in doubt, readers should just post intelligent counter-comments or do more research on the field in question. I believe a simple personal disclaimer will somehow address it.

Spend much time in the blogospehere and you will come across bloggers who are being maligned, threatened and badmouthed because of their post [viz. a blogger who shut down his blog because of a negative comment he made against the OFW bloggers, an employee being fired because of a blogpost, relationship ended, etc.]. Well of course we must always consider responsible posting because being in the blogosphere is being public. That is one of the dangers of blogging.  

That’s why it’s important to not only write a personal blog disclaimer, but to post it on your blog and link in via the footer or sidebar or menubar for reference.
Happy and safe blogging!

By the way, I’ll appreciate your comments on the contents of my disclaimer page.

Monday, May 3, 2004

Read Me: Disclaimer

Disclaimer

This is my personal blog. You should not assume that the information available here is exhaustive, balanced, or worthy of your unquestioning trust.

Personal relationships and privacy

Do not assume that you know everything there is to know about me simply because you read my blog on a regular basis. Any judgements you make will be based on the information I have provided you about myself, which is probably vague, incomplete or embellished. Whatever opinion you form about me as a Jedi, or my life as a whole, is probably best kept to yourself. Remember, you are the reader. An obvious exception to this would be if I asked for your advice or opinions.

I am busy saving the world. Never contact me for more details on events or personal information than what I have already provided on this blog. Chances are if the information you seek isn't readily available, I have found it too personal or inappropriate to share. If you are my friend, sex buddy, relative, girl friend, drinking buddy, I will eventually tell you privately, so intrusive questions are not necessary, just leave it alone. If you are meant to know, you will.

If you have a real life relationship with me, or we had sex before, remember that communication is very important. View my blog as my online journal, no less sacred than a diary hidden between the mattresses. First of all let me know that you read and understand my posts, especially if I did not tell you personally.

If I do not want you reading my posts, or suddenly stop posting entries, don’t ask me why and if necessary, stop visiting my blog. It is important that as a friend, relative, co-worker or whatever, that your presence at my blog not impede my ability to express myself. Remember this is my outlet. I may not want you to read certain things I might write about you, or others you care about, in order to spare your feelings, avoid drama or maintain my privacy. You should respect this and immediately stop visiting my blog, and never relay any information you gather at my site to others who might use it against me, or else your life on earth will be like hell.

If I write about you and you don't appreciate it, approach me about it. Try to remain calm and polite. Explain that you are entitled to your privacy as well. There are many compromises that can be reached from using vague nicknames to protect your anonymity, or not mentioning you at all. If you are upset because I am writing negative things about you, be reasonable, try to see if there is a way to resolve the issues and mend your relationship with me. If that doesn't seem to be possible, stop visiting my blog. I will eventually get bored, move on and leave you alone.

Ex-friends, one-night-stand lovers, girlfriends and estranged family members who have been cut out of my life should refrain from reading my blog. If the relationship has ended, there is no reason you should get daily updates on my life. If you simply can't help yourself, do it quietly, and never repeat what you read or use it to hurt me. I’m warning you, I will always be above you!

Feedback and initiating contact

I have a guestbook, sign it. Compliments will always be graciously accepted and appreciated. Criticisms and reproaches are fine if you have a problem with something, but try to remain constructive and not be an asshole. No one is forcing you to give out your opinions, so if you don't have anything remotely positive to say, it may be best to keep quiet.

When contacting me for the first time, have a clue. If I have a detailed biography and personal information that describes my life from the day I were born, chances are I won't appreciate you wasting my time asking me how old I am or where I live. I put a lot of thought and time into this blog, so take the time to read the information I provide you with before you ask for more.

Never assume I owe you any response. I receive a few to hundreds of messages per day. I might gladly write back immediately, or will never reply. Try not to take it personally, because chances are it has more to do with my schedule than anything else. If you get upset and nasty about feeling rejected, you will probably ruin any chances you had of befriending me.

Don't delude yourself into thinking that you will be as important to me as I am to you. Remember, you are peering in on my life, sharing my thoughts, and though I may become quite special to you, you remain a mystery to me. If I am cold or unreceptive to your advances, keep in mind that you are a stranger to me at this point, and I may or may not want to keep it that way. It's entirely my choice.

Don't be a psycho stalker.

You shouldn't contact me with my messenger services or my mobile phone unless I announce it on this blog. If you got it from someone else, forget you ever had it, I probably meant to keep it somewhat private.

I have the right to stop writing at any time for any reason I see fit, and at no point must I justify or explain these reasons to you or any of my readers. It's my blog, I can do with it as I please.

Offensive language and materials

The internet is a place that encourages free and creative expression, and as in any environment where people are given this freedom, conflict may arise. If I use language or materials that offend you, leave. Contacting me or google, demanding I remove the content or change it is absurd because you are viewing my content, in your own free will by visiting my blog. Simply stop going here and you won't have to see whatever it is you don't like about my blog. An obvious exception to this would be if I am providing illegal materials, in which case it would be appropriate to complain or contact authorities.

Comments Policy

I am not responsible for the content of any comments, nor will be held liable for anything anyone says on this blog in the blog comments, nor the laws which you may break in my country or yours through your comments’ content, implication, and intent.

Comments will be approved at my own sole discretion; non-related (off-topic), tasteless and insulting comments will be deleted. Personal remarks and attacks may be deleted. Spam and/or marketing messages will be deleted.