Editorial Policy

In one of my first posts, I wrote about the posting rules I set for myself and this site. More recently, I wrote about defining my obsession as I redefined this blog. These are what guide me in how and what I choose to post.

The Four Rules of Posting

• Nothing is beneath me

Many of the things on my list require that I start from a very low level. Is Art for Dummies the most comprehensive way to get an introductory glance at art? So be it. I don’t care about lowbrow, highbrow, or middlebrow, just the quality of the tool.

• I am not an expert

In no way should anyone take anything I post as anything other than the opinion of a know-nothing boob. If ever I use someone else as a means of supporting my opinions, I will duly cite the source and let you interpret it for yourself. In the words of Gary Giddins, speaking about one of his fellow jazz critics,

“….He has spent more time in clubs than almost anybody else I know. If this is a conclusion that he comes to, he has the right to say it, and you have to give him respect even as you disagree. I don’t feel that way about some guy who owns eleven records and once went to a show at the Village Vanguard.”

I’m the guy who owns eleven records, and I’ve been to one show at the Vanguard.

• Educate myself, entertain the reader

While the blog is intended to be an area where I can record what I learn, I am not a teacher. I doubt anyone will actually learn anything from what I write. But, by reading about how I am learning, someone might be able to find a starting to point to learn on their own.

• Post with purpose

Nothing is more tedious to read than one sentence “musings” from people you don’t know. There will be a reason for each post, and each post will relate to one of the items on my list.

Additionally:

• Retractions – Though I will always strive to be accurate, I will sometimes make unintentional mistakes. If the mistake is factual in nature, I will correct the published post in a transparent way, either by using a link to the correction, or through use of the strikethrough function in HTML. In the case of spelling, grammar, or punctuation, I may edit a published post without acknowledgment in order to correct the mistake.
• Editing Published Posts – I also reserve the right to edit published posts in order to remove broken links, update tags or categories, add links to subsequent posts on this site, or add links to subsequently published articles on other sites. These will never alter the original content. All original content will remain as published, except in the cases noted above.
• Advertising – Though I currently do not place ads either on my site or in my RSS feed, I reserve the right to do so in the future.
• Rectification – If you feel that I have violated any of these policies, please call me on it. Get in touch with me by using the Contact form.
• I reserve the right to change this Editorial Policy at any time for any reason.