Dear Blog Follower:

Though this is not an arena in which I expect heated discussion or legal issues, this being a worldwide public venue, I would be remiss and foolish not to address any and all possibilities of consequences related to communication on the internet. With that said:

DISCLAIMER and DISCLOSURE:

TYPE OF VENUE:

First things first—this is a personal blog. It is I, Donna Marie, who is solely responsible for the content posted here. I have no official cohorts manning the controls with me, and I represent no outside sources. Regardless of what type of information is imparted, whether it is serious, helpful, entertaining, agreeable, disagreeable, useful or not-so-useful, it represents my own opinions, perception, knowledge and “wisdom” and that of anyone who chooses to comment here. There is no intention to do harm of any kind to any individual or group.

PERCEPTION:

How you perceive said opinions, perception, knowledge and “wisdom,” is up to you; you may understand or misunderstand anything I, a guest blogger or a commenter may express. It is out of my hands once you take in any blog information of your own free will. You can regard it, disregard it, frame it, throw it in a compost—it’s 100% up to you and I cannot be held responsible for what you do or don’t do with it. Within this “Disclaimer & Disclosure” document, specific aspects of this are explained in more detail. I encourage you to read them 🙂

In coming across information, whether online or off, when I feel something is worth our time to discuss or for you to be aware of, I will also share with you the opinions, perception, knowledge and wisdom of others. My sharing of others’ information or statements does not affirm that I agree with, condone or am responsible for that information.

DISCUSSION:

This blog, of course, is also a place where discussion in comments is strongly encouraged. I’ve never been one to talk to myself and certainly don’t want to start now! But in participating, it is necessary for you to comply with Blog DECORUM. As the blog owner, I will use my best judgment as far as disallowing universally offensive comments. Since what is or isn’t offensive is a subjective matter, I am not responsible for the contents or thoughts expressed by commenters.

LANGUAGE:

It is important to note that English is the only language used on this blog. This is not a discriminatory rule; it is necessary due to it being the only language I, the owner of this blog, speak, and I am unable to understand or moderate any other language.

Also, what a word means in English may have a different meaning used in a different language. I am not responsible for English words interpreted in other languages.

HOLD HARMLESS

DOWNLOADS:

Any documents I offer as downloads on this site are virus-free. They are uploaded directly from my computer and this being an ad-free site, nothing is attached to any documents.  If, by some strange cyberspace glitch, there is an issue in the process of a download, that problem does not originate with me, the files, my blog or blog content. Any downloadable file, including but not limited to pdfs, docs, jpegs, pngs, is provided at the user’s (your) own risk. I, the owner (Donna Marie), will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages resulting from a corrupted or damaged file. This is standard protocol internet-wide, not just pertaining to this blog.

ACCURACY:

Every precaution has been taken to provide the most accurate, valid information feasible at the time of posting. It is necessary, whenever gaining information, whether through a blog or website, to take into account the natural evolution of material, especially in a blog; it is always in transition. This is also inclusive of my opinion which, if there is good reason, can change. I, the owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in the information posted here nor for the availability of this information if ever deleted. This also applies to content found through links posted on this site.

There is also the possibility of mistakes made in punctuation or grammar which may change the meaning of what is being imparted. Please notify me if you notice this type issue so it can be corrected or clarified.

CONTENT:

Though great care has been taken to avoid linking to content which contains matter that is considered offensive or inappropriate according to the standards I uphold for this personal blog (see Blog DECORUM), there is always the risk of change on other blogs and websites. I will not be held responsible for the changes in content elsewhere, or for a reader’s personal interpretation of this blog’s content. That being said, I would greatly appreciate being notified if a link posted anywhere on the pages of this blog leads to inappropriate content or if an inappropriate venue links to this blog.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR USE OF CONTENT:

It is your responsibility to use your own discretion in discerning what information you take into consideration, whether posted by me (the blog owner), by guest bloggers, posted by commenters, or found by following any link on this site, when making decisions based on said information. I, the blog owner, will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages, financial or otherwise, from the display, use or misuse of any information gained directly or inadvertently through this blog.

All blog content is for information, education and entertainment purposes only. NO subject matter, whether it concerns matters of health, medical, lifestyle, legal, etc. is offered as professional advice; your use of any information in connection to this blog is at your own risk. This is not a political or religious arena; there is no hidden or blatant agenda other than discussion on pertinent topics and the reciprocal sharing of helpful information. My and other’s opinions and advice is not to be considered counsel, taken as fact or absolute. If you choose to use any advice, recommendations, techniques and tips, and are injured in any way, I and others posting or commenting on this blog are not to be held responsible.

I, Donna Marie, am not a guru, a doctor, a lawyer, a politician or an expert in any given field, nor do I claim to be. Before considering acting upon anything mentioned through this blog, directly or indirectly, it is up to you, the reader, to seek help/advice from a professional in whatever field is in question.

INTERNATIONAL CONCERNS:

Because the internet is an international venue, people of cultures I am not familiar with may read the contents of this blog. I cannot be held responsible if something, which is generally considered acceptable and appropriate in my country or area of the world, is considered possibly unacceptable or inappropriate elsewhere. Though the contents of this blog is not intentionally political, religious, legal, etc., should something related come up in a post or comments, I am not responsible for defamatory statements bound to religious, governmental or other laws from the reader’s country/area of origin whether stated by me or any commenter. Keep in mind that you, as a commenter, may be held responsible for something you say which may be an issue in your country of origin.

RESERVE RIGHTS

Though I have no intention of doing so, should I change the focus of my blogs’ contents, I reserve the right to do so in whatever way I deem necessary or preferred.

I reserve the right to update old posts, should there be need, in order to keep content factual in respect to information I may obtain after the original post dates or the need to detract statements of any kind.

As described in Blog DECORUM, I reserve the right to omit a comment from posting or request the commenter to reword a comment should I deem it inappropriate in some way. Your participation in the comment section of this blog is your automatic agreement to these stipulations.

COPYRIGHT POLICY

on intellectual property rights and copyright infringement

It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: unless stated otherwise, everything posted on this personal blog is copyrighted by me, Donna Marie, the sole owner. This includes original artwork, original photos and all text written (posts, poetry, blog posts, excerpts from longer works, articles, essays, etc.). I am still undecided as to whether or not I will include my surname should I be traditionally published so am simply using “Donna Marie” for the time being, in this public arena.

Permission must be obtained to use any original content elsewhere in any way, shape or form. To do so, you must first obtain my permission in writing (email is sufficient), and explain how and where the piece/s in question are to be used. Once given permission, credit using my name/blog name must be posted, including a link back to this site. If re-blogging, simply state that you’ve done so and include the original post link in your re-blog. I reserve the right to request you remove the re-blogged post should I deem your blog/site inappropriate according to my guidelines stated in Blog DECORUM.

Any content posted that is not my original work, will be stated as such with proper credit given to the source and permission obtained when necessary unless said content falls under the “Fair Use” clause. Should there be an oversight, the party involved should contact me directly. In the same vein, images such as book covers, etc. are used for the purpose of discussion and free promotion of the books/items posted, typically linked to Goodreads or a point-of-purchase site.

Names, Logos and other proprietary information quoted in this blog are the property of respective companies/owners and are mentioned here for reference purpose only.

If you find contents of this blog elsewhere, I would deeply appreciate your notifying me.

PRIVACY STATEMENT

Any personal information gathered through this blog is for the sole purpose of communication between the follower and myself (Donna/WriterSideUP!), typically for private communication when necessary, or to fulfill specific needs such as distribution of prizes given through giveaways. I do not, nor will I ever, sell any personal or contact information to anyone for any reason. All forms of private communication contain no spyware of tracking devices, and will be kept confidential.

All blog comments, will not be used in any other way, such as for content in articles, columns, books, etc.

ADVERTISERS and SPONSORS

This is a 100% FREE blog. I have no commercial interest in blogging. I have no intent or desire to be connected to advertisers or sponsors in any way whatsoever which is one reason this is an ad-free blog. All information and opinions, both positive and negative, regardless of subject matter, are posted of my own volition with no compensation of any kind from any source.

This is a personal blog set up for community purposes for discourse and exchange of ideas with no financial gain. I cannot imagine that will ever change, but if it does, I would make it known in a post.

Thank you for reading and complying!

:Donna