The Rules

            It’s time I restate the rules. This is a history blog. It is not social media. It exists solely to provide a platform for research sharing and discussion. Do not sell your products or services through the comment trail.

            All parties are welcome here. I do not allow personal invective or disputes about doctrine. There are other forums for that. Use those. This is not a forum for social, cute, interesting stories. It is only a history blog. However, Rachael has a mostly neglected personal blog that often posts interesting stories. You have one to tell, contact her. There is no promise from her to publish it.

            We are open to questions, but it is unlikely we can accept research requests. The most you will get from us, if we don’t have a ready answer, is posting your question on the blog.

            This blog thrives on comments. If you find it interesting, say so. Never presume we know what you know.

            We are open to short articles by others. They must be well researched, footnoted and factual. We do not accept an article that is only a quotation from an old Watch Tower. Those are rejected out of hand. We expect an article that informs. We are willing to work with you if English is not your first language, and you need grammar or structural help.

            Rachael has complained before about Korean trolls. We still get Korea Telecom visits, but they cannot post. If you come here to troll or spam, you will not find a welcome home.

            A blog is not the best resource. If you find something here you wish to use, consult the original source. We often note those. Citing a blog in a footnote is usually not best practice. If you do cite this blog use the usually accepted format.

            You can throw what ever temper tantrum you wish in email. I will block your comments here if you attempt to use our blog to vent your spleen against a religion, individual or group.

            We expect that those who read this blog and our books are adults with adult capabilities. If you find something in an article here or in one of the books that piques your interest and we did not footnote a general comment, assume some responsibility and research it.

            We only footnote original sources or authors we quote. We do not footnote every general comment. We write to an American academic standard. That includes our footnotes. We do not write to give every misguided polemicist a voice. You want to read their work? You explore on your own. I’m not your mother, and neither is Rachael. We expect you to use sound judgment and to have a sense of self-responsibility.