You will remove some unnecessary stress from Rachael, and
secondarily from myself, if you make some changes in how you phrase your posts
and in some other areas.
1. Say what you mean. Do not phrase your objection as a
question. You object to something we’ve written? Say so and do it plainly. It
may not be the custom in your culture to write that way. It is American
practice. The majority of Americans are Germanic in ancestry and thought. We
are plain-spoken people. We do not share British culture in the same way that
most Canadians do. We expect you to say what you mean.
2. Do some research before you post. We shouldn’t have to
teach you your own history.
3. If you believe we’ve gotten something wrong, say so –
plainly, and present documentary evidence from primary sources to back up your
claim. Secondary sources are not evidence.
4. Some of you have pet theories. Unless you can present a
well-written and clearly documented article supporting your point of view, we
do not want to hear from you. Present us with a clear and convincing article
and we’ll post it on the blog even if it contradicts something we’ve written.
5. Other than from Roberto, Jerome, German Girl, or Bernard,
Rachael does not want your emails at this time. I don’t think our blog readers
realize just how ill she is. Her family is happy that she is still breathing.
Your intrusion into her life is not welcome right now. I’ll tell you if that
changes. The uninsured portion of her prescriptions runs to about five hundred
dollars a month. That should tell you something about her health issues.
6. Finding our work [this blog is covered by US copyright
law] on your blog or in your book or dissertation without credit upsets both of
us. All we ask is credit in a footnote and proper use of quotation marks if
necessary.
7. Neither Rachael nor myself are your personal encyclopedia.
We expect that our blog users are big boys and girls, capable of doing their
own research. We have little time to answer questions or to research for you.
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