Site Policies and FAQs

Copyright Notice

I own the copyright to all of my writing. Guest bloggers retain their own copyright. Quote all of us freely! Do not reproduce entire posts!  Link & attribute always!

Questions

If you send me a question, you agree to have it posted on the site.

I do not share your personal email address or identity.  However by sending me questions or posting your comments to the blog you are granting me the right, in perpetuity, to use, quote, alter, and/or display those questions and comments however I see fit both for commercial and non-commercial distribution. If this concerns you, use a pseudonym and remove identifying details before you send.

I don’t answer all questions I get, and I don’t answer them in any particular order.

While I reserve the right to edit questions for length and content, mostly I don’t have time, so I strongly favor questions by people who proofread and who can keep their questions under 500 words.

Comments

The first time you comment, it will automatically go to moderation. After that, your comments will show up immediately.

Anonymous posting is allowed. Using a consistent identity is encouraged.

This is a dictatorship. I am the sole moderator. I can delete any comment at any time for any reason, and I have no time for rules lawyers. There may not be a warning or explanation of why your comment was deleted. Common reasons are “over the line, dude,” “this argument has gone on long enough, stop piling on,” “don’t feel like it/like the cut of your jib” and “do not feed the troll.”

Sarcasm, curse words, gentle mocking, criticism and vehement disagreement are generally allowed, as long as the overall spirit is constructive and in good faith.

The site doesn’t exist without the generosity of letter writers, who make themselves vulnerable by sharing their problems with us. If you want to say cruel, horrible things to people who are asking sincere questions, go comment at Salon or the Chronicle of Higher Education or something.

I avidly read and occasionally write for social justice blogs, and I recognize (and love) that much of the audience comes from the sites I look up to. I am committed to reducing the amount of racism, sexism, able-ism, class-ism, body shame, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, neocolonialism and general ignorance in the world. However, this is a “101″ space where people come to ask difficult questions and wrestle with their own demons.  With the help of the awesome community of commenters, I try to make a safe-R space, but it is not a “safe space” in the way that Shakesville (for a much-admired example) aspires to be.

What that means practically is that you may absolutely question someone’s _____-ist phrasing and assumptions (including mine). But you may not assume that everyone has read all the same books and blogs you’ve read or that we’re all working from the same script. I will delete tedious language-policing and “That story you told about your own personal experience didn’t expressly address my exact situation, so you are excluding/silencing me!” hijacks as fast or faster than I delete that one guy who constantly emails all the ladybloggers to remind us that he’s boycotting American women.

You can always reach me at welcometoawkwardtown@gmail.com or on Twitter at @CAwkward. I greatly appreciate donations to keep the lights on and the internet connection running. Thanks for reading!