COMMENT POLICY
(Especially the 2nd part)
OFFICIAL COMMENT POLICY
This website and all connected social media accounts
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed on this site are the views of the owner and any contributors. Views expressed by contributors do not necessarily express the view of the owner. This site is my blog (among other things) yes, but I want it to be more than that and not necessarily all about “me”. Don’t assume this is just an ego trip – In fact it’s not. This site is an ongoing project – each page and post by itself represents a part of the whole.
Information posted on the internet is permanent. The medium is confusing. I’m naturally argumentative - I’m working to improve always-care to join me?
It’s my job to try, as much as possible, to give you all the tools I think you need to understand me, to understand the conversations and projects. If you’re reading something without paying attention to any of those things and you want to attack me, that’s fine, I’ll try to respond graciously – but I’ll also point out that you’re failing, in my opinion, as an interpreter.
This website and social related social media accounts is a vehicle by which I hone my thoughts and positions, and everything is a work in progress – including me, have I said that yet? I have no plans to fight to the death with swords or slingshots or any other current or medieval method to get a point across and neither should you. I am offering my life through the portal of the pages on this site publicly (via a pseudonym) because I’m committed to this as a means of learning and living with you.
Your job, as a reader and visitor is to understand the medium. The genre. The various projects I’ve listed and composed within. That’s part of interacting with this site. I’d really appreciate it if you read and understand these pages in the most charitable sense possible.
As guests on this site, you are expected to maintain a courteous tone – direct malevolent criticisms of people the owner of the site holds dear will not be tolerated. There is a comment policy below. Read it. If you comment, I will assume you are familiar with it – even if you’re not. Respect all peoples - get it?
Sometimes you might just have to get over how stubborn I am, sometimes you may even, for your own sanity, no longer want to take part or choose to bad mouth me here or anywhere for that matter, especially if you know me or have worked alongside of me. That’s fine. Don’t feel the need to tell me, unless you think I’ve done something heinous, or that I’m, in some way, the worse person on planet earth. In either case I doubt it because, well, we ALL are part bad and good and it’s up to God (ultimately) to decide and judge. What I’d really like from you is for you to engage with me, to give me feedback and to share useful things with others so the site achieves its purpose.
I wrote this as a notice of sorts for my life, my ideas, my projects the way I do things, the way I approach things and where I am today. The BILLY HUNTER BALIAN website and linked social media accounts is and will grow to be my virtual presence in this world. On these pages I share my whole being and activities (the best I can) online with you, the internet surfer, the curious observer, the wayward loner, the optimistic dreamer and everyone in between. I'm not exactly sure of the purpose other than to share one life with another, yours.
I truly hope within the pages and projects of this website, the stories and events, conversations and articles you can decide for yourself if you've learned something, benefited by, are better for reading, listening, watching and participating in all things related to one person's existence on planet earth. All of us hope to contribute to our family, friends, co-workers, passerby's and beyond something positive through our lives. I guess this is my way of attempting to do that. I've done so many things to this point in my life, I am going to try and compact those trails, errors, numerous experiences, successes and failures into one location right here where you've landed online.
Soak it all in, join me or don't so...
Click through the various pages on here, more to come and you will discover all it has to offer. I hope your visit or stay is pleasant and find what I offer worthy of your time but....
YOU DECIDE.
WANT TO COMMENT? ... please read this one, too!
Before you make any comments read this:
I know you probably think I’ve said or did something wrong. And that’s great. I’ve probably said something wrong or did do something wrong – maybe to you. Argue if you must I love discussions. I don’t think that your disagreeing with me means that you hate me and I certainly do not hate you either - should I?
First – Understand that I view this entire site as an ongoing project – you might be chiming in late, and you’re welcome to do that –feel free to ask for clarification if you don’t understand something. Just be prepared for me to refer you here, to this policy.
Second – This is my house. These are my rules. I’m happy to share with you as long as you extend similar courtesy, but that will be your choice. I reserve the right to edit your comment or delete them. If you really want to come after me, that’s fine too. I’d just prefer we did it in person, it’s harder to hate on someone to their face. What's the point really?
Third – Play the ball. Not the man. We’re hopefully all grown-ups here. Conversation can get heated. Arguments can happen. But make sure you’re not engaging in ad hominem fallacies, or conflating position and person – people have inherent value, arguments don’t always… I don’t buy into the idea that negativity or disagreement are, by definition, not loving or disrespectful.
Fourth – I like to think that this is a civil environment – but if your tone is consistently something I don’t appreciate, I’ll politely invite you to start your own blog or take the next available shuttle to Jupiter or similar planet, I kid I kid.
Fifth – If you really don’t like what I’ve said or done but can’t substantiate your complaint by showing me that I’m wrong or a fool, I’d like you to make your alternative case as passionately, forthrightly and clearly as possible – but don’t hang around whining and wishing I’d change. Change the channel. Go somewhere else. Nobody is forcing you to read or take part and no one is perfect - are you?
Sixth – I reserve the right to quote comments - I assume your comments are public to.
Seventh – If I’ve misrepresented you, please tell me. If I’ve “hurt your feelings” – please tell me, but don’t expect me to care all that much unless I’ve misrepresented you. Offense is almost completely subjective, and it’s not a great measure of truth or love.
Eighth – Interpret charitably. It’s possible, especially given point seven, that I do not mean what you think I mean. Ask. Preferably before taking offense. It’s possible I’m just wrong. Tell me. But assume that I, like all people, am completely fallible. I make mistakes. Don’t read looking for sarcasm, I try not to be sarcastic in anything I do or say, well generally speaking of course. Don’t judge me on the basis of one area of my life. We live and learn throughout.
These are my ideas, they’re my words, these are my experiences but, they’re not my whole life.
Ninth – Try not to say anything online that you wouldn’t say to my face. Try not to say anything about anybody that you wouldn’t say to them really, I mean right?
It is my belief that you deserve to know your rights and responsibilities as a visitor and commenter on this site. You also deserve to know my rights, responsibilities, and intentions as site owner with regards to the comment-related data you freely provide. Consequently, this Comment Policy governs your responsibilities and discloses my intent with your comment data and all that other stuff. If you are unsure what something means, please ask.
AND FINALLY: Visitors agree to “hold harmless” the site owner and from any and all legal repercussions, damages, and liabilities perceived to have been caused by participating within the pages of this site. While this may be a pseudonym, I will state I live in the United States of America governed by a little Amendment, well the 1st one in our Constitution.
Here you go https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript