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Site Policy Updates

Marla Singer's picture




 

We've updated our disclaimer, our privacy policy and our (non)policy on conflicts / full disclosure. You should take a look.  Also, if you like knowing whenever we make changes, you can subscribe to those listings.

 

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Sat, 07/18/2009 - 17:43 | 9589 Shaza (not verified)
Shaza's picture

Are any of the  ZH team  in OZ or NZ? Sometimes you all just sound as irreverant as an Aussie...by the way, what about Ansell condoms "When you want extra stimulation" (ASX: ANN) ? LOL!  Great send up guys.

PS If you have not read all of Malra's post, you won't get this! 

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 17:44 | 9590 Shaza (not verified)
Shaza's picture

AND, the Merino wool is better in OZ! LOL

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 17:55 | 9591 Hans Robert
Hans Robert's picture

When you check "Privacy Policy" and then the click the "How To [Read/Tip Off] Zero Hedge Without Attracting The Interest Of [Human Resources/The Treasury/Black Helicopters]" link it results in a not found error.

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 18:02 | 9598 Marla Singer
Marla Singer's picture

Thanks!

 

A few links didn't properly update in the move.  This was one we missed.  Should work now.

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 18:00 | 9597 deadhead
deadhead's picture

Re: Conflicts/Full Disclosure policy.

 

Marla: Simply brilliant.  Once again you prove the pen is mightier.....thank you for your efforts.

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 18:33 | 9607 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Your conflict and full disclosure policy is way too long.

I can summarize it this way:

Since ZH doesn't disclose who we at ZH are, you must assume a conflict of interest on everything that we publish.

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 19:00 | 9625 Marla Singer
Marla Singer's picture

Misses a lot.  Including:

 

"Anyone who claims "full disclosure" is either very stupid, or very sly."

Sun, 07/19/2009 - 09:28 | 9880 Ben_the_Bald
Ben_the_Bald's picture

Ah, your rationalization seems very clever. Feed the cynics with cynicism and hope they'll bite. Well, some of those cynics will end up eating you.

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 18:36 | 9609 Milton
Milton's picture

dammit marla, you know your stuff. there really are kiwi condoms --- (with vitamin e).

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 18:53 | 9619 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

"Criminally negligent acquiescence", delicious!

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 19:43 | 9655 ptoemmes
ptoemmes's picture

I still love you all - in a purely platonic way of course.

 

But, can I at least have an e-hug?

 

Pete

Hey - my CAPTCHA is "nine - nine = " 0 (zero as in Zero Hedge).  Do I win anything?

 

 

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 20:35 | 9670 agrotera
agrotera's picture

Your claim in your conflicts/full disclosure that your site is purely self serving actually forces a negative perception of the site for the reader.  It was a good essay on the absurdity and the futility of disclaimers, but, i feel duped to think that you do this purely to be self serving. I guess i am a Pollyanna at heart, but in your writing, i thought i sensed sincere concern for our country, justice and truth.  According to your disclaimer, that makes me a sucker and maybe i need a sense of humor. Kay cera cera...

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 20:37 | 9672 Tyler Durden
Tyler Durden's picture

Our concern for the country has gotten us 20 C&D orders in 6 months: seems the concern is not mutual. Humor is good in these dark times.

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 21:03 | 9694 agrotera
agrotera's picture

Sorry for the hits you have taken, and thank you for your concern.  I laugh alot when reading posts here, so thank you for that, too. 

I need to take the advice i am given sometimes, which is "lighten up"...sorry for my lack of humor today.

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 21:33 | 9708 Marla Singer
Marla Singer's picture

Agrotera:

Your line of discussion depends on a fundamental assumption I am not sure (given what I have seen of your other writing- which, it happens, has impressed me) you realize you are making.  It is this: Facilitating (even celebrating) rational self-interest is not, in the end, the best thing for the United States.  We believe it is.  If you haven't already, please read Cliff Asness' piece.  In particular this:

Lots of politicians understand that the simple
free system leaves them out in the cold. No power for them. No
committees to sit on to decide people’s lives. No lies to tell their
constituents how they (the government) brought them the health care
they so desperately need. No fat checks from lobbyists as the crony
capitalists pay dearly to make the only profits possible under this
system, those bestowed by the government. Libertarians are often
accused wrongly of loving “big business,” but we don’t, particularly
when they predictably turn themselves into crony capitalists who try to
succeed by wheedling from the government. On the other hand the
socialists love cronies of all sorts, ones who command large
enterprises all the better. Socialists are far closer than libertarians
to building and countenancing the all-powerful corporate state they
claim to fear. Odd I know!

We no longer intend to support crony censorship for large financial institutions that had the bucks to push crap like the DMCA and the Disney "Mickey Mouse" exception to trademark / copyright law to support broken business plans until there is no blood left to suck.

The best thing for this country would be to stop giving legal handouts to firms that know how to pour honey in the right ears and green in the right pockets in some dark alley off of K-Street.

Likewise, we don't think allowing ourselves to be manipulated by abuse of the DMCA (when it is actually entirely legal to opt out of by moving our operations) is for the "good of the country."

Also, don't lighten up.  If we can't handle it, we aren't worth reading.

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 22:51 | 9752 agrotera
agrotera's picture

Thank you so much Marla!  I am completely with you on all of this. And I really appreciate your suggestion NOT to lighten up!

Sun, 07/19/2009 - 03:12 | 9852 aldousd
aldousd's picture

Halelujiah.

Sun, 07/19/2009 - 14:53 | 9975 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Well done, Marla.

"MARK IT ZERO, DUDE"

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 21:28 | 9706 lizzy36
lizzy36's picture

20 C&D? means u r doing something right.  i expect that number to be up over 5 fold in the next 6 months.

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 22:06 | 9727 Ben_the_Bald
Ben_the_Bald's picture

But then you take your server to a socialist country like Sweden? So something is right about socialism after all?

Sun, 07/19/2009 - 13:32 | 9947 Marla Singer
Marla Singer's picture

We are multi-homed and so dependent on no one system.  We picked the places which were least likely to cause problems with our content.  I'm not sure what their welfare policy has to do with that selection, anymore than their weather or system of parking fines does.  (But you knew better- you just wanted to be abrasive... right?)  The United States, once the land of the free, is simply not an option anymore.  Unfortunately, the former nexus of freedom and open expression (I mean the U.S.- I know its hard to tell anymore), has decided to implode.  We are forced to house where we can.  Perhaps when the U.S. pulls its head out of its ass again we can return.

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 22:13 | 9731 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Legal defense fund? I'm in. Can't argue in court (missed my calling, unfortunately), but I as a member of ACLU, I'll put in a good word. But a big fund can buy heavy hitters! You've got my trust.

Sun, 07/19/2009 - 14:25 | 9958 agrotera
agrotera's picture

Hey folks,

Where is your new logo and your supersleuth typewriter,etc?  Just wondering, not a criticism.  

 

Did you bring the old logo back to attract the blogsite folks over here?

Sun, 07/19/2009 - 14:30 | 9960 Marla Singer
Marla Singer's picture

Actually, this is the new, new logo.  The old logo was over the heads of most people (the Enigma machine is somewhat of an enigma after all) who thought it was a typerwriter.  That, along with the dark theme, apparently made us too "conspiracy-y."

Sun, 07/19/2009 - 16:17 | 10006 agrotera
agrotera's picture

Wow, that is so cool, i didn't know about the enigma machine!  And, i will miss it.

Even though i didn't know it was the enigma machine, i felt it was fitting as a typewriter because you guys are writing, and searching for understanding to take what was an enigma and bring light and understanding on the matter.

Good work on the big balancing act that you have to do every day!!!

Sun, 07/19/2009 - 17:22 | 10024 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

tyler and marla r alogrithms.

Tue, 07/21/2009 - 01:04 | 10863 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Hopefully that's all. Here comes the paranoia, read fully all the way down.

From (non)policy on conflicts/disclosure:

"You should assume that at all times we are so totally just talking our book it would shock and awe you like the unexpected, early-morning arrival of a cluster of BGM-109C Tomahawks (were you a believer in the importance of "optics" that is)."

Almost sounds like a non-denial denial. (Hat tip Matt Taibbi for bringing that term back into my vocabulary.)

From disclaimer:

"Zero Hedge is not a broker-dealer, legal advisor, tax advisor, investment advisor, accounting advisor or children's party clown. (There seems to have been some confusion that these terms are interchangeable). Relying on Zero Hedge in such a capacity will result in regulatory entanglements, CIVIL AND CRIMINAL ACTIONS NAMING YOU AS A DEFENDANT, severe tax liabilities and liens from the tax authority in your jurisdiction and the horror of lax accounting standards.

Exactly who would be bringing those civil and criminal actions naming the reader as defendant? Sounds oddly menacing.

Pasted below is an abridged excerpt from one of the hits when ZeroHedge is searched on Google. Pay particular attention to the text in all caps:

Who Is Tyler Durden of ZeroHedge?

April 16, 2009 by Joshua M Brown

TYLER’S CONTRIBUTED A TON OF GUEST POSTS TO NAKED CAPITALISM BUT ZEROHEDGE’S ARCHIVES ONLY SEEM TO GO BACK TO EARLY JANUARY OF 2009.

I went to nakedcapitalism.com and could not find guest posts on that blog from Mr. Durden predating 2009 either (I probably missed something somehow). Early January 2009, huh? Is ZH the blog equivalent of a show trial? Don't know. But it behooves each of us to question everything.

Tue, 07/21/2009 - 01:17 | 10868 Marla Singer
Marla Singer's picture

We were talking about the impact of relying on us as a children's party clown.

Tue, 07/21/2009 - 02:17 | 10891 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Hmmmm, as Mr. Taibbi might say, you have conspicuously chosen to address only one point in the post. Interestingly, it's probably the most nonsensical and harmless portion of the site's privacy policy, disclaimer and (non)policy on conflicts/disclosure. Almost a non-denial, denial. But not quite. Of course, as somebody who was "compelled first to 'big law'" you would be highly skilled at ambiguous and evasive language.

Tue, 07/21/2009 - 02:37 | 10896 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

The most interesting/curious aspect of your reply is the non-denial denial of the last portion of my post, pasted in quotes, all caps. "PASTED BELOW IS AN ABRIDGED EXCERPT FROM ONE OF THE HITS WHEN ZEROHEDGE IS SEARCHED ON GOOGLE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE TEXT IN ALL CAPS: WHO IS TYLER DURDEN OF ZEROHEDGE? APRIL 16, 2009 BY JOSHUA M BROWN TYLER’S CONTRIBUTED A TON OF GUEST POSTS TO NAKED CAPITALISM BUT ZEROHEDGE’S ARCHIVES ONLY SEEM TO GO BACK TO EARLY JANUARY OF 2009. I WENT TO NAKEDCAPITALISM.COM AND COULD NOT FIND GUEST POSTS ON THAT BLOG FROM MR. DURDEN PREDATING 2009 EITHER (I PROBABLY MISSED SOMETHING SOMEHOW). EARLY JANUARY 2009, HUH? IS ZH THE BLOG EQUIVALENT OF A SHOW TRIAL? DON'T KNOW. BUT IT BEHOOVES EACH OF US TO QUESTION EVERYTHING."

Tue, 07/21/2009 - 09:08 | 10955 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Presumably that "skill" includes the propensity to use 500 words to explain something when 10 words would be sufficient.

Listen, don't waste your time with the Marla character. If you use google you can find her previous personalities in the "blogosphere." Durden is a little more difficult, but not impossible.

Sun, 07/19/2009 - 17:30 | 10027 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

whers's my intern to check on spelling?

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