You can’t be persuasive if you aren’t transparent, at least not with thinking people. Aspirational rules should encourage quality. My choices follow.
God and logic
The most pointed analyses eventually reach premises that cannot be broken down further. I take this as evidence of God. When relevant, I may reference religious teaching where it clarifies a principle or argument. However, this site is not primarily theological.
Spiritual questions are largely outside the scope of this work. I rely first on rational argument and second on empirical observation. My belief is that rigor in reasoning and evidence is the best defense against bias and prejudice.
Punctuation, and its uses
The Oxford comma is required, as is a double space between sentences. Consistent syntax preserves and protects meaning, especially across time. Among other things, you need consent to change the rules. You can’t just change the rules when somebody publishes a new Chicago Manual of Style.
Competence is a process
I invite discussion and debate. The only price of entry is a willingness to change one’s opinion when the evidence requires it. Opinions, conclusions, and arguments must change as new information appears. Propaganda, communication in the absence of thought, has no place here.
On this site, my thinking will be on display. The bottom of each post and page includes notes documenting the corrections I make to my work. This is not weakness. It is seriousness. Over time those notes will themselves become a record of how my thinking evolves.
Attribution to the natural and the artificial
If the Internet weakened privacy, AI may weaken false certainty. In the past it was common to present only final conclusions without showing the reasoning that evolved as new information appeared. That practice was partly practical: paper, attention, and distribution were scarce.
Those constraints no longer apply. I will not tolerate misattribution. Using another person’s idea is not shameful, but failing to credit it is. When possible I will cite sources.
I will also disclose when AI tools assist in drafting or editing. These tools are now part of the modern intellectual environment. Their use should be transparent. In all cases, I am responsible for what appears on this site.
Provenance
Revisions
03-13-2026: Added tags.
03-07-2026: Initial post.