Terms of use

These terms set out how TechDug works and what we expect from everyone who uses it. Using the site means you accept them, so they are written to be read.

Definitions

“TechDug”, “we” and “us” refer to the TechDug team that runs this site. “You” means anyone using it: readers, commenters and authors. “Content” means anything published here, including posts, code samples, images, profiles and comments.

Reading and comments

Reading is free and needs no account. You may read posts, link to them and quote short passages with credit to the author, as is normal on the web. Republishing a whole post elsewhere requires the author’s permission. Code samples may carry their own licence; follow it when there is one.

Anyone may comment using a name. Comments are reviewed, and we decide which are published. You are responsible for your comments, and you must have the right to share whatever you post.

Author accounts

Author accounts are by invitation; there is no public sign-up. An invitation lets you keep a blog here under these terms. Keep your sign-in details private, and tell us through the contact page if you think someone else has used your account.

You are responsible for everything published on your blog, including having the rights to the text, code and images you upload, and for following the publishing guidelines.

Ownership and licence

Authors keep ownership of what they publish. By publishing on TechDug, you allow us to host, store, display and distribute that content as part of the service, for example on your blog, on topic pages and in RSS feeds. This permission exists only so the site can work. It ends when the content is removed, except for copies that have already left the site, such as items already delivered to readers’ feed apps.

You can ask us to remove a post, or your whole blog, at any time through the contact page.

Rules

The publishing guidelines form part of these terms. In brief: nothing illegal, deceptive or harmful, no malware or phishing, no harassment, no impersonation and no copying other people’s work.

Moderation and removal

We may remove content, or decline to publish it, if it breaks these terms or the guidelines, or if we receive a valid complaint about it. We may close a blog that breaks them seriously or repeatedly. We try to be fair and proportionate, but we are not obliged to host any particular content.

If you believe your work was published here without permission, use the contact page and choose Copyright, with links to your original and to the copy.

Using the service fairly

Do not try to break, overload or get around the site’s protections. That includes flooding the comment or contact forms, probing for vulnerabilities, or scraping content in a way that slows the site for others. Feed readers and search engines are welcome.

Code and instructions in posts

Posts often contain code, commands and configuration. They are written by individual authors and shared for learning. Read and understand anything before you run it, test it somewhere safe first, and keep backups. Running code from a post is your decision and your responsibility.

External links

Posts link to other websites. We do not run those sites and are not responsible for their content or their availability.

The service as provided

TechDug is provided “as is” and “as available”. We work to keep it running and its content intact, but we give no warranty that it will be uninterrupted, free of errors or fit for any particular purpose. We may change, suspend or discontinue any feature, or the whole service, at any time. Keep your own copy of anything you cannot afford to lose.

Limitation of liability

To the extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect or consequential losses, or for loss of data, profit or opportunity, arising from your use of the site or from content published by others. Authors are responsible for their posts and commenters for their comments; publishing them here is not an endorsement.

Ending

Readers can simply stop visiting. Authors can ask at any time, through the contact page, for their blog to be closed; its profile and posts are then taken off the site. We may end an invitation if a blog seriously breaks these terms.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as the service changes. When we do, the “last updated” date on this page changes too. Continuing to use the site after an update means you accept the new version.

Questions

Questions about these terms go through the contact page, the only way to reach the team.