The following information has been written by Elihu Ihms, the editor and webmaster for Steelsnowflake.com.

Legal Aspects

First off: I am not a lawyer.

That said, I believe that our modern legal system is much too dependent upon the "services" of lawyers, and that if you can't explain it in common sense english, then it probably doesn't need to be said. Here are a few basic points to keep in mind while browsing steelsnowflake.com:

1. Steelsnowflake contains copyrighted material.

I know that copyright laws have been greatly abused, but they do have a purpose. My main concern, at least regarding copyright law, basically extends to "giving credit where credit is due". If you want to quote something you read on Steelsnowflake you don't have to ask me, but I'd appreciate it.

The material on steelsnowflake.com exists to be publicly disseminated, just please acknowledge where it came from so that others may have access to our content.

2. External material present on Steelsnowflake.com.

If you believe that we've wrongfully stolen/copied/plagarized material of yours, I want to know. As a scientist, I am fully aware of the importance of citing work done by other people.

However, if you send me a nasty email full of legal mumbojumbo in an attempt to scare me, you've already lost. I have no money, and that makes me pretty brave. I'll probably make fun of you mercilessly, and then ignore you. If you can't be reasonable, then take a hike.

If you're from the RIAA/MPAA and think I've broken the law/libeled you, go jump in a lake. I don't talk to gangsters. I have a personal vendetta against you, and even if it takes an act of civil disobedience to make my point, I'll do it. I'm crazy that way.

3. Potential Dangers (i.e. Liabilities)

As for liability concerning use of this website, I don't know what to tell you. Chances are if you're the sort of person who'd hurt himself/herself over the material on this site, you'd be the sort of person who'd sue over it, and nothing I say here is going to change that.

I will say that I (and the others on steelsnowflake) talk about a wide breadth of topics. Some of them have the potential of being dangerous. Some might even skirt the boundaries of legal if actually practiced. If you have any questions, remember, you can [contact me].

Some examples of potentially dangerous topics discussed here on Steelsnowflake could include that of making explosives, portscanning a remote host, genetic manipulation, etc. etc. Considering the wide scope of things that the contributors of Steelsnowflake are good at/crazy enough to try, the list is pretty extensive. We do welcome questions, though.

General Notes

I have no aspirations of making any money whatsoever from Steelsnowflake.com, as my dreams of its direction lean toward the academic, or at least an attempt to be informative. If you have some sort of buisness proposal, I'm all ears (reference the earlier statement about having no money), but keep in mind that I don't like advertisements (which rules out banners, of course). If you have some sort of product you'd like me to check out and write my thoughts about, go ahead and send it to me. I don't have lots of time, but I'm willing to try anything. No guarantees on what I'll say though.

Finally, remember that your best asset is your mind. If something appears to be wrong, let me know. If you think that I've broken the law in some way, again, let me know. I believe in following the laws of the land, while at the same time firmly believing in "a government for the people by the people". Please forgive me if my statements/actions can be construed as "inflammatory" at times. I prize my freedom more than my life, and will use every ounce of my intellect to preserve that. If your concerns are for someone on the site other than myself, direct your questions to me first. As administrator/editor of this site, I get to call the shots.

That's it. Remember: Any questions, [contact] me!