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, yes, but it’s not really meant to be about me. Posts carry my name because I don’t like hiding behind anonymity – but they’re meant to contain ideas, as part of a conversation – and that’s what I’m hoping this site will function as, sometimes the conversation might feel like a soapbox, sometimes it’ll frame the subjective as objective, or my opinions as fact. Call me out on that. Keep me honest. But don’t assume this is just an ego trip – I really hope it isn’t.

 

This site is an ongoing conversation, no post appears in isolation – that’s why posts are categorised, and tagged. I’ll call that “The Conversation” – each post by itself represents “a conversation” – but they are a part of the whole.

It may be that a post is the first in a new thread of conversation, but even those posts are in some way related to what this site is on about. You can get a feel for that based on the category list, and hopefully just by reading some of the thousands of available posts.

Having said all that, often what I’m putting out there in this conversation is primarily directed towards myself. If you feel like a post is particularly pointed or critical at a position you own – please know that I’m first thinking and writing to challenge and change my own positions on stuff. If you were to wander through the archives here you’d (I hope) notice my thoughts and words shifting as I think, write, and converse. The more recent stuff represents my more recent thinking, there’s plenty in the archives I no longer hold to. But that’s the nature of a blog. It’s why the new stuff is at the top of the page…

My Job

As a Christian, my job is to be an ambassador for my Lord Jesus – I want what I write to bring glory to him, by pointing people to him, or by appreciating being part of his kingdom living in his world. My job is to love others, to consider other people better than myself, to sacrifice my time and gifts for other people – hopefully this site is part of that. It’s difficult – given that the blogging medium inherently requires offering unsolicited content which in turn requires a level of arrogance, or confidence – I’m hopeful that the contribution I make is competent, or self-aware enough to know its limits – rather than arrogant.

As a writer, my job is to be clear, and to remember certain things about the online world. Non-verbal communication is hard. Information posted on the internet is permanent. The medium is confusing. I’m naturally argumentative. I’m working on these things. Lets do this together.

It’s also my job to try, as much as possible, to give you all the tools I think you need to understand me, to understand the conversation, and to understand a conversation. This is part of that, so is my about section, so are my archives. 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 blog is a vehicle by which I hone my thoughts and positions on issues – posts should be seen as works (or thoughts) in progress unless indicated.

Don’t assume that I will die in a ditch over issues or my take on them – but in many cases this may be the case.

I offer my thoughts publicly because I’m committed to conversation as a means of learning, and a means of teaching – I hope to do both as my thoughts develop.

I will at times advocate a sole “black or white” position as “the only way” to consider an issue. Sometimes this is in the hope that the counterarguments will prove convincing, other times it may be that there is only “one way” – assume these will be demonstrated and argued for substantively, rather than asserted, rest assured – I believe in the colour grey (but possibly not fifty shades of it).

While I’m not about traffic, there are times when I’ll deliberately write something with the hope of being part of a much bigger conversation. A public conversation. In these times it’s possible my tone will shift a gear. Polemic is popular. But I’ll try to keep what I say winsome, seasoned with grace, truthful, loving, and ultimately I want everything I say to be giving an account for the hope that I have as a follower of the Lord Jesus.

Your Job

Your job, as a reader, is to understand the medium. The genre. That’s part of interacting with a text in its context. I’d really appreciate it if you read what I write in the most charitable sense possible, and comment accordingly.

Two posts where I have explored this idea more fully are below:

While I recognise that the nature of the internet means you’re probably taking part in “a conversation,” I hope that each post is interpreted in the context of “The Conversation” – it’s not unreasonable for you to do the former, but wherever possible through in text links, tags, and categories, I will try to make it clear that what I have written is part of something bigger.

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… Argument is encouraged. Passionate argument is passionately encouraged. There is a comment policy. Read it. If you comment, I will assume you are familiar with it – even if you’re not.

Sometimes you might just have to get over how pig-headed I am, sometimes you may even, for your own sanity, no longer want to take part in The Conversation here, not just a conversation. That’s fine. Don’t feel the need to tell me, unless you think I’ve done something heinous, or that I’m, in someway, misrepresenting you, or worse, Jesus.

What I’d really like from you is for you to engage in a conversation with me, to give me feedback, to correct me, to encourage me, and to share useful things with others so that my writing publicly achieves its purposes.

Thanks for reading and being part of the conversation.

Declaration of interests etc

St. Eutychus is a hobby, but I’m not totally against the idea of making money from the time I invest curating the Internet for your reading pleasure, or creating content. It costs me around $40 a month to keep this blog running.

There are a couple of ways you can support this endeavour. I’m not into conventional advertising. I don’t like special interests or any doubt being cast on the relationship between editorial and financial contributions. If I recommend a product, I believe in it, or I make it clear that I’m not recommending a product (in the case of some of the more curious things I might feature from time to time).

I want you to get something out of choosing one of these methods of supporting what I do here.

Here are some of your options – all calculated to be “win-win”…

  • I am an Amazon affiliate – when I post links to Amazon products I get a small cut if you buy them. I will either link to products that I find humourous, or products I actually endorse. I will make it clear when I am personally endorsing a product. You can just enter Amazon via this link and earn money for me via whatever you purchase. There is a permanent Amazon box advertising the Kindle in my sidebar – because I love the Kindle platform. I also have a Perpetual Kid affiliate account – but since their products are unavailable to people in Australia (99% of my readership) this is less than useful information.
  • I have a similar deal with the Book Depository – which is a better option for books, unless you have a Kindle (like I do).
  • You can buy an hilarious t-shirt (with more possibly to come) from my Cafe Press store. You can also get mugs, bags, and all sorts of other wonders.