PRIVACY POLICY, TERMS OF SERVICE, and More

1. Introduction to No Bull and This Page

This page is an assortment of boring but necessary information about No Bull Educational Services and all associated or affiliated media. This page contains our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service, as well as other information about this No Bull Website, No Bull Update, and any podcasts, blogs, or other media we may ever use. You should read this page once and then glance over it from time to time, as often as you choose.

All references to No Bull on this page will be construed to mean No Bull Educational Services, including this No Bull Website, the No Bull Update, and any other media we may use to further our goals.

This page constitutes a legal agreement between No Bull and our visitors. No Bull may modify these terms without notice, at any time, and in its sole discretion.

While No Bull is based in the United States, it is a very informal enterprise consisting of volunteers from several countries, working together to teach science, critical thinking, and related concepts in a simple, understandable, and interesting way. Each volunteer contributes in whatever way he or she can. Some proof everything before it is posted or as soon as possible thereafter; some provide artwork and layout advice; others check for factual accuracy; and still others contribute money to help pay expenses. Most provide ideas and information from time to time. All are appreciated very much.

We currently post only in the English language, but you may read this in your choice of many languages by using Google's free translation service or a similar service. However, we cannot be responsible for any possible mistranslations.

No Bull is both an educational and an activist enterprise, believing that people everywhere MUST understand the basic principles of modern science in order to function well in this scientific age. We are more concerned about how science works and why it works so very well than about facts and details; but, of course, facts and details are important, too.

No Bull's primary goal is to present basic science, critical thinking, and related concepts to interested people in a simple, understandable, and fascinating way.

As the world changes, our services and goals may also change. This page is provided to keep our users abreast of No Bull's policies and practices in this changing environment. While most of this information will be understood by reasonable people without being stated, at least some of it must be stated anyway for those few who might not figure it out for themselves..

No Bull often deals with controversial subjects where, for example, science and religion may overlap. Even skepticism itself is controversial in some circles. We'll deal with these subjects mostly from our own skeptical viewpoint. If you want the other side of an "argument," it's usually available in a jillion other places. At least.

When it seems appropriate, however, we may deal with "the other side" of an argument in order to explain why we disagree with it. One example of this would be our article titled "How Old is the Earth? And How Do We Know?" Some of the articles about biological evolution are treated in a similar way.

The pronouns "I" and "me" as used in No Bull media mean the editor unless a different author is indicated.

The pronouns "we" and "us" as used in No Bull media may mean "the author and the reader", "humankind in general", "scientifically oriented people in general" or possibly something else determined by the context. Unless specifically stated, such pronouns will never be used to mean that every single member of this or any other group agrees with what is being said.

All material in No Bull is written by the editor, Bill Dearmore, unless otherwise noted. I am solely responsible for the entire contents of No Bull. I am responsible for selecting and publishing even items written by somebody else and so noted.

Excerpts or reprints from other websites, magazines, books, or other sources will be credited. If necessary, some items may be designated as "Anonymous," "Unknown," or "Name withheld by request."

We will not intentionally violate anybody else's copyright, though short items and excerpts may be quoted with attribution for educational purposes under the fair use doctrine of the Copyright Law of the United States of America. we understand this is a gray area of the law, so if we have included your copyrighted material and you object, please let me know. Upon reasonable request, I’ll remove it from our site.

Volunteers may proofread and/or comment on articles before publication or as soon afterward as possible. Readers also occasionally point out typos and other misteaks mistakes, which I correct as quickly as possible.

Opinions expressed herein are mine unless otherwise noted. They are not necessarily shared by any scientific society, university, or any other organization. The science on No Bull, however, is usually from the scientific mainstream; so most scientists are likely to agree with it, at least in general.

It is NOT our purpose to create new science, nor to argue with working scientists about their areas of expertise. Rather, we try to simplify and explain what scientists do and why they do it, making this information understandable and interesting to non-scientists. When there is controversy, it is most often between scientists on the one hand and non-scientists who do not understand certain concepts on the other.

2. Privacy

By sending email to this address, you agree that it (including any attachments) becomes the property of No Bull, and that we may post it on No Bull Website or elsewhere with the "first name" and location you give us. I'll use no other identifying information on it, except with your permission or at your request.

If we publish an item, we may edit it to meet space, grammar, style, or other requirements; but I'll make a "good faith effort" not to change your meaning. (If you think I've changed your meaning significantly, please email me again so I'll know how to correct it.)

Flames will usually be ignored, but amusing ones may be posted online to give our readers a laugh or two at your expense. (As of September 7, 2008, I've received only two emails critical of this site. Both were from the same person, and neither was what I would consider a flame.)

Please don't hesitate to comment on what's been written on No Bull or what you would like to see here. we need your input to make No Bull better. My email link is near the bottom of every page, coded in Javascript to prevent most harvesting programs from getting it for the spammers. (Unfortunately, plenty of spammers have found it in spite of such precautions.)

Just click the link to email me with your opinions, feelings, thoughts, or information. Please include your first name (at least) and your state or country.

3. Credentials? What's That?

I make no pretense of being a scholar or an expert in any field. I wish we were, but I am not.  See "Who Is This Crazy Bill Dearmore Guy, Anyway?" and "Saved in the Nick of Time" for more information about me.

Please understand, I am NOT bragging about my lack of credentials. I am merely admitting it openly so there won't be any misunderstanding.

What I do claim is this:

• People who know me usually seem to consider me reasonably intelligent and well informed on a variety of subjects. You'll have to judge for yourself whether that's true or not.

• People who read my work usually seem to think I write interestingly and explain things well. I made my living doing so for many years; but you'll have to judge that for yourself, too.

• I spend a great deal of effort studying and verifying factual information before I publish it. For this reason, I don't consider myself to be "ignorant" just because I have no credentials. Still, you be the judge after you read a few articles.

I tend to be a generalist. I have spent most of my spare time for more than six decades reading and studying just about everything I could get my hands on. As a result, I think it's fair to say that I know a little bit about many different subjects, but not as much as I would like to know about anything. When I need details, they are usually available on reliable Internet sites or in books, magazines, and other references.

I check my facts carefully before I publish a new article. Therefore, I believe you'll find these pages to be factually accurate.

I wish he had both formal education and credentials, and I encourage everybody to get the best formal education they can. Be sure you get the degrees to prove it. I know by my own experience that you'll need them.

Please don't believe the things we say on No Bull just because we say them. Read other good sites on the same and related subjects, as well as books and magazines. Remember that truth (or science) is not democratic; a mistake is still a mistake, even if a million scientists (or especially non-scientists) believe it to be true. On the other hand, scientists who actually "do science" and publish it in refereed journals are more likely to understand their own work and work related to it than anybody else.

Never expect a theologian to understand science as well as a scientist does, any more than you would expect a scientist to be an expert in theology. The modern world is far too complex to work that way.

You'll find good starting points for your additional reading on our links page, as well as in many of the articles themselves. But don't stop there. There are many sources of good information. Just remember to approach them all with the same skeptical attitude that we try to encourage on No Bull.

A few of our statements about religion, superstition, ethics, "human nature," and similar subjects may not be based entirely on science. Some may be based on a combination of skepticism, life experience, and "common sense." While most things can be tested scientifically, there may be others that cannot. And there are many that probably can be tested eventually, but have not been tested yet. In these cases, we have to use our best judgment until the scientific work is done.

For example, I assume that an omnipotent god could hide from me forever, if he/she/it chose to do so. In this event, there would be no possible way for science to discover the god. While this might be a hypothetical possibility, it seems so totally absurd that I believe it deserves no further consideration. Such a "god" is not a fit subject for scientific study, because it's imposible to study something that hides so effectively.

In our opinion, the same is true of the idea that god hid dinosaur bones and other fossils to "test our faith" by forcing us to choose between believing "his word" or the evidence of our own eyes. I can think of no way to test this scientifically; it just doesn't make any sense. Any god who would do so would seem to be a VERY strange god indeed. And certainly a deceiving one.

It is probably fair to say that this No Bull Website is made up of a combination of skeptical opinion, science, and maybe a few other things. When No Bull was new, the opinion pages were more numerous; because they were adapted from the editor's previous website, Skeptic's Soap Box. Now these are outnumbered by the science articles.

4. Legal Matters

All facts and information on No Bull are believed to be accurate at the time they were written.

Scientific information will change as new facts are discovered or new theories are developed, and we may not always be able to keep up with the changes. Even the working scientists themselves can't keep up, for that matter.

Everything on No Bull is for general information, education, opinion, or entertainment only. Nothing on No Bull is intended to provide specific legal, financial, medical, or tax advice, or any other expert or professional advice whatsoever; and it should not be relied upon for those purposes. If you need expert or professional advice, you should get it from appropriate experts or professionals.

Laws are different from state to state and especially from nation to nation, and it is not possible for me to know all the laws everywhere.

Therefore, everything on No Bull (including advertising) is offered only in jurisdictions where it may be legally offered. If you are not in such a jurisdiction, you use No Bull at your own risk. In such case, please do not respond to any advertising or even read any article that may not be legal where you are.

Information provided here may not be all-inclusive, and is limited to information that is available to me. Such information should not be relied upon as definitely all-inclusive or accurate, though we try hard to maintain accuracy.

We assume no legal responsibility for the accuracy of anything published in No Bull.

We assume no responsibility or liability for any third-party ads or for purchases made through them.

While we will not knowingly advertise anything fraudulent, illegal, pornographic, highly bigoted, designed to promote hate, or otherwise unsuitable for No Bull or our guests, it is your responsibility to decide for yourself before ordering.

The inclusion of an ad in No Bull does not constitute an explicit endorsement. We don't have the resources to test everything.

When we really know and like a product and think at least some of you should have it, I may tell you explicitly. Otherwise, please view any ads the same way you would view commercials on TV or ads in the back of your favorite magazine. Check them out. Make a decision. If you don't like what you receive, ask the advertiser to make it good.

We are not responsible for any damage to you resulting from your use of No Bull, anything downloaded from No Bull, or anything advertised by No Bull. By using No Bull, you agree to assume all such responsibility.

You agree that Texas law will govern the statements on this page and anywhere else in No Bull, and any disagreement that may ever occur between you and No Bull.

You agree that any claim or suit by either party, arising out of or related to this agreement or any part, function, or activity of No Bull, must be brought exclusively in state or county courts located in San Antonio, Texas, in the United States of America.

You consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts, exactly as if both parties lived in and did business in San Antonio, Texas; and you agree that, if we win our case, you'll pay all our legal expenses, lawyer fees, and any other expenses incurred by us for our defense. No Bull and its owners and contributors, or anybody else associated in any way with No Bull, will in no case be held liable for more than the price of your particular purchase that is under dispute, and then only if you made the purchase through No Bull.

If you made no purchase through No Bull, then there can be no dispute, no legal disagreement, and no monetary liability.

5. Errors

If you find factual errors (whether typos or misrepresentations) on these pages, please email me so we can make the necessary corrections. We will always appreciate it. Differences of opinion probably will not be considered errors, but may be discussed on our "From the Readers" page.

6. Bible References

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible references we use are from the Authorized King James Version, often designated as KJV or AV.

We  originally used AV on this site for no other reason than that it's easier to type two letters than three. However, I have begun using KJV instead; because it seems to be more easily recognized. People who think King James Version don't always think Authorized Version.

There are several reasons why I use the KJV of the Bible in spite of its archaic language. Mainly, it is the version I know best. From my earliest childhood, I was taught the KJV was “the Word of God” and all other versions were “the work of the Devil.” Many Americans and others still believe this or something very similar.

The KJV is still used in many protestant churches, and especially by many fundamentalists and evangelicals. (Catholics have their own version.) Therefore, by quoting from the KJV, I am using the version that American Protestants are most likely to be familiar with. Most such quotations are likely to be in general agreement with other English versions, but some are significantly different.

Bible references in letters, quoted materials, and articles written by another author are from whatever version that author chooses. There are many different English versions of the Bible, and I have only a few of them in my library. For this reason and others, I may not always be able to check such quotations for accuracy.

7. Advertising

Any ads on No Bull are intended to help defray some of our expenses.

If you click an ad and buy something, I'll probably make a small commission. In some cases, instead of a commission, I may receive a very small payment for each click (a few cents, usually). In a few instances, the ads may even be for my own products or services, in which case I may get to keep it all. And that's great! I need it to pay for hosting, the domain name, and most especially scientific magazines and references.

For whatever it's worth, it's extremely unlikely that I'll get rich from these ads. So please click the ones that interest you and buy anything you need.

Any and all offers on No Bull are void where prohibited.

I never know exactly where you are visiting from. Neither can I know all the laws of every country or other governing entity in the world. Therefore, I cannot know what you may or may not order legally from our ads in your location. In some countries, it may not even be legal for you to visit No Bull on the web or receive our Updates.

For this reason, I generally assume our visitors are in the United States of America; and I believe everything on our site is legal here. If you are visiting our site from anywhere else, you are welcome; but it is your responsibility to know and comply with the laws of your location.

If you are visiting from a religiously extreme or totalitarian area, please be careful! I definitely don't want you to get into any trouble for visiting or using the services of No Bull. If you are in such an area, it is your responsibility to be sure that your use of our materials and/or services is legal. I cannot be held responsible for your law breaking.

8. Contributions made through the PayPal buttons on most pages of this website will be used exclusively for the support of No Bull.

I have never received any pay for this work, nor has anybody else. No Bull has been, and continues to be, strictly a volunteer organization.

All contributions will be used to help pay for such things as high quality web hosting and other Internet services, a good computer with which to create and manage the website, necessary software, books, magazines, and other information, etc.

Each contributor will receive a receipt electronically from PayPal; but I cannot promise you an income tax deduction, because No Bull is not a registered non-profit organization.

9. Please Consider Yourself Warned about Links to Other Sites

There will be links to videos other web sites on many of these pages.

They'll be sites that I think will interest some or all of our readers for one reason or another. Linking to another site DOES NOT always mean that I agree with everything on it. It just means I think it is useful in some way. (In most cases, of course, this probably means I do agree with at least some part of it. If not all.)

I will not intentionally link to sites that promote bigotry, fanaticism, sexism, racial divisiveness, or similar attitudes, unless I am using them as examples of bull. In any such case, I'll try to make this very clear.

Generally, I will not intentionally link to sites that contain a substantial amount of vulgar language. However, there will be exceptions to this rule; because I consider a few such sites to be very useful in spite of the language. In such cases, I'll try to provide an "Objectionable Language Warning.".

I'll often provide links to sites with controversial content. That's in the nature of No Bull, after all. Unfortunately, in our opinion, some of these sites (definitely not all) contain language that I find objectionable. It's their site, and they have a right to use the language they prefer.

If I find a large amount of language that I consider vulgar, I probably will not link to it. If I consider the site worthy of a link in spite of the language, I'll post the "Objectionable Language Warning."

But what I see today and what you see tomorrow may not be the same. Please consider yourself warned.

I may occasionally link to a site with a philosophy that I strongly disagree with. That will usually be clear from the context, but I'll try to be sure by labeling it as "Pure Bull" or something similar.

In any case, websites change. Even when they don't change, I can't promise what might or might not be on another page that I didn't see. I cannot be responsible for the actions of any other person or organization, or for the content of their websites

So click at your own risk.

In most cases, you'll probably find exactly what you expect. Good, sound, worthy materials.

10. Note about Different Browser Versions

This website is best viewed with a fairly recent version of Microsoft Internet Explorer with Javascript turned on. I didn't plan it this way; I just used the same tools I've been using for many years, and this is how it turned out.

I believe it actually makes some sense, though. There are so many different versions of so many different browsers and operating systems that it's impossible for me to plan for all the differences. For example, I've already discovered some minor differences in the way FireFox and IE display our pages. They simply look better, at least in my opinion, in IE.

Since about 70 percent of our viewers appear to use recent versions of IE, and since the rest can probably see the text, and since our resources are limited, I've decided (at least for the present) to restrict most of our effort to being sure this site works well with IE. From time to time, though, I also check with a couple of other popular browsers to be sure it can be seen and read. I don't think it's a serious problem.

If this offends anybody, please accept my apology in advance. It's not a matter of preference. It's just the best I can do.

Note: The new Chrome browser from Google also appears to display the No Bull Website as well as IE does.

11. Fraudulent Email Messages

Fraudulent e-mail messages flood the Internet. Some have a virus attached. Others request personal or financial information under false pretences. These e-mails appear to come from reputable organizations and businesses, but they really come from crooks. This is sometimes referred to as "phishing;" because the frauds are fishing for your personal, private information.

No Bull will NEVER e-mail you asking for personal information unless it is the result of a previous communication; and you'll be expecting our email. In this very rare and unlikely event, I'll remind you why we're asking so you'll know it's legitimate.

I may sometimes include pictures or graphics in an email so you see them when you open it. These will not be attachments, because the email will display them from our own web server. But some email programs do call them attachments. I can do nothing about that. This applies even to a graphic background like the ones you see on our web pages, when used in email.

Any email I send you should also have your name near the top, as you  gave it to me when you subscribed.

12. Odds and Ends

I often put the word "believer" in quotes, because it doesn't really mean very much. We are all believers; just not about the same things. When you see the word in quotes, it usually refers to one who believes in some particular superstition or other topic that happens to be under discussion.

When I feel any word is being misused, I often so indicate by placing it in quotes. For this reason, I sometimes use quotes with words like Christian, Muslim, and many others where there might be grounds for wondering if the term is being used incorrectly or inexactly in a particular instance.

Our writing will not contain words or phrases that are commonly considered vulgar or "dirty" in this culture (the United States). On rare occasions, if I quote something that contains such words, I'll use one or two letters and change the rest of the letters to asterisks. Frankly, I'm not sure what good this accomplishes; but the words seem to be less offensive to many people that way.

Since cultures around the world are very different from each other, and since opinions about words vary dramatically even within a culture, I cannot promise to do this perfectly. If you feel I've made a serious mistake in this area, please point it out to me. I cannot be held responsible for mistakes; but I will correct them when they are pointed out.

These statements about "dirty" language do not apply to the use of "clinically correct terms" used correctly. If I write about a body part or biological activity, I'll call it by its technically correct or common name as seems appropriate to me at the time and under the circumstances.

13. No Bull is subject to change.

Science, the Internet, and the world are changing rapidly; and I have to do likewise or get lost in the dust.  Anyone who never changes his or her mind isn't learning anything.

Some things are more likely to change than others, and any major changes here (except for additions) are most likely to be changes in format only.

Our basic ideas about skepticism, religion, science, ethics, and other important matters are not likely to change very much; but some of them will almost certainly be adjusted from time to time in the light of new information, experience, and re-interpretation. Change is not always good, but good things can never happen without change.

14. Like the rest of No Bull, these Terms of Service are subject to change from time to time at our sole discretion.

The official notice of such change may only be on this page, and the policies on this page will always be the official policies of No Bull.  

Changes may or may not also be mentioned in the Update or other pages of this site.

By using No Bull, you accept these terms and any and all future changes in them. In addition, your continued use of our media after a change has been made on this page implies your agreement with and acceptance of those changes.

15. I believe these terms are reasonable and fair. If you don't agree with them, please don't click our links or use No Bull in any way except as stated below.

The only exception to this request is the email link near the bottom of this page. If you click it to send me a reasonable suggestion for change to these Terms or to No Bull, I will appreciate it and will take your suggestions under consideration. In such case, please explain clearly what the problem is and what changes will solve it.

After all, we're trying; but we're pretty sure we're not completely perfect yet.   If everybody was perfect, this page might not even be necessary.

16. Email and other communications with this site.

You acknowledge and agree that, by submitting any resource, link, applet, information, or other material ("content") to No Bull at the address below, you grant to No Bull a nonexclusive, worldwide license to link to, reproduce, distribute, adapt, perform, display, and sublicense the submitted content. No Bull shall have the right at its sole discretion to analyze, report on, summarize, and/or display the content and/or its source code anywhere and in any form it sees fit.

Further, by submitting content to No Bull, you acknowledge that you have the authority to grant such rights to No Bull.

This page was last updated 08/21/09 04:43 PM.

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