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TERMS OF Use

Updated: 15 December 2022


Jared Ratcliff (“we”, or similar terms) operates jaredratcliff.com (the “website” or “service”). Please read this Terms of Use policy carefully before you (the “user”, “visitor”, “you”, or similar terms) use our website.

By using or interacting with this website, you accept these Terms. This policy covers all present and future services that we provide.

Topics:

1. Use of this website

In short, we provide our services for humans, not bots. You must not use our services for illegal activities or attack our servers. We reserve the right to block you from using our services, and, if you violate the terms in this document, to file legal action against you.

This website is provided exclusively to humans. Any content submitted by robots or other automated methods will be removed.

You agree not to use this website for any unlawful or prohibited activities. You also agree to not disrupt our networks or servers.

We reserve the right to block your access to our website at any time, for any reason, without prior notice. (This probably will not happen unless you’re knowingly violating these terms… but remember, this is our website, not yours!)

We also reserve the right to file legal action against you if you violate these terms.

2. User content and comments

In short, we cannot control what other people post on our website, and its presence does not mean we agree with it. If you share a comment or other content on our website, be kind and respectful. You should not post pornography, profanity, malware, or promotional material, and do not harass others or pretend to be someone else. We reserve the right to edit or delete your content.

Our website allows users to interact with and comment on our content.

Content Shared by Others

We are not responsible for any user-submitted content you see on our website. Such content may not reflect our opinions or beliefs.

Though we do not consistently moderate user-submitted content, we do use automated spam filters, and we may remove content if it violates the policies outlined in this document. However, in most cases, if content expresses viewpoints contradicting our own but complies with these policies, we will not act against it.

Content Shared by You

Any content you post on our site will be publicly viewable, and we reserve the right to feature your content in any way we choose, either on this website or elsewhere. We also reserve the right to edit or remove your content.

You may never, under any circumstances, share content which would violate any law or the legal rights of any other person or organization. In addition, you should never:

  • Share pornography or other sexually explicit, descriptive, or suggestive content
  • Use profanity
  • Participate in name-calling, harassment, or demonstrating prejudice against another person
  • Impersonate other individuals, groups, or organizations
  • Promote other products or services
  • Share malware (computer viruses) or other harmful files or content

We reserve the right to determine whether or not your content honors these terms.

In short, if you believe we are infringing on your copyrighted content, please let us know. We will reach out to you and do our best to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We would want you to do the same for us. Feel free to reach out to us informally by email; you can also file a formal DMCA notice, if you prefer.

If you are the owner of a copyright which our website is infringing upon, we encourage you to contact us. You can send an email to us at [email protected]. In the email, explain your claim and share the URL of the page where your copyrighted property is visible on our website. In addition, to the best of your ability, you should include proof that the content is indeed your property. We may respond to you to verify your identity or your ownership of the content.

If you prefer, you or an agent authorized to act on your behalf can file a formal notice as outlined in the United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA. You can send the notice to us by email at [email protected]. You must include the following information:

  • Identification of the content on our website which is infringing upon your copyright.
  • Identification of the source (original) content, including its location, with sufficient detail so that we can find it and verify its existence.
  • Your contact information, including name, address, telephone number, and email address.
  • A statement that “I swear, under penalty of perjury, that I have a good faith belief that the material’s use was not authorized by the copyright owner, by the owner’s agent, or by law.”
  • A statement that “I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information provided in this notice is accurate and that I am authorized to make this complaint.”
  • The electronic or written signature of the copyright owner or its agent. An electronic signature consists of your typed, full legal name.

4. Our property

In short, do not use our images or our trademarks (names and logos) without permission. And if we do give permission, remember that we can withdraw that permission at any time.

Our organization owns the trademarks for the following names and graphics:

Compelled To Fly™

Our trademarks may not be used without our permission. Even if we have granted permission for use, we reserve the right to withdraw permission at any time.

Most of the images used on our website are the property of Jared Ratcliff and are protected by United States copyright law. Jared Ratcliff reserves all rights to these images, and they may not be used without his permission. Even if he has granted permission for use, he reserves the right to withdraw permission at any time.

In short, this website includes links to other websites which we believe may be helpful to you; however, we have no control over those websites, so please be careful.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned by us. We have no control over these websites and are not responsible for the accuracy or safety of their content or practices. There is both good and bad on the internet; just be careful!

6. Privacy

In short, by agreeing to these terms of use, you also agree to our privacy policy. Check it out to see how we collect and use your data. And by the way, we do care about your privacy. Seriously.

Our Privacy Policy explains what data we collect when you use our website, as well as how we use and protect it. It also explains how to submit a request to access, modify, or delete your personal data. By agreeing to these Terms of Use, you also agree to our Privacy Policy, which you can view here.

7. Liability

In short, we are under no obligation to provide anything to you, and we are not responsible for any injury resulting from your use of our website. If you are not happy with us, feel free to go elsewhere.

We are providing this website and its contents “as is” to anyone who chooses to access this website, without any obligations, liabilities, or guarantees, either stated or implied. By accessing this website, you agree that your use of this website and its contents is at your sole risk.

We cannot make any guarantee about the reliability of this website or the accuracy of its contents. Also, we cannot guarantee that this website or its contents will be free of viruses, or non-infringing on others’ rights. We will not be responsible for any damages or injury that result from the use of this website or from its contents, or for any third-party claim, demand, or damages, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, resulting from your use of this website.

We cannot guarantee the security of user data, despite best efforts. You agree to not hold us liable or seek indemnification (compensation) if confidential material is unintentionally released as the result of a security failure or vulnerability in the performance of this website.

We may improve, modify, or terminate our services at any time without cause or notice.

In short, any legal action against us will be filed in Douglas County, Washington. You should contact us first, though, and attempt to resolve any controversy out of court.

This policy is governed by the laws of the United States of America and the State of Washington. Any legal action arising from or related to these terms shall be through the courts of Douglas County, Washington, or the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.

However, you should only seek legal action after contacting us and seeking to resolve any controversy, claim, or dispute outside of court.

9. Changes to these terms

In short, we regularly review our terms of use, and will post any updates on this web page. If there are any material changes, we will attempt to give a 15-day notice.

We reserve the right to modify or replace these Terms at any time. Unless more immediate action is necessary, we will provide a 15-day notice before any material changes take effect (what constitutes a material change will be determined by us). We may provide this notice by email to our subscribers, and/or by prominently displaying it on our website.

These Terms of Use were last updated on 15 December 2022.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us here. You can also email us at [email protected].

11. Change log

  • 27 October 2023: Slight wording changes.
  • 15 December 2022: Simplified and clarified wording throughout the policy.
  • 1 December 2021: Implemented a new, more detailed (and shorter: about 1,500 words) Terms of Use policy created specifically for our services, with summaries of each section in simple language. This update includes material changes to most sections of the policy.
  • 13 February 2020: Implemented our first Terms of Use policy (somewhat vague and long: over 2,900 words), which was supplied by a legal policy template company.