Disclaimer at Foot of Page

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   eugbugposted 4 years ago

   Is there a reason for this rather than having it at the beginning where it will be seen before anyone acts on the information in an article? Is there something special about the disclaimer capsule or text? Has anyone used their own disclaimer to replace the preset ones? I'm thinking of adding on extra text to the Technical Services one and maybe putting it into a callout.

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      AliciaCposted 4 years agoin reply to this

      I agree that a disclaimer should be near the beginning of the article before anyone reads information that might cause them to perform a particular action. I add my own disclaimer in a callout near the start of an article as well as using the one supplied by HubPages at the end.

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   2. 65

      OldRosesposted 4 years agoin reply to this

      Disclaimers are always at the end of documents, not just on HubPages.  I don't know how well changes to the standard disclaimer would be received.  I recommend contacting the team and asking them about it before you do it.

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         eugbugposted 4 years agoin reply to this

         I have done it so I'd have to change it. It would make more sense putting them before any instructions though.

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            OldRosesposted 4 years agoin reply to this

            I used to work in the financial industry and they put disclaimers on EVERYTHING.  It was even on their stationery.  The disclaimers were always at the end of each document no matter how long it was.
            
            Another thing that you need to be aware of, is that most disclaimers have been written by a legal department.  The exact wording is critical to avoid lawsuits.  That's why I recommend checking with the HubPages team before changing a disclaimer.  It may have been written by their legal department and the wording set in stone.
            
            The disclaimers have been written to specifically protect you as the author and HubPages as the hosting platform from liability.

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   3. STAFF

      HubPagesposted 4 years agoin reply to this

      Hello,
      
      We discourage repurposing the language from our disclaimers for use in callout capsules (our editors are trained to remove redundant language, so in most cases, it will get snipped), but there are a few other options you might consider. For example, we encourage authors to state any important information that the reader should be aware of (in natural language) in the opening paragraph or text capsule in their article; this is recommended in addition to assigning an appropriate disclaimer to the article at the bottom.
      
      In other circumstances where a disclaimer might not be specific enough, you could add a "Note:" or use a callout to highlight a safety measure or piece of information that is specific to a section of your article. We use this technique a lot in our editorial approach for DIY projects—to call attention to anything related to safety or similar.
      
      The current placement of the disclaimer feature was determined based on several factors that were considered at the time of its design.
      
      Hope this helps!
      
      Tessa

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         eugbugposted 4 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the clarification Tessa. I'll take out my new disclaimers so. I had added extra text which pointed out that readers should use the information at their own risk, the author isn't responsible for damage and that content isn't necessary complete (to cope with potential omissions) This is my text with the last portion being Hubpages' disclaimer:
         
         "Any action you take based upon the information contained in this guide is strictly at your own risk and the author will not be held responsible for losses or damage in connection with use of this information. The information is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and provided on an "as is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, reliability or accuracy. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal or technical matters."
         
         In several DIY guides, I've also pointed out in callouts, dangers to be aware of.

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   Eric Cauncaposted 4 years ago

   I think the disclaimer should be movable also like the capsule, so we can move it in the beginning, between two capsules, in the end, or anywhere in the article. Also, there should be a separate disclaimer for cooking. Shredder, knives, boiling water, etc. are also dangerous especially for children

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