MacSlash does not collect personally identifiable information about individuals except when such individuals specifically provide such information on a voluntary basis. Registration at MacSlash is voluntary. To become a registered user of MacSlash, a valid email address is required so that we may send you a password. Your email will never be sold or transferred to a third party. MacSlash will not use your email for any other purpose.

Users should be aware that when they voluntarily disclose personally identifiable information (e.g., user name, e-mail address) on their user information summary, that information, along with any substantive information disclosed in the user's communication, can be collected and used by third parties and may result in unsolicited messages from other posters or third parties. Such activities are beyond the control of MacSlash.

Users also should be aware that non-personal information and data may be automatically collected through the use of "cookies." "Cookies" are small text files a web site can use to recognize repeat users, facilitate the user's ongoing access to and use of the site. If a user does not want information collected through the use of cookies, there is a simple procedure in most browsers that allows the user to deny or accept the cookie feature; however, users should note that cookies may be necessary to provide the user with certain features (e.g., customized delivery of information) available on the MacSlash site.

If you have any questions about our privacy policy, you can email Ben Stanfield.

Why on earth do you use cookies??

We use cookies for two main reasons: so you can customize the presentation of stories and information on MacSlash to your taste, and so we can keep track of how many unique visitors we have to each story and section. Thats it, we aren't tracking you. We aren't 'Big Brother'. They are there mostly for your convienience.

Is it possible to change my nickname?

In a word: no. In two words: No way.

What do all the different comment display options mean?

Threaded display mode shows the text of top level comments and links to their responses. Saves download time and lets you choose which comments you want to view. Flat display mode shows the full text of all comments. Nested mode displays the text of all comments, and indents replies to make it easier to tell which parent comments they pertain to.

How can I make my changes "stick"?

Go to the Customized Comments under Preferences. Any changes you make here will be retained whenever you are logged in. This is the only way you can see all comments and the original article.

What does 'X out of Y comments' mean under an article?

This just shows you how many comments are currently visible to you based on the comment threshold you have chosen. So there are X comments being shown out of Y total.

How can I get rid of those (MacEdition/ThinkSecret/LowEndMac/etc.) stories?

The MacSlash Team is commited to supporting all aspects of the 'Mac Web' and we do all that we can to help other sites reach the largest possible audience and to facilitate discussion of issues raised on various areas. To this end, we include stories from the sites mentioned above, as well as many others, on a fairly regular basis. It is our firm belief that the Mac Web must stick together to maintain what has become an increasingly vibrant community. Only by keeping an open mind to all viewpoints can this belief become a reality.

After reading that statement, if you still want to be rid of the offending articles, we offer you the ability to block certain categories of stories. This service is available only when you are logged in. We endeavor to keep MacEdition stories in the MacEdition category, LowEndMac stories in the LEM category, etc., so you should be able to minimize your exposure to material you do not wish to read.

What did you folks use to create this site?

This site is based on the Slash codebase developed and made available by the good folks over at Slashdot and OSDN (The Open Source Developer Network).

What hardware is MacSlash currently running on?

Currently, MacSlash is running on an Apple Xserve hosted at digital.forest. We'll have more details on this for you after we get settleed in to our new rack.

How can I advertise on MacSlash?

If you wish to advertise on MacSlash email Ben Stanfield with your proposition.

Who are you guys, anyway?

You can find out more than you probably need to know at our Bios page. To see what stories each author has posted, go to the Authors page.

My question isn't answered in the FAQ!

Don't panic. Send an email to Ben detailing the question. He'll sacrifice a chicken, dump some wine on the ground, and maybe offer up a burnt goat. Then he'll get you a real answer and add your question to the FAQ. You can then show all of your friends your question in the FAQ. They'll either be impressed or annoyed. MacSlash reserves the right to use any email you send as either a testimonial of the supreme cool kids we ar e, or to make fun of the (rare) stupid things people send in email. If you send email to this address consider your email public.