Reader desk
Reader desk
Answers to the questions readers and columnists ask us most often.
The reader desk answers the questions put to VeriTaus most often. They are grouped below under four rubrics; open any question to see the answer. For anything not covered here, write to the desk directly.
For columnists and prospective columnists
Is there a sign-up form?
There is not. Columns are opened only when the VeriTaus team extends an invitation. To put yourself forward, send a note from the contact page under Proposing a column, describing the subjects you cover.
I have received an invitation. How do I sign in?
Sign in from the home page. Once you have, your column is published at /your-handle/.
May I publish in Vietnamese?
You may. The interface is written in English, but a column can be written in Vietnamese or any other language. Accented characters are fully supported in both headlines and body text.
Does VeriTaus take ownership of my work?
No; ownership stays with you. Publishing grants VeriTaus permission to host, display and distribute the work, RSS feeds included. A single story, or the entire column, can be withdrawn at your request at any time. The full wording is in the terms of service.
For readers
What does it cost to read, and must I register?
Nothing, and no. Columns, stories and topic pages are open to anyone without charge. There is no registration of any kind, and readers are not issued cookies.
How is the material arranged?
A story is filed in the column of the writer whose name it bears. Within a column, writers may create sections. Stories may also carry topics, and each topic page gathers the related stories published across every column.
Can I subscribe to a particular writer?
Yes, by RSS. Each column has a feed at /handle/feed.xml, linked from the column itself. The feed for the whole of VeriTaus is /feed.xml, and any feed reader will accept it.
Will the site work on a small screen?
It is built for one. Pages are plain HTML and CSS, laid out for phones as well as desktops, and they stay quick on a weak connection.
On comments
What do I need in order to comment?
Only a name to display and the text of your comment, entered in the form at the foot of the story. You do not register, and you are not asked for an email address.
I sent a comment. Where is it?
It is waiting for a moderator. Reader comments appear only after approval, which can take a little time. A comment that does not meet the standards will not be published.
What becomes of a comment that is not approved?
It is never displayed. Thirty days after submission, the system erases it without further action from anyone.
Can a comment be corrected or withdrawn?
A comment cannot be edited after it is sent. To have one taken down, write from the contact page under Personal data request, giving the story and the name you signed with.
Complaints, notices and requests
Something published here should not be. What should I do?
Write from the contact page under Report a story or comment, giving the address of the page and a brief account of the problem. Moderators assess every report against the standards.
Where do copyright notices and personal data requests go?
Both go through the contact page: choose Copyright notice or Personal data request as appropriate. What we store, and for how long, is set out in the privacy notice.