Tartanleaf publishes practical technology books, articles, videos, and tools for people who want to understand how things work and make their own decisions. I want the work to be useful, careful, and honest—not dressed up with fear or marketing claims.
These standards describe how I try to work. They apply across Tartanleaf material, with the amount of explanation suited to the subject and format.
Accuracy and evidence
I check important claims against reliable sources, giving preference to original documentation, direct records, and the people or organizations responsible for the technology. An AI-generated answer, search snippet, or second-hand summary can help point me toward a question; it is not proof by itself.
When a point is uncertain, depends on a particular setup, or has not been tested, I try to say so in ordinary language. I avoid turning one test, report, or personal experience into a claim about everyone. For time-sensitive topics, I include dates or revisit the material when a meaningful change comes to my attention.
Practical tests and firsthand experience
When I describe a test, I aim to identify what I tested and the conditions that matter. A result from one device, software version, or network is evidence about that setup—not proof that every setup will behave the same way.
I distinguish what I have personally built, used, or tested from what I learned from documentation or other people. I do not describe something as firsthand experience unless it is.
Clear explanations and fair claims
Readers should not need specialist knowledge to follow the main explanation. I define terms when they matter, explain tradeoffs, and avoid implying that a tool, book, or procedure guarantees an outcome when it cannot.
Technology can be confusing or risky. I explain the practical concern without exaggerating how common it is or what will happen to a particular reader. If the evidence does not support a broad claim, I leave it out.
Corrections and updates
If I find a substantive factual error, I correct it. When a significant correction changes the meaning of a published article or guide, I aim to make the change clear to readers, including with an update note where appropriate. I may also update older material when a product, policy, or procedure changes enough to affect the advice.
If you spot something that appears wrong or out of date, please send the page link and the detail in question through the Tartanleaf contact page. Specific evidence or a source link is helpful.
Independence and commercial relationships
Tartanleaf publishes its own books and tools, and I may link to them when they are relevant. I try to make a recommendation because it is useful to the reader, not because stronger language might sell more.
If a particular recommendation or promotion involves a paid, affiliate, free-product, or other material relationship, I disclose that relationship clearly in the content where it matters. I do not ask for, pay for, or condition a reader review on a positive rating. Readers are free to give their honest opinion.
How I use AI
I use the best tool for the job. AI is one of those tools: I write material myself and sometimes use AI to generate or improve material. I decide where it fits, review the resulting work, and remain responsible for what I publish.
I check important claims and do not present AI output as firsthand experience. I explain AI use when it would help readers understand how a particular piece was made, and I follow any disclosure rules that apply to the platform.
Reader safety and privacy
When advice could affect someone’s security, privacy, money, or access to an account, I try to explain the limits and risks as well as the steps. I do not promise that one checklist or tool will make someone completely safe. I aim to avoid asking readers to share passwords, recovery codes, private keys, or other secrets in order to use Tartanleaf guidance or tools.
Further reading
These are useful references for the principles and disclosure rules behind this page. They are not endorsements of Tartanleaf.
- Society of Professional Journalists, Code of Ethics
- Competition Bureau Canada, Influencer marketing and the Competition Act
- YouTube Help, Disclosing use of altered or synthetic content
A living standard
These standards guide my work; they are not a claim that every past page is perfect. I will refine them as the work and the tools change. If you have a correction or a question about a particular page, please get in touch.
Greg Weir
Founder and author, Tartanleaf.com Inc.