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Editorial Standards

Overview​

PrivacyLearn maintains rigorous editorial standards to ensure all privacy guides, scripts, and documentation are accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Our content is developed through a systematic process combining expert review, community verification, and continuous quality control.

We've designed a four-tiered content quality framework to earn and maintain trust:

  1. Editorial Principles establish our core values and foundational commitments for content quality.
  2. Editorial Standards define specific, measurable requirements that all content must meet.
  3. Editorial Processes implement systematic workflows to maintain quality control.
  4. Editorial Guidelines provide recommended practices to help authors meet these standards effectively.

This documentation explains how we create, maintain, and verify privacy-focused content to ensure accuracy, reliability, and usefulness for all users.

Editorial Principles​

Our editorial principles form the foundation for our editorial standards, review processes, and content guidelines described in this document. They align with and extend our core organizational principles.

  • Accuracy & Verification

    • All technical information must be verified through primary sources
    • Scripts are tested extensively before publication
    • Community peer review required for all content
    • Clear documentation of testing methodologies
    • Version control with complete edit history

  • Transparency

    • All sources must be publicly accessible and archived
    • Clear disclosure of known limitations or risks
    • Explicit documentation of assumptions and tradeoffs
    • Open acknowledgment when strong sources aren't available
    • Community review process visible through public channels

  • User Focus

    We ensure our content is:
    • Clear and understandable for all skill levels
    • Actionable with concrete steps
    • Risk-aware with clear warnings
    • Respectful of different privacy needs
    • Inclusive of various technical backgrounds

Editorial Standards​

Our editorial standards are built on top of editorial principles, with user safety and security as our highest priority. They evolve with digital privacy space (new security research, emerging threats, technology changes) and user feedback (community reports, requests, submissions and experience).

  • Technical Accuracy & User Safety

    Our rigorous verification process to ensure user security and protection
    • Verify all security measures through independent testing protocols
    • Include comprehensive privacy impact assessments with risk ratings
    • Clearly document all known limitations and potential vulnerabilities
    • Keep advanced technical content in separate sections

  • Sources & Citations

    How PrivacyLearn validates sources to ensure reliable information
    • Base technical claims on at least one primary source
    • Verify all supporting sources against primary documentation
    • Ensure all sources are publicly accessible
    • Include dates for sources when applicable
    • Archive sources at citation time to preserve referenced content
    • Place citations immediately after relevant claims rather than at section end

  • Content Change

    How we track, approve, and document changes to maintain transparency
    • Include complete differential documentation for all content modifications
    • Record timestamps for each content change
    • Maintain full attribution chains including authors and reviewers
    • Provide documented justification and impact analysis for all changes
    • Ensure content changes undergo a documented multi-stage review
    • Require public review periods for significant modifications
    • Keep verifiable approval documentation for all changes
    • Preserve and make accessible the complete modification history
    • Document the rationale behind all review decisions

  • Content Structure

    What we follow to create consistent, accessible documentation
    • Create self-contained documents that don't require readers to reference other materialsEach privacy guide should function as a complete resource, containing all essential information without forcing users to hunt through multiple documents for critical details.
    • Use consistent terminology throughout all content
    • Provide necessary context for proper understanding
    • Cross-reference related content for better navigation

  • Computer-Generated Content

    Our transparency practices for content produced by automated systems including AI models, scripts, or other algorithmic methods without direct human authorship
    • Disclose automated generation at the beginning of content
    • Clearly identify which parts are machine-generated
    • Include information about accuracy validation status
    • Specify the level of human review performed

Editorial Processes​

Providing up-to-date information is our highest priority as outdated privacy and security guidance puts users at risk. To achieve this, we update our content based on regular review cycles, and other change detection mechanisms listed to ensure privacy guidance remains accurate.

  • Regular Content Updates

    Continuous improvements to documentation quality and accuracy
    Review Cycle: Daily to weekly reviews

    Change Detection

    • Community feedback and suggestions
    • New technical findings
    • Documentation gaps identified
    • User comprehension feedback

    Update Types

    • Documentation clarity improvements
    • Technical accuracy updates
    • Adding practical examples
    • Expanding implementation guides
    • Incorporating user feedback
    • Enhancing explanation depth

    Process

    1. Data Collection
      • Identify user pain points
      • Find simplification opportunities
      • Detect complicated topics
    2. Content Development
      • Write technical documentation
      • Document impact, risks, considerations and best-practices
    3. Technical Verification
      • Test all scripts and commands
      • Verify on multiple configurations
    4. Expert Review
      • Security professional review
      • Technical accuracy check
      • Risk assessment
    5. Community Review
      • Public review period
      • Peer researcher verification
      • Real-world implementation feedback
      • Feedback incorporation
    6. Ongoing Maintenance
      • Regular review cycles
      • Update verification
      • Community monitoring

  • Technical Documentation Updates

    Updates to technical content based on script and system changes
    Review Cycle: Monthly comprehensive reviews

    Change Detection

    • New privacy script features
    • Operating system updates
    • Security research findings
    • Security audits
    • Implementation feedback
    • Automated monitoring systems
    • Community reports or submissions
    • Continuous testing results

    Update Types

    • Technical accuracy verification
    • System compatibility documentation
    • Security impact documentation
    • Implementation guidelines
    • Risk and limitation documentation
    • Best practice recommendations

    Process

    1. Impact Assessment
      • Security implications
      • System compatibility
      • User experience effects
      • Documentation needs
    2. Implementation
      • Technical changes
      • Documentation updates
    3. Testing and Review
      • Community review and testing
      • Document test environment
      • Issue tracking
      • Independent security audits
      • Cross-platform verification
    4. Release
      • Change documentation
      • User notifications
      • Rollback procedures
      • Implementation guides
      • Issue response

  • Critical Documentation Updates

    Urgent updates for security or privacy-critical information
    Review Cycle: Immediate upon verification

    Change Detection

    • Critical security findings
    • Major privacy implications discovered
    • Significant risk identifications
    • Breaking changes affecting users

    Update Types

    • Security advisory documentation
    • Risk assessment updates
    • Mitigation guidance
    • User impact documentation

    Process

    1. Verification & Assessment
      • Immediate technical verification
      • Expert consultation for impact assessment
      • Independent security researcher validation
    2. Documentation & Response
      • Clear documentation of the threat
      • Mitigation steps and effectiveness
      • User impact analysis
      • Emergency response guidance
Change Tracking

Every content creation and modification in all processes are documented with:

  • What

    Content Modifications
    Precise documentation of all changes, including detailed before-and-after comparisons to ensure editorial integrity.

  • When

    Temporal Record
    Accurate timestamps with timezone information, allowing for a clear chronology of updates and revisions.

  • Who

    Attribution
    Complete records of authors, reviewers, and change owners, ensuring full transparency and credibility of contributions.

  • Why

    Editorial Rationale
    Detailed explanations for each modification, ensuring transparency and editorial decision-making clarity.

Editorial Guidelines​

Our editorial guidelines establish recommended practices for creating clear, consistent, and trustworthy content that meets our rigorous editorial standards. These guidelines help authors communicate complex privacy and security concepts effectively while maintaining technical accuracy and professionalism.

  • Clear Communication

    Best practices for structuring and presenting information
    • Employ clear, concise language
    • Define technical terminology for general audiences
    • Construct focused, well-structured sentences
    • Maintain professional, technical tone
    • Follow encyclopedic writing standards
    • Do not over-promise, use 'may' instead of 'ensure'

      Use cautious language like 'may' rather than definitive terms like 'ensure'.

      Outcomes depend on many variables beyond our control, including different operating system configurations, hardware setups, and constantly evolving threats.

      By using measured language ('may', 'could', 'typically') instead of absolute guarantees ('ensure', 'guarantee', 'always'), we encourage users to think critically about their specific situation.

      This approach places responsibility appropriately - we provide the best information possible while acknowledging limitations, encouraging users to make conscious, informed decisions. It protects both users and our credibility by avoiding over-promising what privacy measures can achieve in all possible scenarios.

  • Content Organization

    Guidelines for writing understandable and accessible content
    • Structure content in logical, digestible sections
    • Group related concepts systematically
    • Separate advanced technical details appropriately
    • Maintain consistent terminology and formatting

  • Privacy-Focused Writing

    Guidance for effectively communicating privacy and security concepts
    • Present privacy implications comprehensively
    • Document verified side-effects and considerations
    • Detail system and performance impacts
    • Research and address security implications thoroughly
    • Provide evidence-based risk assessments

Community Participation​

PrivacyLearn.com strives to be an ally in your journey to privacy.

It evolves around you.

Our open-source community plays a vital role in maintaining our high standards:

  • Script testing and verification
  • Bug and error reporting
  • Side-effect documentation
  • Implementation feedback
  • Content improvement suggestions

Our community is open for everyone regardless of their technical background. We welcome all types of feedback - every contribution helps improve our content. We appreciate you to report issues when you find:

  • Technical inaccuracies
  • Unclear instructions
  • Outdated information
  • Script problems
  • Missing documentation

Use our GitHub repository or contact information to submit feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Documentation Coverage​

What happens if documentation is missing or incomplete?

We handle incomplete documentation transparently:

  • Clear marking of auto-generated content
  • Alternative ways to understand functionality
  • Links to similar guides with more context
  • Direct access to source code for verification

We prioritize script stability over documentation - scripts may work perfectly even with minimal documentation.

Help improve our documentation by contributing on GitHub.

Documentation Conflicts​

What if I find conflicting information in the documentation?

When conflicts are discovered:

  • We immediately verify against primary sources
  • Document both perspectives if legitimately different
  • Note platform/version specific differences
  • Update documentation with clear explanations

Please report conflicts through our issue tracker.

Technical Depth​

Are documentation standards different for basic vs advanced features?

Yes, we adjust documentation depth based on complexity:

  • Basic Features: Clear, accessible explanations focused on practical effects
  • Advanced Features: Detailed technical documentation with implementation specifics
  • Expert Features: Comprehensive technical documentation with system impact analysis

Advanced users can always access detailed technical information through our source code and implementation notes.

Source Reliability​

What makes a source reliable enough for documentation?

We assess sources based on strict criteria:

  • Official vendor documentation
  • Peer-reviewed research papers
  • Industry standards and specifications
  • Verified technical implementations

When definitive sources aren't available, we clearly state this and explain our testing methodology.

Additional Resources​

Other documents to help you understand PrivacyLearn:

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