Editorial policy

Every entry on this desk names the public documents it was written from and says when it was last checked. The date at the head of an entry is the date of that check, not the date of first publication; an entry whose source has changed is revised rather than left standing.

Sources

The desk prefers primary and public material: census files and gazetteers, state and county publications, park and agency documents, published climate records, library catalogues and printed reference works. An entry that cites a secondary account says so. A figure appears only when a named source gives it, and a question left open is written as left open.

Naming

People are named only when a public document already names them in that role, and never with a private address, a telephone number or a personal opinion attributed to them. Businesses are described in the third person and never ranked, compared on price or recommended. No entry is written in exchange for money, a link, a discount or a favour, and no page carries advertising.

Corrections and complaints

A correction is made in the entry and its date is updated. If you believe an entry is wrong, write to the address on the contact page with the document that shows it. Where the desk cannot verify a claim, the entry will say so rather than keep a doubtful sentence.

Language and scope

The desk writes in American English about the California desert and about the ordinary life of small congregations anywhere that published material allows it. It does not cover the internal affairs of a named congregation, does not publish a directory of establishments and does not carry local news.