disclaimers

We are not responsible...

It seems obvious, but you must check with us before you do something based on what you've read here. Or, for that matter, before you decide not to do something...

We are not responsible...2 - emails

You've all seen the warnings at the bottom of emails. Issuing orders, and making threats. As if it might be your fault that an email has gone astray. This is more honest...

IMPORTANT - ANTI-DISCLAIMER - This email is not and cannot, by its nature, be confidential. En route from us to you, it will pass across the public Internet, easily readable by any number of system administrators along the way. If you have received this message by mistake, it would be ridiculous for us to tell you not to read it or copy to anyone else, because, let's face it, if it's a message revealing confidential information or that could embarrass us intensely, that's precisely what you'll do. Who wouldn't?

Likewise, it is superfluous for us to claim copyright in the contents, because we own that anyway, even if you print out a hard copy or disseminate this message all over the known universe. We don't know why so many corporate mail servers feel impelled to attach a disclaimer to the bottom of every email message saying otherwise. If you don't know either, why not email your corporate lawyers and system administrators and ask them why they insist on contributing so much to the waste of bandwidth?

(with acknowledgements)