Rules to keep the Actually Autistic Blogs List safe

A comment was left on my previous blog post wondering if there is a need to categorize the list at all. Categories can be useful. My target audience (like myself a few years ago) wants descriptive information about blogs for the sake of selecting which to read. Categorization is also commonplace (see for example this recent survey). The problem was not with the categorization but with its inaccuracy and misrepresentations (caused by my cishet bias and because I hadn’t appreciated that not all publicly-available information is appropriate to share), for which I’m truly sorry.

Here is the perspective of Aspie Under Your Radar (who has collaborated on this project).

Below are proposed rules to make the list informative without endangering or harming anyone, followed by a poll for your opinions.

Proposed rules for including information on the Actually Autistic Blogs List

1. Bloggers’ Requests Prevail. Any request by an Autistic blogger overrides all else. Please tell us how you want your blog listed.

2. No Assumptions. Only explicitly stated information is included. Even if blogger is named Susan, has a husband, uses she/her pronouns, and blogs about “women’s issues”, their gender won’t be assumed unless explicitly stated.

3. Respect the blog’s focus by only including “introductory” information located on an “About” page, a sidebar, and/or the first blog post.

4. When in doubt, err on the side of privacy.

Question for readers: Should the LGBTQ+ category follow more stringent guidelines (such as requiring explicit permission from each blogger)? Most (if not all) complaints about previous categorization related to bloggers falling within this label. Would requiring explicit consent from bloggers before placing them in this category be prudent, or would it undesirably contribute further to their invisibility?

Please respond to the following poll.

Please leave comments below with your opinions.

If there are no substantive objections, the rules proposed above will govern future information included on the Actually Autistic Blogs List. (All bloggers currently categorized have contacted us directly.) The latest version of the Rules will be always be available under About from the top menu.

We may be contacting individual bloggers but I make no promises on this. (More volunteer offers to help would be much appreciated.)

Please tell us how you want your blog listed. Do not wait for us to contact you (which may not happen).