Housekeeping: We Don't Use The "California No" Here, Particularly With Regards To Contributors

In the past few weeks, I've been contacted by a couple of potential contributors who never heard back from me about what they sent. I also had a commenter note that he sent in a contribution for the #BikesOutForHarambe series but never saw it published. This would be a good time, therefore, to reiterate my personal policy on dealing with contributors, commenters, and pretty much everybody who contacts me.

I don't use, and I don't believe in, the so-called "California No" where somebody just avoids your question or refuses to return your emails on a subject. If you sent something to me and didn't hear back, it means that I've accidentally deleted, lost, or mislabeled your communication. Please send it again and don't feel bad about doing so.

It's embarrassing to have to make this request of my contributors, but the fact of the matter is that I get a lot of email, along the lines of 50-100 legitimate non-commercial messages per day, so I do make mistakes. If you've sent me something that I cannot or will not use, I'm going to tell you. If you've haven't been told that by me, please contact me again.

Which reminds me... Last year, I read an article in a major print magazine that set a standard for incompetent writing and incoherent thought. As I suffered through this blimped-out bozo's tale of narcissistic navel-gazing cross-country shitcan-driving, I said to myself, "I bet that a high school junior could do a better job with this subject matter." So I asked a high school junior to rewrite the piece. Which he did. And he manifestly improved that garbage article. I'm not putting it up here, because I'm trying to play nice with the dimmer lights in automotive journalism at the moment. If you'd like to read it and judge for yourself, comment below, using a valid email, and I'll send you a link. If enough of you like it, I'm gonna pay the kid a kill fee, just for fun.