Rules for using this site, reading the work, and not making retailer problems my circus

1. Site owner and scope

These Terms and Conditions apply to:

• markoneill.org and related website pages;
• Mark O'Neill, O'Neill Media, Glass Dagger Press, Samizdat Press, and ZeroStrike Labs;
• book information, author pages, articles, blog posts, knowledge-base content, newsletters, contact forms, client-work pages, software pages, downloads, and support pages;
• ZeroStrike and related app information, unless a platform-specific agreement says otherwise.

Operator:
Mark O'Neill / O'Neill Media
Postfach 9301
97093 Wurzburg
Germany

Contact: Mark O'Neill

2. Acceptance of these terms

By using this website, reading its content, submitting forms, downloading materials, contacting me, using related services, or following links from the site, you agree to these terms where legally enforceable.

If you do not agree, stop using the site. That is the cleanest exit. No drama, no confetti.

Additional terms may apply to specific services, contracts, app stores, payment processors, plugins, software licenses, retailers, affiliate platforms, and marketplaces. If those terms conflict with these terms, the more specific terms usually control for that specific service or transaction.

3. This website does not sell retail products directly

If you have a problem with a purchase, billing charge, download, delivery, refund, cancellation, subscription, account access, audiobook playback, ebook formatting, app-store transaction, regional availability, tax invoice, gift card, store credit, DRM, device compatibility, or retailer account issue, contact the store or platform where you made the purchase.

I cannot refund a payment I did not process. I cannot access your Amazon, Audible, Google, Apple, Kobo, retailer, app-store, or payment account. I cannot fix a store's checkout, DRM, app, delivery system, billing system, or support queue. If their system broke, yell at the right building.

4. Content ownership and copyright

Unless stated otherwise, the text, articles, book descriptions, graphics, branding, page layouts, downloads, plugins, software, images, audio, video, documents, and other materials on or linked from this site are owned by Mark O'Neill, O'Neill Media, Glass Dagger Press, Samizdat Press, ZeroStrike Labs, licensors, or the relevant rights holders.

You may read, link to, quote short excerpts with attribution, and share public page links in a normal human way. You may not:

• copy substantial portions of the site;
• republish full articles, book text, downloads, or paid materials without permission;
• sell, sublicense, or redistribute site content as your own;
• scrape the site for AI training, database building, spam, content farms, or bulk republication;
• remove copyright notices, author credits, watermarks, license notices, or attribution;
• use the brands, names, logos, covers, or materials in a way that suggests endorsement when none exists.

All rights not expressly granted are reserved. Amazing that this needs saying, but here we are.

5. Books, audiobooks, ebooks, and retailer links

Book pages, audiobook pages, retailer buttons, smart links, store links, and affiliate links are provided for information and convenience. Product availability, prices, discounts, editions, formats, delivery dates, reviews, ratings, regional restrictions, and store listings are controlled by the relevant retailer or platform.

Complaints about purchases must go to the place where you bought the item. That includes:

• refunds and cancellations;
• duplicate charges;
• wrong editions or formats;
• Kindle, ebook, or audiobook delivery problems;
• Audible or audiobook playback problems;
• shipping delays or damaged physical books;
• retailer account access;
• regional availability and pricing;
• subscription, credit, or membership issues.

I may try to point you in the right direction if you ask politely, but I am not the retailer's customer support department.

6. Software and ZeroStrike

App information, demos, downloads, app-store listings, and other software-related materials are provided under the license terms, platform rules, and documentation that apply to the specific product.

Unless expressly stated otherwise:

• software is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis;
• no guarantee is made that software will be error-free, uninterrupted, compatible with every device, theme, plugin, host, browser, operating system, or future platform update;
• you are responsible for backups, updates, security, configuration, and testing before using software on a live site or device;
• you may not reverse engineer, bypass access controls, tamper with license checks, abuse APIs, interfere with services, or use the software for unlawful purposes;
• app purchases, refunds, downloads, updates, reviews, and account issues through Google Play or another app store are handled by that platform.

For ZeroStrike, Google Play terms, Android platform rules, and any in-app disclosures also apply. If Google Play processed the transaction, Google Play handles the payment and refund machinery.

7. Client work, services, and professional enquiries

Any client work, consulting, publishing support, writing, editing, marketing, technical support, software work, or other professional service is governed by a separate written agreement, proposal, statement of work, invoice terms, or email agreement where applicable.

Sending an enquiry does not create a client relationship. I can decline work for any lawful reason, including bad fit, unavailable schedule, unclear scope, unrealistic budget, or vibes that scream "future invoice dispute."

Unless agreed in writing, quotes are estimates, timelines are not guaranteed, and rights in deliverables transfer only as stated in the applicable agreement and after required payment has been received.

8. User submissions, comments, reviews, and messages

If you submit comments, reviews, support requests, form messages, testimonials, corrections, files, screenshots, bug reports, ideas, or other content, you are responsible for what you send.

You must not submit anything unlawful, defamatory, abusive, spammy, infringing, confidential, malicious, misleading, or loaded with malware. Do not send sensitive personal information unless it is genuinely necessary.

By submitting content intended for publication, you grant a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display, reproduce, edit for clarity, moderate, remove, and archive that content in connection with the site, service, product, or related business. You keep ownership of your own content, but you give me the right to actually use the thing you submitted.

I may moderate, edit, reject, delete, or disable user-submitted content at my discretion. This is not a public utility. It is my site.

9. Prohibited use

You must not use the site, services, plugins, downloads, forms, comments, app features, or contact channels to:

• break the law or encourage unlawful activity;
• infringe copyright, trademarks, privacy rights, publicity rights, or other rights;
• harass, threaten, defame, abuse, impersonate, or mislead anyone;
• send spam, phishing, malware, exploit code, or fraudulent messages;
• scrape, crawl, harvest, or bulk-copy content without permission;
• attack, probe, overload, bypass, or interfere with security, servers, networks, accounts, forms, or software;
• misrepresent affiliation, endorsement, authorship, or ownership;
• use content or software for training datasets, automated content generation, content farms, or commercial republication without permission.

If you do any of that, access may be blocked, content may be removed, and legal options may be used. Groundbreaking stuff: do not be a menace.

10. Affiliate links and third-party services

The site may contain affiliate links, retailer links, smart links, social links, app-store links, embedded media, advertising links, and third-party widgets. If you click a link or buy something from a third party, that third party's terms, privacy policy, cookie policy, refund policy, and support process apply.

Affiliate links may generate a commission at no extra cost to you. Links do not guarantee availability, price, quality, delivery, compatibility, legality in your region, or retailer performance.

Third-party names, trademarks, platforms, and logos belong to their respective owners. Mentioning them does not mean they endorse me, my books, my software, or my site.

11. Disclaimers

The site and its content are provided for general information, commentary, publishing, entertainment, marketing, technical, and business purposes. Nothing on this site is legal, financial, tax, medical, security, investment, or professional advice unless expressly agreed in a separate professional engagement.

I try to keep information accurate, but I do not guarantee that every page is complete, current, typo-free, available forever, or suitable for your exact situation. The internet changes. Retailer pages change. App stores change. Laws change. Platforms break things and call it an update.

External links are provided for convenience. I am not responsible for third-party content, products, services, terms, policies, prices, shipping, refunds, security, data handling, or customer support.

12. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Mark O'Neill, O'Neill Media, Glass Dagger Press, Samizdat Press, and ZeroStrike Labs are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive, or exemplary damages, loss of profit, loss of data, loss of business, loss of goodwill, device problems, website downtime, third-party platform failures, retailer disputes, app-store issues, or reliance on site content.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited, including liability for intent, gross negligence, injury to life, body, or health, mandatory product liability, fraud, or mandatory consumer rights.

If a limitation is not enforceable in your jurisdiction, it applies only to the maximum extent permitted by law. In plain English: the law gets the final word, not some magic paragraph on a website.

13. Indemnity

Where legally permitted, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Mark O'Neill, O'Neill Media, Glass Dagger Press, Samizdat Press, and ZeroStrike Labs from claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, and expenses arising from your misuse of the site, unlawful conduct, infringement, breach of these terms, user submissions, or abuse of services.

This does not override mandatory consumer protections that apply to you.

14. Privacy and cookies

Use of the site and related services may involve personal data, cookies, analytics, logs, third-party links, app diagnostics, and platform services. Details are explained in the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

If those policies make your eyes glaze over, congratulations, you are human. They still apply.

15. Governing law, jurisdiction, and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of Germany, excluding conflict-of-law rules, where legally permitted. If you are a consumer, mandatory consumer protection laws in your country of residence may still apply.

Where a court location can be validly agreed, the courts responsible for Wurzburg, Germany, apply. For consumers, statutory jurisdiction rules remain unaffected.

The former European Commission Online Dispute Resolution platform has been discontinued. I am not willing or obliged to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board unless legally required in a specific case.

For purchase disputes involving third-party retailers, app stores, audiobook platforms, payment processors, or marketplaces, contact the platform where the transaction occurred. Again: if they took your money, they handle the payment fight.

16. Changes to these terms

These terms may be updated when the site, services, books, software, app features, laws, platforms, or business operations change. The latest version will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date.

Continuing to use the site after changes are posted means you accept the updated terms where legally enforceable.

17. Contact

Questions about these terms can be sent here: