Badges? Badges? Yes, we have stinking badges!

A number of kind correspondents have responded to the previous post’s ill-tempered demolishing of the Blogger’s Code of Conduct by asking, either in the comments or via email, whether they could use my rather tongue-in-cheek version of the ‘Civility Enforced’ badge on their site, thereby proudly proving to visitors that that their blog is indeed “thoroughly decent” and does not feature any of the nasty, awful and disgraceful unpleasantness that forced the decent and upstanding Mr O’Reilly to saddle up his moralistic old nag - er, sorry, hobby horse - in the first place.

In case you need reminding, this is the badge in question:

So in answer to all those queries: yes, if you wish to use the graphic, please do. Steal away. Shrink it, enlarge it, draw a felt tip moustache on our esteemed monarch. Do anything with it, in fact - but just make sure that you host the image on your own webspace rather than linking to it directly from here. Such is the variety of blogging systems and site designs out there that if you need the relevant HTML code to include it on your pages, you will have to ask a responsible adult to provide the scissors and sticky tape.

Since I am unsure as to the precise legality of using Her Majesty the Queen’s image in such a disreputable fashion, please note that the only proviso I am including in the small print accompanying your use of this badge is that if I should be arrested on charges of treason, I will cite every single one of you as accomplices at my trial. In the words of the last leading character - whoever it was - to be dragged away by the Old Bill in EastEnders, “If I’m goin’ dahn, I’m takin’ you wiv me, roight?”