Terms of Use
Plain terms for a site that shows modelled statistics and asks nothing of you in return.
By using The Demise Ledger you accept the terms below. They are deliberately short, because the site asks nothing of you: there is no account to create, nothing to buy, and no data to hand over.
What this site is
The Ledger is an artistic visualisation of published mortality statistics. Its counters are modelled projections derived from annual rates, not observations of real events. It is not a news service, not a medical resource, and not an official statistical publication. The methodology page explains exactly how each figure is produced.
No medical or professional advice
Nothing on this site is medical advice. The "How Will You Demise?" calculator is a novelty that weights a few tick-boxes for comic effect; it is not a diagnosis, a prognosis, a risk assessment, or a screening tool, and it knows nothing about you. Do not use anything here to make a decision about your health, and please consult a qualified professional if you have concerns.
Accuracy
Considerable care goes into the figures, and corrections are acted on. Even so, the site is offered as is, without warranty of any kind as to accuracy, completeness or fitness for a particular purpose. Rates are rounded, sources lag reality by years, and some figures — clearly flagged where they appear — are folklore retained for interest rather than because they are well-evidenced.
Do not rely on this site for policy, clinical, academic, journalistic, commercial or personal decisions. Go to the underlying WHO and Global Burden of Disease publications instead; they are cited on the methodology page precisely so you can.
Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the operator of this site is not liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of it, or from reliance on anything it displays. Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
Intellectual property
The design, written content, code and artwork of The Demise Ledger belong to its operator. The underlying mortality statistics are the work of the World Health Organization, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the national statistical agencies that feed them, and remain subject to their own terms.
You are welcome to link to the site and to quote from it with attribution. Republishing it wholesale, or presenting its figures as authoritative primary data, is not permitted.
Availability
The site is provided without any guarantee of uptime, and may be changed, suspended or withdrawn at any time without notice.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, without regard to conflict-of-law provisions.
Contact
Questions about these terms can go to [email protected].