(Short version: I don’t want your data. I just want the site to work.)
The human version
I built this site to share work, ideas, and experiments—not to track people, profile behavior, or sell data. I don’t run ads, I don’t build user profiles, and I don’t want to know who you are beyond “a human visited this page.”
That said, some basic technical stuff happens when you use a website. Here’s what that looks like, in plain English.
What I don’t do
Let’s make this part very clear:
- I don’t collect personal information
- I don’t sell data
- I don’t create user profiles
- I don’t run ads
- I don’t do creepy surveillance capitalism things
If that ever changes, this policy will change too—plainly and visibly.
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.
An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
Cookies (the technical kind, not the snack kind)
I don’t set tracking cookies myself.
However, third-party widgets embedded on the site may set their own cookies. These can include:
- embedded Twitter/X feeds
- embedded YouTube videos
- other external media or widgets
Those services operate under their own privacy policies, not mine. If you interact with their content, their rules apply.
You can usually control or block these cookies through your browser settings if you prefer.
How long we retain your data
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.
For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
Analytics (the boring but useful kind)
This site uses basic analytics to understand things like:
- which pages are visited
- roughly how many people visit
- whether the site is working as expected
This data is aggregated and anonymous. I don’t see names, emails, IP addresses, or anything personally identifying. I use it to improve the site—not to track you across the internet like a raccoon with a clipboard.
If you’re in a region where consent is required (hello GDPR 👋), analytics only run when allowed.
Where your data is sent
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
Links to other sites
Sometimes this site links to other websites. Once you leave this site, their privacy practices apply. I can’t control what they do, but I try to link responsibly.
Updates to this policy
If I update this policy, I’ll do it in the open. No sneaky retroactive nonsense.
Questions?
If you have questions about privacy, data, or how this site works, you’re welcome to reach out. Transparency is the point.