Hello! So you want to know about privacy and all that. I get it. You might have noticed a lack of warnings and pop-ups?
So here’s the deal. I’ve removed all the tracking type analytics from the site. You’re not being stalked across the internet by the analytics I use, which is now Simple Analytics which is a privacy first service. Imperfect, but seems to be improving by the day. And that means no tracking cookies, no clever little images served by advertisers which can do their own stalking. Nothing, basically, that results in your data being harvested and resold.
What data can you leave that can be tied to you in some way? Well, if you comment – that leaves a cookie for you so you can have pre-filled comment details. It’s not used for anything else. If you log in (which you shouldn’t – that’s just for me) then there’s a log in cookie. Aaaand that’s about it. There’s also Akismet, which is used to check comments for spam. Without it, open comments would be a nightmare. It’s pretty much impossible to filter for spam without using ip addresses and email addresses and storing them. They have a privacy statement.
Or at least, I hope so. Ultimately, there are services the site relies on. It’s not possible to know exactly what they’re up to. But I use a UK based host with a good reputation, and all data that you do leave is going to be treated with respect. This is, of course, a personal blog, and not a very busy or actively updated one at that. Nor does it make me a penny of money. When I write things for public consumption it’s mostly an exercise in making sure my thoughts on a subject are in properly worked out. Often I end up never posting. But if I think I have something useful for others, I’ll share it. Why not? Of course, with SEO and rankings the way they are, most people will likely never find my content. But that’s fine. If you matter, you’ll find it.
Privacy does matter. But a lot of websites will track you to death. So don’t forget to set your do not track settings in your browser of choice, and use an ad blocker. It’ll help a lot. Because trust me – for some people that leaky data could get them imprisoned or killed.
