Privacy Policy

I’m actually a very private person and I want you to know I value your privacy, too. No one likes getting emails they didn’t actually sign up for, no matter how badass the content, and I won’t use any information you give me in any way except how it was intended.

Here’s the thing about websites – they do store SOME data. But I’m going to tell you what I store (not much) and what you can do about it if you don’t like that.

First off, know that most of the information I store is information you give me freely. My site is protected by SSL which ensures that everything sent to or from my server is encrypted. In addition, I use very powerful security software to maintain security on my site to the best of my ability.

Sadly, there are many people who would love to fill any website with spam comments. My site is no exception. I use CleanTalk to provide anti-spam services. You can read more about it below. If you are concerned with their processing of your data, I urge you not to leave comments.

Now…about what I collect (that you give me):

Comments

I love it when people comment. I love a good discussion, too! So to allow for discussion, you have the opportunity to post comments on this website. The information collected includes your name, email address, IP address, and your comments. If you ever wish to have your comments removed, send me an email and I’ll remove them.

While I love comments, I can’t stand spam (the unsolicited junk comments sent by bots to thousands of people). To protect my site from spam, your information is compared with a list of known spam senders by CleanTalk, an Automattic company (the same company that makes WordPress). The information CleanTalk collects includes the commenter’s IP address, user agent, referrer, and Site URL (along with other information directly provided by the commenter such as their name, username, email address…oh, and the comment itself, of course). CleanTalk doesn’t do anything with the data and they purge it in a few days. However, I keep the data (in the form of your comments) and store it in my database.

Media

If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Cookies

I use cookies on this Site to ensure the integrity of the registration process and to personalize the Site. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your hard disk by a Web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a Web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.

One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. For example, the cookie notice on this site will place a cookie on your computer when you accept it. Then it won’t ask you if you approve of cookies again for a month. This simplifies the process of delivering relevant content, eases site navigation, and so on. When you return to the Web site, the information you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the site’s features that you customized.

Web beacons, also known as clear gif technology, or action tags, may be used to assist in delivering the cookie. This technology is a tool used to compile aggregated statistics about web site usage, such as how many visitors clicked on key elements (such as links or graphics) on a Web page, blog or a newsletter. No private or personal information is transferred in this way.

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Many Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of this or other Web sites you visit.

Website Activity Tracking

My hosting company  provides me with basic data on those who access my site. The data stored in this manner is not traceable back to any individual and is deliberately generalized. It provides me with information related to the country of origin of site visitors, what browser they are using, and how long they stayed on the site. If you want to read about what I use, here is a good article.

In addition, Google and other search engines track website visitors. This is something that happens whenever you use the internet. If you do not want to be tracked, please consider using a private browser window.  The information that these search engines store is not traceable to one individual and so is very generic in nature. I do not store this information, however I do occasionally look at it so that I can tell what people are searching for when they come to my site. This helps me provide more relevant content.

I also use Google Analytics on my site to see where visitors are coming from and to observe click-through rates. This requires the use of cookies (see below). You can read more about what Google captures through analytics here.

Who the website shares your data with

As mentioned above, your data is shared with CleanTalk, Google Analytics, WordFence (another anti-spam feature) and CookieYes (a simple way for me to make double-double sure that you are consenting to the use of cookies, in compliance with the data protection requirements of the GDPR).

How long it retains 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 my website, I 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.

Changes to this statement

If there’s one guarantee, it’s that change happens. I may occasionally update this privacy statement. When I do, I will also revise the “last updated” date at the top of the privacy statement. For material changes to this privacy statement, I will notify you by placing a prominent notice on the home page of my Web site. I encourage you to periodically review this privacy statement to stay informed about how I am helping to protect the personal information I collect. Your continued use of the service constitutes your agreement to this privacy statement and any updates.

A note to international users

I was born in and live in the US part of the time, and that’s where this site is hosted. If you are accessing the Site from outside the United States, by providing your information to the Site, you are consenting to the transfer of your information to the United States for processing and maintenance in accordance with this Privacy Notice. You are also consenting to the application of United States law in all matters concerning the Site.

Site content owner

All of the content on this site, nancystroer.com, is owned by me.