Privacy matters but it can be confusing. This page explains my approach to privacy on all my websites and how it affects you.
Short version
- I collect anonymous statistics about your visit, like which of my pages you viewed.
- Some 3rd parties like Facebook, Twitter and Disqus may know you visited this website, if you use their services. I can’t control them but I don’t believe this knowledge poses any threat to you.
- If you sign up with me, I take great care to keep your information safe and I’ll never share it with others without your express permission.
- I never share your data with 3rd parties except to help me deliver my own services.
These are just the key points. If you need detail, keep reading.
Measuring the visitors
I measure visitors to my website using Google Analytics. This records what pages you view within my site, how you arrived at my site and some basic information about your computer. All of that information is anonymous – so I don’t know who you are; just that somebody visited my site.
The information I collect from analytics helps me understand what parts of my sites are doing well, how people arrive at my site and so on. Like most websites, I use this information to make the website better.
You can learn more about Google Analytics or opt out if you wish.
Facebook, Twitter and other social networks
These services provide social buttons and similar features which I use on my website – such as the “Like” and “Tweet” buttons.
To do so, I embed code that they provide. Their buttons generally know if you’re logged in; for example Facebook sometimes say “x of your friends like this”. I do not have any access to that information, nor can I control how those networks use it.
Social networks therefore could know that you’re viewing this website, if you use their services (that isn’t to say they do, but their policies may change). As my website is remarkably inoffensive, I imagine this is not a concern for most users.
Discussion comments
To allow visitors to discuss my blog articles and some web pages, I use a discussion system called Disqus.
I embed code that Disqus provide and I cannot control it. Disqus anonymously tracks visitors to pages like I do. They also remember who you are if you login to any Disqus service, so you can comment on any website using their tool.
Logging in to Disqus can be done in many ways, including via Facebook. If you login via social network, Disqus will be able to link your activity to that network. In this way, your Disqus activity may be personally identifiable.
Disqus will know what pages you viewed in my site and what you wrote on those comments. Of course all comments you leave are also publicly visible on the Internet alongside your name, so I do not imagine this is a concern for many people.
If you sign up for the newsletter
When you sign up for my newsletter, I will record specific personal information about you, such as your name and email address.
You have the ability to opt out of any of this communication at any time.
I will never provide your personal information or email address to any third parties except where they are specifically employed to help deliver my own service, as detailed above.
Updates to this policy
I may update this privacy policy from time-to-time, particularly as technology changes. You can always check this page for the latest version. I may also notify you of changes to our privacy policy by email.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or your personal data, please write to me by email to hello [at] joanmira [.] com.