Privacy Policy

Last updated: December 21, 2025

Overview

This website is a personal portfolio and writing showcase. We collect minimal data necessary to provide basic functionality and understand how the site is used. We do not sell, share, or use your data for advertising purposes.

Information We Collect

1. Cookies (Optional Preferences)

We use cookies only with your consent to remember your preferences:

  • cookieConsent: Your choice to accept or decline cookies (true/false)
  • darkMode: Your dark mode preference (true/false)
  • uiScale: Your UI scale preference (numeric value, e.g., 1.0, 1.25)

Purpose: These cookies enhance your experience by remembering your display preferences across visits.

Duration: 365 days

No consent? If you decline cookies, the site uses your browser/OS system preferences (like prefers-color-scheme) instead. No data is stored.

2. Page View Analytics

When you view content pages, we collect the following information server-side:

  • Page URL: Which content you viewed (e.g., "poems/the-apparition.md")
  • IP Address: Your public IP address (IPv4 or IPv6)
  • Browser: Browser name and version (e.g., "Chrome 120.0")
  • Device Type: Desktop, Mobile, or Tablet
  • Timestamp: When you viewed the page (UTC)

Purpose: To understand which content is popular and track basic visitor statistics. This helps me know which writing resonates with readers.

Storage: Stored in a private MySQL database. Not shared with third parties.

Session Prevention: We use PHP sessions to prevent counting multiple views from the same person within the same browsing session.

3. Mailing List (Optional)

If you choose to subscribe to our mailing list, we collect:

  • Email Address: The email you provide in the subscription form
  • Subscription Date: When you subscribed (UTC timestamp)

Purpose: To send you updates when new content is published. We only send relevant content updates—no spam, no selling your email, no third-party marketing.

Storage: Stored in a private MySQL database. Not shared with third parties.

Opt-Out: You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link on the homepage or in any email we send.

Data Retention: Your email remains in our database until you unsubscribe or request deletion.

4. Server Logs

Like most websites, our web server automatically logs:

  • IP addresses
  • Requested URLs
  • Timestamps
  • Browser user agents
  • HTTP response codes

Purpose: Security monitoring, debugging, and performance optimization.

Managed by: Hosting provider's standard logging (not under our direct control)

What We Don't Do

  • ❌ No Google Analytics or similar tracking platforms
  • ❌ No social media pixels or tracking scripts
  • ❌ No advertising networks
  • ❌ No selling or sharing email addresses
  • ❌ No spam - only relevant content updates if you subscribe
  • ❌ No cross-site tracking
  • ❌ No data selling or sharing with third parties
  • ❌ No user accounts (mailing list uses email only)

Third-Party Services

This site uses:

  • Bulma CSS: Loaded from local files (no external requests)
  • Parsedown: Loaded from local files (no external requests)
  • Web Hosting: Hosted on a third-party provider who may have their own logging policies

We do not use CDNs or external JavaScript that could track you.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Decline cookies: Click "Decline" on the cookie banner
  • Delete cookies: Clear your browser cookies at any time
  • Unsubscribe from mailing list: Use the unsubscribe link on the homepage or in any email
  • Request data deletion: Contact the site owner to request deletion of your IP address from analytics or your email from the mailing list

Data Security

  • Analytics database is password-protected
  • Dashboard access requires authentication
  • Database credentials and sensitive files are blocked via .htaccess
  • HTTPS encryption for all connections (if configured by hosting provider)

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy occasionally. The "Last updated" date at the top will reflect any changes. Continued use of the site after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

Questions about this privacy policy or your data? This is a personal project with no formal contact form, but you can review the GitHub profile for contact options if needed.

In Simple Terms:

We save which pages you read, along with your IP address and browser type, so I can see what content is popular. If you accept cookies, we'll also remember if you prefer dark mode and a larger UI. If you subscribe to the mailing list, we'll save your email to send you updates about new content. That's it. No tracking, no ads, no creepy stuff.

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