Cookie Policy
This site is a publisher of information, not an ecommerce storefront nor a transaction processor. As such, we do not normally collect personal information about you when you visit and read the content on our site.
Nevertheless, we operate this website in accordance with the GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive and other international privacy laws which require disclosure of all forms of personal information capture and tracking.
This Cookie Policy explains how we use one type of common tracking technology, the “cookie”.
What are cookies?
A cookie is a text file stored in a user’s web browser on any device they use to access a website that holds information regarding the user’s visit, such as preferences. When the user returns, the browser provides the cookie with the stored information to the site.
What are cookies used for?
Cookies are used for customizing a website’s content and user experience to fit the user’s preferences, to optimize the website and to monetize the website. Cookies often store useful information that improve the user’s experience of a website. They are most commonly used for:
- Storing login information so that a user does not need to re-login on every visit. In most cases, our visitors have no need to log in.
- Recognizing the type of device a user is browsing with and any preferences applied to optimize the website specifically for the device.
- Creating statistics that help website owners to understand how their users interact with their website, which allows them to improve their structure and content.
- Tracking your movement from this site to other sites for the purpose of paid traffic accounting, for example, in ad tracking and affiliate link tracking.
What types of cookies are used?
There are two basic types of cookies: persistent cookies and session cookies.
Persistent cookies remain on your hard drive for a period of time specified in the cookie’s file parameters or until removed manually. When you return to a website and it requires you to login again despite previously storing your login information, it is usually because the persistent cookie expired; this helps to increase security while maintaining accessibility.
Session cookies, on the other hand, are used temporarily and expire once the website or browser is closed. They are used to track user activity on a website during a single visit. When a website requires that you verify your age or location once every visit before allowing you to view content and without requiring additional personal details, that is a session cookie at work.
There are two different sources, or owners, of cookies placed into your device’s browser: first-party and third-party.
First-Party cookies are placed into your device’s browser by us for the purposes described above.
Third-Party cookies: we also allow a select few trusted third parties to place their cookies into your device’s browser for the purpose of tracking your presence on our site. The primary uses of third party cookies used on this site include:
- Web Analytics (web analytics, link tracking, traffic monitoring, et al)
- Ad-tracking (Google Doubleclick, et al), and
- Affiliate link-tracking (Amazon.com, et al)
Web Analytics trackers help us monitor how many people use our website and better understand how they use it.
Ad trackers and affiliate trackers make it possible for us to sell advertising and to use affiliate links on this site. Without these sources of income we could not afford to create and maintain this website.
Do cookies include personal data?
If there is a need for the collection of your personal information, such as for creating accounts, then cookies may store personal information. We have no reason to do this, however, except when you (optionally) choose to leave a comment.
When leaving a comment on this site, the single piece of identifying information you are required to leave with us is your email address, so we can notify you of responses posted on our site. You may choose whether to share your real name and/or to share the URL of your website when posting a comment.
Once collected, your data is encrypted & rendered inaccessible to unauthorized users.
Managing cookies
By default, most web browsers are configured to accept cookies. However, these settings may be changed to block cookies entirely, or to inform the user each time they are used. Detailed information about cookies and the options associated with them are available in each browsers’ settings.
Your Privacy Rights
Please read our Privacy Policy to learn more about how we protect your rights to privacy on this website.