A plain account of cookies on this site. The short version: almost none, and none of the surveillance kind. Read on if you want the specifics.
01What a cookie is
A cookie is a small text file a website places on your device when you visit. It can be read back on your next visit, which is how sites remember things: that you logged in, that you prefer a certain language, that a banner has already been dismissed.
Cookies are neither good nor bad. What matters is what they are used for. This document tells you exactly what this site uses them for.
02Types in use
This site sets exactly one category of cookie, and only under one circumstance.
If you visit this site only to read, and do not submit the newsletter form, no cookies are set at all.
03What is not here
No Facebook Pixel. No Google Ads tags. No LinkedIn Insight. No "share this article" buttons that phone home when the page loads. If you run a content blocker, nothing on this site will break because of it.
04Analytics, and why no cookies
This site measures readership: which essays are read, on which type of device, in roughly which country. That is the extent of it.
The tool used is privacy-respecting by design. It does not set cookies. It does not track you across other websites. It cannot identify you personally. It is compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and similar frameworks without requiring a consent banner, because there is nothing requiring consent.
If you are curious which tool is in use, or want to see its privacy documentation, write to me and I will tell you directly.
05Your control
Every major browser allows you to view, block, and delete cookies. The paths vary by browser, but the relevant setting is usually labeled "Privacy," "Cookies," or "Site data" in the preferences or settings menu.
- Blocking cookies entirely will not prevent you from reading anything on this site. No content is gated behind cookie consent.
- Deleting cookies already set will have no visible effect on your reading experience here.
- Opting out of analytics is as simple as running any standard privacy extension. The analytics tool used also respects the DNT (Do Not Track) header if your browser sends it.
06Changes to this policy
If this site ever begins using cookies in a new way, this document will be updated before that change takes effect, and the revision date at the top will reflect it. Any material change will be noted in the next newsletter issue. Minor clarifications will not be announced.
07Questions and objections
If something here is unclear, or if you believe the site is behaving differently from what this document describes, please get in touch. I take these things seriously and will respond within a week.