Privacy Policy

Ah, privacy, there’s so little of it these days, especially in the digital maze that is the Internet. But while you’re visiting my online labyrinth, I want you to know that your privacy is important to me. No one likes having their email in-box stuffed with unwanted junk, so I’m going to care for the information you give me and will only use it as it was intended. So here’s my site’s privacy policy:

What’s Collected

Know that most of the information I store is information you give me freely. SSL protects my site and encrypts everything sent to or from my server. I also use powerful security software to maintain security on my site to the best of my ability.

Unfortunately, some people want nothing more than to fill any website with spam (not the canned meat, which I understand is a delicacy in some cultures, but those junk comments released like dandelion seeds by bots to thousands of sites at a time.) My site is no exception. CleanTalk is a GDPR compliant company that also values your privacy. When you log in, post a comment, or send me a contact message, CleanTalk receives a copy of the information that you submit. This information is checked against a list of known spammers. If you match someone on that list, your interaction will be blocked.

CleanTalk keeps a record of your interaction with the site for approximately 7 days to allow me to manually reclassify you if I feel they’ve made a mistake. After that time, the data is removed from their server, except for anonymized statistics. CleanTalk guarantees that your data will never be used or shared in any other way. By keeping the spammers away from the site, this keeps sylviekurtz.com safe for all of us.

If you’re concerned with CleanTalk’s processing of your data, please don’t leave any comments.

Here’s what I collect—remember, this is information that you’ve freely given me:

Newsletters

When you subscribe, I collect your name, your computer’s address (IP address), and your email address so that I can send you infrequent updates about what’s going on in my world. Want to be removed from this list? Click unsubscribe at the bottom of any newsletter or send me an email.

My newsletters also send a message back to me when they’re opened. This helps me to better design my future content. I view and store the statistics about whether you’ve opened the newsletters or not.

Comments

I love it when people leave comments. To allow for discussion, you can post comments in some areas on this website. The information collected includes your name, email address, website address, IP address, and your comments. If you ever wish to have your comments removed, send me a quick note through the form at the bottom of this page and I’ll remove them.

Minors

Please be aware that sylviekurtz.com is intended for use by individuals over the age of 16. If you are under 16, please get permission from a guardian before using the site.

Website Activity Tracking

While I’d love to be online all the time to welcome you personally to my labyrinth, that’s not possible, so my hosting company tracks basic data on those who access the 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’re using, and how long they stayed on the site.

Then there’s Google. It and other search engines track website visitors. This happens whenever you use the Internet. If you don’t want to be tracked, consider using a private browser window. The information that these search engines store isn’t traceable to one individual and is generic in nature. I use Google Analytics to see what visitors like. I don’t store this information, but I do occasionally look at it so that I can provide more relevant content.

Cookies

I use cookies on this site to make sure the integrity of the registration process and to personalize the site. A cookie is a tiny text file placed on your hard disk by a Web page server, not, alas, the gooey double chocolate kind still warm from the oven. Cookies can’t be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer.

Cookies are assigned uniquely to you, and only the Web server in the domain that issued you the cookie can read them.

These cookies may not taste like anything, but they 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 how this website is used—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.

Changes to this Statement

The only sure thing about this fast-moving world is that change will happen. I may occasionally update this privacy statement. When I do, I’ll also revise the “last updated” date at the top of the privacy statement. I encourage you to periodically review this privacy statement to stay up to date about how I’m 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

While I love traveling abroad, I live in the United States, and that’s where this site is hosted. If you’re accessing the site from outside the United States, by providing your information to the site, you’re agreeing to the transfer of your information to the United States for processing and maintenance in accordance with this Privacy Notice. You’re also consenting to the application of United States law in all matters concerning the site.

Site Content Owner

Sylvie Kurtz owns all of the content on this site, www.sylviekurtz.com

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