Privacy Policy

This site is built to be read without leaving a trace. We know that for many people visiting, privacy isn't a formality. It's the reason you feel safe reading this at all. This policy explains exactly what we do and don't collect.

What we don't do

• We don't require an account or login to read anything on this site.
• We don't use third-party advertising trackers, ad networks, or sell any data to anyone.
• We don't use social media tracking pixels (Facebook Pixel, etc.).
• We don't ask for your name, email, or any identifying information just to read essays.

What we do collect

If you use the contact form: We collect the email address and message you provide, solely to respond to your question. We don't add you to any mailing list unless you explicitly ask to be added. We don't share this information with anyone.

Basic site analytics: This site uses Google Analytics (GA4) to understand aggregate traffic: how many people visit, which essays and topics get read, and roughly where visitors are coming from. It is not linked to anything you submit through the contact form, and we don't use it to identify individual visitors. Google processes this data under its own privacy policy, which covers how it's handled on their end. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking generally with Google's browser opt-out add-on, or by using a browser or extension that blocks third-party analytics scripts; we don't attempt to detect or work around either.

Cookies: This site does not set any cookies beyond what's technically necessary for pages to load. We use no tracking or advertising cookies of any kind.

Server logs

Like virtually all websites, our hosting provider automatically logs basic technical information (IP address, browser type, time of visit) for security and performance purposes. These logs are not used to identify individual visitors and are retained only as long as necessary for that purpose.

If you're concerned about being tracked

We understand some visitors have real safety concerns about their browsing being discovered: by family, by a congregation, by anyone. Some practical steps that are outside our control but worth knowing:

• Using a private/incognito browser window doesn't hide your visit from your internet provider or a shared device's browser history in all cases; clearing history afterward is more reliable on a shared device.
• If you're on a shared or monitored device, consider that browsing history may still be visible to others with access to that device, regardless of what we do on our end.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, we'll update the date at the top of this page. We won't make retroactive changes that reduce your privacy without clearly noting it here.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your data can be sent through our contact page.