Sunday 31 December 2023

Archimago's Musings: Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy

Sites need to comply with General Data Protection and Regulation (GPDR) policies if there are visitors from the EU, so for transparency, here are some broad Terms and Conditions as well as Privacy Policy statements for this blog as we enter 2024.

Basically this: I trust we're here to learn, enjoy the hobby, debate sometimes, as generally anonymous participants, acting like decent persons online. The purpose here is not to sell stuff or make money even though I don't mind getting a little "tip" if folks buy stuff for example off Amazon links or if the ads work out for you. I have no interest in soliciting funding from anyone such as with Patreon and the like; my day job pays just fine.

Be mindful that public comments are public so don't say anything private unless you want it known broadly. No doubt in the days ahead there will be all kinds of bots and increasingly sophisticated autonomous agents reviewing the information and scraping the data. Consider how this might have an impact on you and the comments made.

Cookies and IP addresses are sent to browsers routinely so feel free to decline sharing cookies, use "incognito" browser mode, perhaps connect through a VPN if you don't want to be tracked especially on a public network (here's one I use). Google Analytics, AdSense, maybe a widget on the blog might use some of the cookie or IP info.

If you're responding to one of my surveys, blind tests, or contacting me by E-mail, unless you choose to do so, I will not have any need for your private information unless we get to know each other or plan to meet up, etc.

Otherwise, Happy 2024! May your life be free from scammers, spammers, identity hackers, snake-oil salesmen, and general crooks in the coming years! Peace.😌


 TERMS AND CONDITIONS

These terms and conditions (the “Terms and Conditions”) govern the use of archimago.blogspot.com (the “Site”), owned and operated by Archimago and potentially other creators of the site ("we").

This Site is a blog - an updated website run primarily by an individual with contributions by a small group, intended to be informal and conversational. By using this Site, you indicate that you have read and understood these Terms and Conditions and agree to abide by them at all times.

Intellectual Property
All content published and made available on the Site is the property of the Site's creator(s). This includes, but is not limited to images, text, logos, documents, downloadable files and anything that contributes to the composition of the Site not otherwise linked or from existing publicly-available sources believed to be usable under the principles of fair-use.

User Contributions
Unless accepted as article contribution to the blog contents, users may post the following information on the Site:

  • Public comments.

By posting publicly on this Site, you agree not to act illegally or violate these Terms and Conditions.

User Goods and Services
The Site does not have any services for users to sell goods or services. However, if any goods or services were to be exchanged, we do not assume any responsibility for the goods and services users exchange. We cannot guarantee the quality or accuracy of any goods and services sold by users on our Site. However, if we are made aware that a user is violating these Terms and Conditions, we reserve the right to suspend or prohibit the user’s ability to do so.

Links to Other Websites
The Site contains links to third party websites or services that we do not own or control. We are not responsible for the contents, policies, or practices of any third party website or service linked to on this Site. It is the user’s responsibility to read and understand the terms, conditions and privacy policies of these third party websites before using them.

Limitation of Liability
Archimago, any agents, employees, subsidiaries, and affiliates will not be liable for any actions, claims, losses, damages, liabilities and expenses including legal fees from your use of the Site.

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada where the vast majority of the blog content would be produced. 

Indemnity
Except when prohibited by law, by using this Site you indemnify and hold harmless Archimago, any officers, agents, employees, subsidiaries, and affiliates from any actions, claims, losses, damages, liabilities and expenses including legal fees arising out of your use of this Site or your violation of these Terms and Conditions.

Severability
If at any time any of the provisions set forth in these Terms and Conditions are found to be inconsistent or invalid under applicable laws, those provisions will be deemed void and will be removed from these Terms and Conditions. All other provisions will not be affected by the removal and the rest of these Terms and Conditions will still be considered valid.

Changes
These Terms and Conditions may be adjusted or amended occasionally in order to maintain compliance with the law and to reflect any changes to the way we operate the Site potentially in response to user suggestions and behaviors. We will notify users with a notice on the Site should such changes be needed.

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy ("Policy") will help you understand how Archimago’s Musings ("us", "we", "our") uses and protects the data you provide to us when you visit and use archimago.blogspot.com ("blog", "service").

We reserve the right to change this policy at any given time, which will result in an update to this post on the site. If you want to make sure that you are up to date with the latest changes, we advise you to visit this page. Major updates may be highlighted in the future as a blog post.

What User Data May Be Collected

When you visit the blog, it may collect the following data:
  • Your IP address.
  • Other information such as preferences.
  • Data profile regarding your online behavior on our blog.
  • Any other information you provide such as in the comments or survey results.

Why We Collect Your Data
We are collecting your data for several reasons:
  • To gather data as part of a survey or test you might want to be involved in.
  • To improve the quality of the blog.
  • To customize the blog according to your online personal preferences.

Safeguarding and Securing the Data
We do not collect private information for the blog contents itself and the only data request solicited will be those involved with some of the surveys and tests we perform on the Site. Any data collected will be done anonymously and results maintained in that anonymous form, including for write-ups and summaries of data when published.

We utilize the Google Blogger platform with security features implemented for accounts and the comments section. Please refer to Google’s policies for further details.

Cookie Policy
Once you agree to allow the blog to use cookies, you also agree to use the data it collects regarding your online behavior (analyze web traffic, web pages you visit and spend the most time on as per general Google Blogger procedure).

The data collected by using cookies is used to customize the blog to your needs. Assuming the data is even used for statistical analysis, the data will subsequently be removed from the systems.

Please note that cookies don't allow others to gain control of your computer in any way. They are strictly used to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not in order to provide a better experience for you.

If you want to disable cookies, you can do it by accessing the settings of your internet browser. You can visit https://www.internetcookies.com, which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a number of common browsers and devices.

Links to Other Websites
The blog contains links that lead to other websites. If you click on these links, Archimago’s Musings is not held responsible for your data and privacy protection. Visiting those websites is not governed by this Policy agreement. Make sure to read the privacy policy documentation of the website you go to for their details.

Contact Details
Any concerns or questions may be directed to:
archimagosmusings@outlook.com

Effective: Jan 1, 2024

2 comments:

  1. Dear Arch, a very Happy New Year and, once again, very many thanks for all the enlightenment and entertainment you so generously spread around! Sadly, the scammers and crooks seem to be winning in so many areas, so thank goodness for your oasis of honesty and sanity! :D

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the note Nick,
      I think it is unfortunate that the Internet has become so driven by corporate interests and since everyone has access to the web, each of us simply has to be careful about what sources we listen to for truth.

      Especially for audio where it takes time and effort to demonstrate effects, it's way too easy to just offer "opinions" - "subjective impressions" rather than evidence or facts. It's certainly easy to see these questionable claims when we look for it. And jarringly obvious when agents are in the business of selling stuff at high prices (stuff like this: OCD Mikey).

      Have a wonderful 2024!

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