WestScriptPrivacy
Privacy
Last updated:
This page explains what WestScript collects, why, and when it is deleted. Our approach is simple: collect as little as we can and keep it no longer than needed.
At a glance
| What | When it is created | How long we keep it |
|---|---|---|
| Web server access log | Every page request | About two weeks |
| IP address for rate limiting | Sending a reply or a message | Memory only, never saved |
| Reply waiting for review | Sending a reply | 30 days unless approved |
| Contact message | Sending the contact form | 90 days |
| Published post or approved reply | Publishing or approval | Until removed |
When you read
Reading needs no account and sets no cookies. Like almost every website, our web server keeps standard access logs: your IP address, the page requested, your browser’s user agent and the time. We use these logs for security and to keep the site running. They are rotated and deleted after about two weeks.
When you reply to a post
The reply form asks for two things: a name (any name you choose) and your reply. It does not ask for an email address. A new reply waits for a moderator. Once approved, it is shown publicly under the post with your name and the date. Replies that are not approved are deleted automatically after 30 days.
When you use the contact form
The contact form asks for your name, email address, a topic and your message. We use them only to read your request, reply to you and handle what you asked for. Contact messages are deleted automatically after 90 days.
Spam protection
When you send a reply or a contact message, your IP address is checked for a short time to limit spam. This happens in memory only; the address is not stored in the site’s database.
Writers
Writers join by invitation. A writer’s public profile (name, handle, portrait, short bio and optional website link) and their published posts are visible to everyone, because that is the purpose of publishing. Writers can ask us to remove a post or their whole blog.
Cookies
Readers and people who reply get no cookies from us. The only cookie on WestScript is a session cookie for the site’s administrators, set when they sign in so the site knows they are signed in.
Other services your browser contacts
Some files on WestScript come from outside providers. When your browser loads them, the provider receives your IP address and browser information, as with any web request:
- Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com) for the typefaces on the site.
- Unsplash (images.unsplash.com) for the photos on the home page.
Their own privacy policies cover those requests. No other outside service receives information about your visit. WestScript is served over HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt certificates, so the connection between your browser and the site is encrypted.
What we do not do
- No analytics, no advertising and no tracking pixels.
- No third-party scripts.
- No reader profiles, and no following people across pages or sites.
- No selling or sharing personal data. With no advertisers, there is no one to sell it to.
- No mailing lists. People who reply never give us an email address.
Your requests
You can ask for a copy of the data we hold about you, a correction, or deletion, for example of a reply you wrote or a message you sent. Use the contact page, choose Privacy request and give enough detail for us to find it, such as the post and the name you used. We may ask a question to confirm the request is yours.
Changes to this page
If the way we handle data changes, this page changes too, and the “last updated” date at the top moves with it. Any new kind of data collection would be described here before it starts.