Updated: 25 March 2021

So as to not keep you in suspense (ahem!), let me warn you that the following information is a tad bor-ing. But it’s important because it’s about YOU, and you are important! Your privacy is important to us and we are looking out for you.

Short and sweet, to the point, it says that we won’t use any information you give us in any way except how it was intended.

You see, here’s the thing about websites – they do store SOME data. But we’re going to tell you what we store (not much) and what you can do about it if you don’t like that.

First off, know that most of the information we store is information you give us freely. Our site is protected by SSL, which ensures that everything sent to or from our server is encrypted (a fact that is worth its weight in gold to you). In addition, we use powerful security software to maintain security on our site to the best of our ability.

Sadly, there are people who love to fill websites with spam comments. Our site is no exception. We use Akismet to provide anti-spam services. If you are concerned with their processing of your data, simply don’t leave comments—although that breaks our hearts because we want to hear from you and respond!

Now…about what we collect (that you give us):

Comments

We love it when people comment, and we believe you do too, so we chose to have that opportunity available on our website. The information collected is simple; it includes your name, email address, IP address, and your comments. If you ever wish to have your comments removed, send us an email and we’ll remove them.

None of us like spam—unless it’s the kind you use to make a sandwich. To protect our site from spam, your information is compared with a list of known spam senders by Akismet, an Automattic company (the same company that makes WordPress). The information Akismet collects includes the commenter’s IP address, user agent, referrer, and site URL (along with other information directly provided by the commenter such as their name, username, email address…oh, and the comment itself, of course. Akismet doesn’t do anything with the data and they purge it in a few days…however, we keep the data (after all, it’s your valuable comments) and store it in our database.

Website Activity Tracking

Our hosting company provides us with basic data on those who access our website. The data stored in this manner is not traceable back to any individual and is deliberately generalized. It provides us with information related to the country of origin of site visitors, what browser they are using, and how long they stayed on the site. 

In addition, Google and other search engines track website visitors. This is something that happens whenever you use the internet. If you don’t want to be tracked, please consider using a private browser window.  The information these search engines store is not traceable to one individual and so is very generic in nature. We don’t store this information, although we do occasionally look at it so we can tell what people are searching for when they come to our site. 

We also use Google Analytics on our site to see where vistors are coming from and to observe click-through rates. This requires the use of cookies (see below). 

Use of Cookies

Alas, we don’t mean the chocolate chip kind. Nah, we eat those before anyone can get ahold of them anyway! So, we use cookies on this site to ensure the integrity of the registration process and to personalize the site. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your hard disk by a web page server. Cookies can’t be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. They are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.

One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to 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 website, the information you previously provided can be retrieved so you can easily use the site’s features that you customized. Uh huh, it’s almost as good as the edible kind!

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 website usage, such as 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.

Please note that 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. But realize that if you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of this or other websites you visit. Jes sayin’.

Changes to this Statement

If there’s one guarantee, it’s that change happens. We may occasionally update this privacy statement. When we do, we will also revise the “last updated” date at the top of the privacy statement. We encourage you to periodically review this privacy statement to stay informed about how we are helping to protect the personal information we collect. Your continued use of the service constitutes your agreement to this privacy statement and any updates.

A Note to International Users

This site is hosted in the United States, where we reside. If you are accessing the site from outside the United States, then know that by providing your information to this site you are consenting to the transfer of your information to the United States for processing and maintenance in accordance with this Privacy Notice. You are also consenting to the application of United States law in all matters concerning the site.

Site Content Owner

All the content on this site, donandstephanieprichard.com, is owned by Don and Stephanie Prichard at 935 Smock Drive, Greenwood, IN 46143-2424.