Cookies
Cookies are small text files that websites store on your device (if you agree) when you visit them. They serve as a memory for the website, helping to improve your browsing experience in several ways:
- Essential cookies enable basic website functions, like keeping you logged in or remembering items in your shopping cart.
- Performance cookies collect anonymous data about how visitors use the site, helping owners understand and improve their website’s functionality.
- Preference cookies remember your settings, such as language choice or color theme.
- Advertising and third party cookies are set by external services, like analytics tools or social media platforms, and can track your activity across different websites. These cookies enable features like targeted advertising and social sharing buttons.
Most modern browsers allow you to control cookie settings, letting you accept or reject different types of cookies. While cookies are generally safe and beneficial for website functionality, some users may have privacy concerns about tracking cookies. That’s why many websites now include cookie consent banners, allowing visitors to choose which types of cookies they’re willing to accept.
How cookies are used on my website
I store cookies on your browser or the hard drive of your device if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred from my website to your browser/device, and from your browser/device back again to my website.
My Website uses cookies to provide you with a good experience when you browse my Website and allows me to improve my Website for example by understanding how you use my Website, measuring the numbers of people who read my articles and visit the Website, and showing you relevant content.
How I use the cookies used on my website
Essential cookies
These cookies are either required for the proper operation of my Website (for example, cookies that enable you remain signed into your account or make to comments) or make my Website easier to use (for example, cookies that recognise you when you return to my Website and remember your preferences or settings). This enables me to optimise your experience and personalise my content for you.
There are currently no essential cookies in use on my website.
Performance cookies
These cookies allow me to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around my Website when they are using it. This helps me to improve the way my Website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.
My analytics tool uses cookies to define user sessions, unique users, and to provide a number of reporting features. These cookies are set or updated only to collect the data required for such reports.
I do not use third party (e.g. Google Analytics) analytics tools and have created my own analytics software which sends all data back to my website where it is analysed by me.
| Cookie Name | Description | Activated | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| __mtu | A unique ID linked to you (if you do not consent to cookies, this cookie will not be set and you will see a persistent opt-in message while you browse my website). Without consent, you will be treated as an anonymous user of my website. | When consent is given by you | 365 days |
| __mtc | A timestamp of the date and time you gave consent for cookies to be stored on your device. | When consent is given by you | 365 days |
Preferences cookies
Preference cookies remember your personal settings and choices on a website to enhance your browsing experience. These cookies store information like your preferred language, region, text size, color themes, or layout preferences. When you return to the site, these cookies ensure it appears and functions according to your previous customizations. For example, if you set a website to dark mode or selected your local currency for an online store, preference cookies will maintain these settings for your next visit. They help create a more personalized and convenient browsing experience without requiring you to reconfigure your preferences each time.
There are currently no preference cookies in use on my website.
Advertising and third party cookies
Advertising and third party cookies record your visit to my Website, the pages you have visited, the links you have followed and information about your browser, device and your IP address. I may use this information to make my Website and any advertising displayed on it more relevant to your interests. I may also share this information with third parties for this purpose, including advertisers and social media companies who may use online retargeting to show you ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter based on what you read on my Website. For example, you might see ads related to things I mention in my articles while scrolling through your social media feeds. You can find more information about the individual cookies I use and the purposes for which I use them in the table below including (where applicable) information on how to opt-out of the cookies provided by third parties and social platforms.
There are currently no advertising or third party cookies in use on my website.