Privacy and cookies
Last updated October 2026
Reading the site
You can read every published article without signing in. We don't ask for an account to read, and we don't use Google Analytics or any other third-party tracking product.
We do keep a plain server log of article page views — the same thing web servers have kept since the 1990s. Each line holds the date and time, which article was opened, the IP address the request came from, the browser and operating system your browser announces itself as, the country your network provider's address is registered to, and the site you followed a link from, if there was one. It is written on our server rather than in your browser, so nothing is stored on your device and nothing follows you elsewhere.
It is there so the editor can see how many people are reading, which articles land, and when something is scraping the site. Only the editor can see it. It is never shared, never sold, and never combined with anything else. Every line deletes itself after 90 days.
Information we collect
If you choose to sign in with Google, we receive and store:
- your name, email address and profile picture from your Google account;
- the Google account id, so we can recognise you next time;
- anything you write on the site — drafts, submitted articles and uploaded images.
We never see and never receive your Google password. Sign-in is handled by Google Identity Services; we only receive the profile fields listed above.
How this information is used
- to show your name and picture as the author of anything you publish;
- to keep your drafts attached to your account;
- to let an editor contact you about a submission;
- to grant the editor account access to the admin dashboard.
We do not sell your data, and we do not send marketing email.
Cookies
Signing in sets one cookie holding a signed session token, so you stay signed in between visits. It expires after 30 days. Your theme choice (light or dark) is stored in your browser's local storage and never leaves your device.
Advertising
This site shows ads from Google AdSense. Google and its partners may use cookies to serve ads based on your visits to this and other sites. You can opt out of personalised advertising in Google Ads Settings, and review how Google uses data from sites that use its services at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites. Third-party vendors that serve ads here are also listed at aboutads.info.
Third parties we use
- Google Identity Services — sign-in.
- Google AdSense — advertising.
- Google Gemini — research and drafting for AI-assisted articles. Topics typed by the editor are sent to Google; reader data never is.
- MongoDB Atlas — the database holding articles and accounts.
- Vercel — hosting, and storage for uploaded and generated images.
AI-assisted articles
Some articles are researched and drafted with AI and then checked and edited by a person before publication. Those articles say so in the byline and list their sources at the foot of the page.
Deleting your data
Email email.pijush@gmail.com from the address you signed in with and we will delete your account and your unpublished drafts. Published articles can be removed or made anonymous on request.
Children
This site is written for a general audience and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the date at the top of this page changes with it. Significant changes will be noted on the home page.
Contact
Questions about any of this: email.pijush@gmail.com.