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Privacy Policy

What information is collected when you visit smith.technology, how it is used, and your rights as a visitor. Written in plain English because it is short enough to be readable.

Last updated

Who operates this site

The site is operated by Chris Smith personally, from Maryland, USA.

What this policy covers

This policy covers the public-facing website at smith.technology, including the blog at /thinking. It does not cover any external sites I link to. Those are governed by their own policies.

Information I collect

Automatically, when you visit the site:

  • Vercel Web Analytics. The site is hosted on Vercel, which provides privacy-focused, cookie-free analytics. This records aggregate information about page visits (page URLs, referrers, approximate country-level location, browser type, device type). It does not use cookies and does not track you across other sites. More info: https://vercel.com/docs/analytics.
  • Vercel Speed Insights. This measures the site's performance from your browser (load times, layout metrics). It collects performance data only, not personally identifying information.
  • Server request logs. Like every website, when your browser requests a page the hosting provider (Vercel) automatically receives standard technical information, including your IP address. This is used to serve the site, keep it secure, and prevent abuse. It is not used to identify you or build a profile of you.

Only if you allow analytics cookies:

  • Google Analytics. If you accept analytics cookies in the cookie banner, Google Analytics (loaded through Google Tag Manager) collects aggregate usage data such as pages viewed, referrer, approximate (city/country-level) location, and device and browser type, using cookies. It does not run unless you opt in, and you can withdraw consent at any time using the Cookie Settings link in the footer.

Voluntarily, if you subscribe:

  • Your email address. If you sign up for the newsletter, I collect your email address and nothing else. No name, and no other information. See Email newsletter below for exactly how this works and where your address is stored.
  • The site has no comments and no other forms. The newsletter signup is the only voluntary input.

I do not collect:

  • Your name, phone number, or mailing address. (If you subscribe to the newsletter I receive your email address and nothing else; if you email me directly I will see your email address.)
  • Advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. (The optional analytics cookies you can allow are used only to measure this site.)
  • Your precise location.
  • Financial information.
  • Health information.

How I use the information

I use the aggregate analytics and performance data to:

  • Understand which posts are being read and how readers arrive at the site.
  • Identify and fix performance or reliability issues.
  • Make informed decisions about what to write about.

I do not sell, rent, or share this data with advertisers. I do not have any advertisers.

If you subscribe to the newsletter, I use your email address only to send you new posts and occasional updates. I never use it for anything else, and I never sell, rent, or share it.

If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, the legal bases I rely on are:

  • Consent. For the email newsletter (you actively subscribe and confirm) and for any non-essential cookies (you choose these in the cookie banner). You can withdraw consent at any time.
  • Legitimate interests. For cookieless, aggregate analytics and for keeping the site secure and operational (server logs). These interests are balanced against your rights and involve no cross-site tracking or profiling.

Email newsletter

The site offers an optional email newsletter. Here is exactly how it works:

  • The only thing I collect is your email address. I do not ask for or store your name or any other information.
  • Double opt-in. When you enter your email, you are sent a confirmation message. Your address is only added to the list after you click the confirmation link. If you never confirm, nothing is stored.
  • Where your address is stored. Subscriber email addresses are stored and managed by Resend, the email service that powers the newsletter. Your address lives in Resend's systems, and its handling is governed by Resend's privacy policy: https://resend.com/legal/privacy-policy.
  • Unsubscribing. Every email includes a one-click unsubscribe link. You can also email me and I will remove you. Unsubscribing removes your address from the active mailing list.

Third-party services

The site relies on the following third parties. Each has its own privacy policy:

The typefaces used on the site (Space Grotesk, Inter, and JetBrains Mono) are self-hosted, so no font provider receives your data when you visit.

How long I keep information

  • Newsletter email addresses. Kept for as long as you are subscribed. When you unsubscribe, your address is removed from the active mailing list.
  • Cookie consent record. Your choice in the cookie banner is stored for up to 12 months, after which the banner asks again.
  • Server logs. Retained by Vercel for a limited period under its own retention practices, then deleted.
  • Analytics. Stored in aggregate only. It is not tied to you and is not kept as personal data.

Where your information is processed

I operate from the United States, and the third-party services above are US based. If you access the site from outside the US (for example, the EEA or UK), your information may be processed in the US. Where these providers handle data originating in the EEA or UK, they rely on recognized transfer mechanisms such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses. Each provider's privacy policy, linked above, describes its safeguards.

Future services

As the site evolves, I may add:

  • Additional analytics or product tools (for example, PostHog) for a more detailed understanding of reader behavior. If I do, this policy will be updated to describe exactly what they collect, and any such non-essential tracking will load only after you allow it in the cookie banner.

Cookies and similar tracking

The site keeps cookie use to a minimum:

  • Built-in analytics is cookieless. Vercel Web Analytics and Speed Insights do not set cookies and do not track you across other sites. This runs for everyone.
  • One functional consent cookie. When you make a choice in the cookie banner, a single cookie (set by CookieYes) remembers your preference so you are not asked on every visit. It does not track you across other sites.
  • Optional analytics cookies. If you allow analytics cookies in the banner, Google Analytics sets cookies to measure how the site is used. These are not set unless you opt in, and stop being set when you withdraw consent.

You can review or change your choices at any time using the Cookie Settings link in the site footer. The cookies used are listed here:

Cookie Provider Purpose Duration
cookieyes-consent CookieYes Stores your cookie consent preferences so the banner is not shown on every visit. 1 year
_ga Google Analytics Distinguishes unique visitors to measure site usage. Set only if you allow analytics cookies. 2 years
_ga_* Google Analytics Persists the analytics session state. Set only if you allow analytics cookies. 2 years

Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control

Some browsers can send a "Do Not Track" (DNT) or Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal. Because this site does not track you across other websites and does not sell or share your personal information, there is nothing for these signals to switch off, and the site behaves the same whether or not one is present. If I ever add cross-site tracking or data sharing, I will honor GPC as a valid opt-out signal where the law requires it.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights under privacy laws such as the GDPR (European Economic Area, UK) or CCPA (California, USA). These rights generally include:

  • Access. Request a copy of whatever data (if any) I hold about you.
  • Correction. Ask me to correct inaccurate data.
  • Deletion. Ask me to delete any data I have about you.
  • Portability. Ask for a copy of your data in a portable, machine-readable format.
  • Objection and restriction. Object to, or ask me to limit, certain processing.
  • Withdraw consent. Where I rely on consent (the newsletter, non-essential cookies), withdraw it at any time. This does not affect processing that already happened.
  • Opt-out. Ask me to stop processing your data.

For California residents: I do not sell or share your personal information as those terms are defined under California law, and I have not done so in the past 12 months. You have the right to know, delete, and correct your information, and to not be discriminated against for exercising these rights.

The only personal information I hold is the email address of newsletter subscribers, and only if you have chosen to subscribe. You can remove it yourself at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email, or email chris@smith.technology and I will access, correct, or delete it for you. I will respond within a reasonable timeframe.

If you are in the EEA or UK, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Children's privacy

The site is not directed at children under 13. I do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe a child has somehow provided me with personal information, please contact me and I will delete it.

Changes to this policy

I may update this policy from time to time, especially as the site adds features. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Material changes (for example, adding a newsletter, changing analytics providers) will be noted in a clear way.

Contact

For questions about this policy or your data:

chris@smith.technology