Privacy Notice


Privacy Notice

I'm committed to protecting and respecting the privacy of anyone reading or commenting on my blog.

This Privacy Notice explains how Veg Plotting collects and uses information when the blog is used.
If you require any more information or have any questions, please contact me at Vegplotting at gmail dot com.

Hosting of this blog (Veg Plotting)
This blog is hosted and the software provided by Blogger, which is owned by Google in the USA. Because the software is provided as a package, blogs like Veg Plotting using this software are limited in the extent to which they can add to or modify its functions. This includes not having the ability to add opt in/opt out facilities for blocking cookies, which you may have seen when viewing websites.

For Google's Privacy Policy click here.

What are cookies?
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that is downloaded onto your computer when you visit a blog or website. Once a cookie is saved on your computer, only the website or blog that created the cookie can read it. Cookies can do a number of things such as remembering who you are when you add a comment, collecting the information needed to manage blog subscriptions, and counting the number of people looking at a blog post.

Advertisements
Advertisements appearing on Veg Plotting are clearly marked under the Sponsors heading in the right hand sidebar. These are partnerships made directly between me as the blog owner and the advertiser. I currently don't use advertisement partnerships such as Adsense or automated affiliate linkages, so all my advertisements are cookie free. If you click on one of my advertisement links, then you will be taken away from my blog and enter a website which may operate a very different cookie policy. You should check that website's privacy policy if you have any concerns . 

Your implied consent
By continuing to use this blog you are giving your implied consent to the use of cookies according Google's Privacy Policy.

Collection of data by this blog
This blog does not collect or store any personal information, except where somebody fills in an email subscription form, or uses in-built Blogger features such as Comment boxes or Like and Share buttons at the bottom of posts and pages, to communicate with me as the blog owner. Data supplied is not stored in any other retrieval system and will never be sold or passed to third parties or used for marketing purposes, but purely to maintain communication with the person who initiated the enquiry.

Analytical data on this site
The Blogger software has a built in analytics facility which provides summary data about visitors. This data is purely presented as statistics and no individual can be identified, nor can data be cross-tabulated to create profiles. The data available at time of writing (November 2012) is:
  • Views by country
  • Top posts and pages
  • Referrers (e.g. search engine used to find the site)
  • Search engine terms (e.g. the actual words visitors typed into their search engine)
  • Clicks (links on this website that were clicked to go to external sites)
  • Totals, followers and shares
This data is very useful for establishing the volume of people using Veg Plotting, the most popular days of the week and the type of content people are most interested in, but as stated above, the data does not reveal any details about individuals and only gives summary data about the performance of the blog.

Blogger software does not enable the site owner the power to switch these analytics off, nor to provide users with opt in/opt out facilities. Blogger may change the analytic tools available at any time.

Statcounter is also used to provide independent site statistics. Statcounter's cookie information can be viewed here.

Links to external websites
Veg Plotting contains links to many external websites and social media sites designed to acknowledge information sources, useful sites and contacts (such as blogging friends) and to provide further information on the subjects under discussion. This blog will never contain links which are knowingly unsafe or malicious, though you should always check the cookies and privacy policies of external sites if you have any concerns. This site cannot be responsible for external content or sites. If you have any concerns there are some useful links at below which may help to answer your questions.

Useful information
  • Cookies – advice for members of the public (Information Commissioner’s Office). 
  • Allaboutcookies.org - includes information on how to remove cookies from your browser.
  • Your own browser(s). Browsers usually include information under the help section about allowing and blocking cookies and private or ‘incognito’ browsing.
Links to privacy policies of external websites used:
  • Google policies and principles. As well as Blogger and other Google branded products, Google also owns YouTube, which may be used to include videos on Veg Plotting; and Feedburner, which is used to manage email and RSS subscriptions.
  • Statcounter
  • Twitter privacy policy - NB Veg Plotting isn't currently connected to Twitter, except for the use of the Share button at the foot of each post.
  • Facebook Privacy policy –  NB Veg Plotting isn't currently connected to Facebook, except for the use of the Share button.

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