Privacy Policy
Once upon a time I made light of privacy policies for small websites like this, because I always thought I'm telling you I'm not abusing your data and that's all that should matter. Then a load of big corporations revealed that they can't be trusted with your data, and now I feel obliged to prove that I'm not like them.
This page may be amended as necessary and you are advised to consult it regularly, and your consent is required if you are to continue using this website.
I take accessibility seriously. If you think I can do better, let me know how.
Small Print
This policy applies to the domains randall.ie and johnathanrandall.uk (referred to as "this website"), when you connect to them directly. If you choose to access this website using somebody else's service, like a proxy server, a search engine service or an archive, then that service may attach its own conditions or behaviour which I cannot take responsibility for.
This is a personal website aimed at readers in the United Kingdom and Ireland. I (Johnathan Randall; me) do not store any data outside of the European Economic Area (EEA), however some of the partners named on this page may be based outside of the EEA. In those cases I expect those partners to operate appropriate safeguards to keep data secure, just as I would do myself.
This website hosts many features, some of which are more serious than others. If in doubt, you should my comments with a pinch of salt. I don't claim to be an expert on any topic and all views are expressed in a personal capacity. My views certainly don't represent those of any employer or client who have nothing to do with what I write about in my spare time, and I don't represent any other business or authority either. I can't take liability for any issues or losses that arise as a result of information that has come from this website.
Where links are provided to external websites, I cannot take responsibility for the possible content of those websites. A link to a third party shouldn't necessarily be taken as an endorsement of them and you should review their own policies separately.
Most photos used on this website are taken by me and I claim full copyright over them. You are welcome to use any of my photos for non-commercial projects provided you link to the page it came from, or if it fits your project better, link to my Twitter handle: @mrjran . Some photos are provided by other sources and these should be stated clearly. If you have any concerns with any of the contents of this website, please contact me so it can be resolved as soon as possible. The same goes for any concern with the content of the information on this website (where that concern goes beyond, "I don't like it").
Where the commentary involves naming trademarks, I make no claim to the rights to those names. All rights remain with each business's owner.
The background image used across this website came from SABRE Maps and is used with grateful thanks.
Privacy
When emailing me, your are asked for your name and email address; this is to allow me to reply. Your details will not be passed on. Indeed none of your personal data mentioned on this page will be passed on unless I am required to do so by a court of law or a law enforcement official.
This website has no membership system, so I never ask for any of your profile or login data. That said, I do embed elements from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and CommentBox which allow you to interact with this website via those platforms if you want to. When using those your data is handled by them and not seen by me. Their normal privacy policy that you agreed when you joined them will apply, meaning that the public aspects of your profile and your message will be visible if you leave a public comment with me.
My server's internal records may keep recent records of IP addresses and their associated countries, page views, browsers and their limitations, operating systems, and sources. This allows me to monitor website usage and identify malicious users.
From time-to-time, sections of this website which develop a life of their own may need to collect data in a way that hasn't been outlined here. Where that happens, the policy for that section will be stated clearly before any data is collected.
Cookies
Some pages on this website are monetised via Google Adsense, the internet's largest advertising partner, which operates via Google's own partner, www.doubleclick.com. I do this because some of the serious pieces of research I've shared here have taken up months of my time and, as a freelancer, that's time that I'm not spending with clients. The decision on which advertisements to show may be based on the uer's IP address and its associated city, internet service provider, the browser and its limitations or interests demonstrated in cookie files. Those cookies are operated under the DoubleClick DART name, and do not include the examination or recording of any personally identifiable information, but may include topics of interest and are therefore regarded as personal data. Google may both create and read those cookies while you are using this website. An opt-out system is provided for all websites using DoubleClick which is available at www.doubleclick.com.
Cookies may also be set by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and CommentBox when those resources are used on this website. Those cookies are set in line with their policies to allow those facilities to function.
This website does not set tracking cookies for its own use. I cannot stress enough that I am not interested in what you do on the internet and I don't want to know.
All common browsers allow you to refuse these cookies with little action required. There is also the option to set your cookie preferences for this website via the control panel at the bottom of the page.
Cookies are best explained by the website Cookies & You, or by Google's own policy. Please consult your browser's manual or a search engine to see how refuse, remove or ignore cookies - although note that nearly all websites will try to set cookies for you, even if they aren't as honest about it.
Further Information
This website is powered by jQuery, which may show in your browsing records. This does not collect any data from you.
I may link to other websites as part of the text on the page, or to promote my own profiles. You are responsible for reviewing the policies and conditions of those websites, and I may not necessarily endorse their policies or practices.
This website has an identified Data Controlling Officer (DCO; me). Further details are available upon contact. You have the right to request the information I hold, to correct any mistakes in my records and to request the removal of information in my records, all of which should be sent by email. You will need to provide enough identifying information for me to identify the records in question remembering that I don't request much personal data and therefore you'd need to be pretty specific if I am to identify the record you're referring to. Please remember that this website is operated by a sole person who will investigate your request as soon as practically possible. In line with GDPR policy on Subject Access Requests I do not normally charge for a request, but may do so where it is large, time-consuming or repetitive. I may also require proof of identity. Information that has been provided to CommentBox via me can all be removed via the settings (profile) button in the CommentBox app; for full deletion look for the "danger zone" button.
While we make every effort to ensure the data discussed on this page is handled securely and responsibly, I should stress that if an unauthorised user has been known to access or acquire personal data that this website holds, every effort will be made to notify the people affected, as well as notifying any regulator or police body, depending on the nature of the breach, as soon as practically possible. You are again reminded that this website handles very little personal data.
If you are not happy with how your data has been handled, you have the right to contact the supervisory authority for the region in which you live. For the UK this is the Information Commissioner's Office and for Ireland this is the Office of the Information Commissioner.