Cookie Policy

I was reminded by charlies_diary that it's now an EU requirement for all web site owners to say if they use cookies, and if so what they do. This is spectacularly silly, since there are much more intrusive and dangerous technologies, but never mind...

This is the policy I've just posted - please feel free to copy any bits you find useful - any suggestions on things I've missed that are required for full EU compliance would be appreciated.

Cookie Policy

A particularly silly EU directive requires me to state if cookies are used on my web sites and what they do to invade visitor privacy etc. This is on a par with asking the Borgias if the food at their banquet contains nuts, since there are far more dangerous and intrusive technologies out there, but never mind...

• To the best of my knowledge neither of the web sites I currently maintain use any cookies at all; I'm not actually competent to program them, and there would be no point since you don't have to log in etc. anyway.
• I can't make this statement for the web hosting company I use, Nativespace, they may be using cookies for some reason but I haven't asked them to.
• This news feed is an InsaneJournal blog, and they do use cookies for user registration etc.; I have no reason to believe they're doing anything nefarious with them.

As always a reminder that I am no longer able to make changes to my old NTLWorld web site, and really don't know what goes on under the hood there, including cookies - PLEASE don't use it.

Comments? Suggestions?

Revised cookie policy

This is a revised version of my cookie policy, adding a couple of points related to other sites and PayPal.

A particularly silly EU directive requires me to state if cookies are used on my web sites and what they do to invade visitor privacy etc. This is on a par with asking the Borgias if the food at their banquet contains nuts, since there are far more dangerous and intrusive technologies out there, but never mind...

• To the best of my knowledge neither of the web sites I currently maintain use any cookies at all; I'm not actually competent to program them, and there would be no point since you don't have to log in etc. anyway.
• I can't make this statement for the web hosting company I use, Nativespace, they may be using cookies for some reason but I haven't asked them to.
• Registered users may be given passwords for temporary access to file downloads - their use probably involves cookies, but this is handled entirely by Nativespace, the hosting company, and I do not give them information on the identity of users with password access.
• Some links on this site connect to other sites that may use cookies; most notably, if you register as a Forgotten Futures user you may choose to pay via PayPal, in which case I will be sent your contact details as part of the payment procedure - I do not pass details of registered users to any other person or site.
• This news feed is an InsaneJournal blog; like most blogs they use cookies for user registration etc.; I do not provide any data to Insanejournal, or receive any from them.

As always a reminder that I am no longer able to make changes to my old NTLWorld web site, and really don't know what goes on under the hood there, including cookies - PLEASE don't use it.

Comments would be appreciated.

Test post - please try to comment

In view of some unpleasant trolling on a friend's journal I'm testing an option for public posts with some degree of control over who can respond - this should be friends can comment normally, non-friends comments are screened.

What I would like to explore is a way to do Friends can comment, non-friends can't, without having to faff about with screening.

Also, if possible, a way to allow registered LJ users to comment regardless of friends status, but NOT facebook etc. users via OpenID.

All suggestions gratefully received.

Later - OK, that seems to work, restoring normality for now.

A thought on Fanfic in which Tony Stark loves Star Wars

I just read yet another fanfic in which Tony Stark loves Star Wars and insists on showing it to Captain America and Thor as a perfect introduction to modern cinema. I've even written a slimmed down version of this myself in Cat Chaser, where we get this exchange:

"You've seen Star Wars?" asked Sam, imagining Thor and Teal'c watching the movies and comparing notes.

"All three sagas," Thor said in his normal voice. "Stark insisted."

But it just occurred to me that Tony might actually dislike Star Wars because of one key scene, in which Luke deliberately abandons technology and the best computers available - "Trust the Force, Luke."

So, dear readers, a small poll...

[Poll #1843451]

I forgot the some other option buttons - please comment instead!

And this (via james_nicoll) is why sloths and meep...