Privacy on Sandalsand

You are safe when you click on the pages of Sandalsand. You should also know that the website uses cookies and that all clicks are registered. I will in plain language explain what is going on.

About this website

Sandalsand (URL: https://sandalsand.net) is a website designed to inspire others to travel the world by presenting travelogues, photos and videos from the author’s own journeys and trips. Read the About page. Sandalsand does not conduct any commercial activity, and the content is offered free of charge only regulated by copyright legislation. I will not oblige you to register your name, home address or credit card information. No payment solution exists on the website. That means you can freely use it as much as you want, as carefree as possible in a digital world. Sandalsand does not get information about you as a person without you actively sharing it with me.

Your own active registration

You have the opportunity to register yourself in two different ways:

 

By subscribing to the newsletter

You must register your name (or the name you choose to provide) and your email address. I use MailChimp to manage the subscriptions and to send emails to my subscribers at irregular intervals. In return, I get statistics from the supplier. Your registration also means that you accept to receive other special requests from Sandalsand, but they will be very rare. Your email address is not shared, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

 

By submitting a direct inquiry by email

In this case, you must use an email address. You may choose to remain anonymous, but I would like you to be open in your dialogue with me. I will not share this kind of inquiry with others. The exception is that the technical supplier of the entire Sandalsand website (DreamHost) will also have access to the email account I use. They have promised not to share the content of our contact or your email address with others.

 

My assessment

In fact, that is all when it comes to what you actually and consciously leave behind at Sandalsand. It is mostly about your email address, and the name you choose to leave here. These data are not in the big picture very personally sensitive. At the same time, be aware that the mentioned service providers can store this information on servers all over the world without me knowing where or be responsible for it. 

Registration of your less active activity

Definition

Then we have the next kind of interactions, namely the information you leave behind simply by arriving at this website. Your clicks are registered anonymously in several ways and with the use of cookies. A small text file is added to your smart phone, tablet or computer. It will remember you from the last time you were here, and it will be registering your movements. That is how it is in the world of internet. I do not get any personally identifiable information from any of these cookies.

Be aware that articles on this site may include embedded content (YouTube videos etc.) from other websites. The resulting behaviour is the same as if you had visited, say, YouTube. These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content.

 

1. Google Analytics

What Google knows about you as a person, you must ask them. That is probably not a little. Sandalsand, on the other hand, receives website statistics. Examples are which articles are popular, which type of computers the readers have, and where readers come from around the world. It strengthens the ability to create an even better offer for my readers. I do not get personally identifiable information, nor would I want to. Read more on Google.

 

2. YouTube

Here too, Google is the company behind it all, and they know the most. I just know that somebody actually viewed my videos on YouTube, in which city and country.

 

3. MailChimp

This company manages the newsletter and potentially other email campaigns. Read their policy.

 

4. Cookies

For all users a notice appears periodically at the bottom of the screen telling you that Sandalsand uses cookies. Your continued use of the website does not require you to accept all. It is a bit ironic that this cookie warning wizard uses cookies to remember when your computer or smartphone was here last!

Cookies are small text files that are used to store small pieces of information. They are stored on your device when the website is loaded on your browser. There are different types of cookies, and you are able to turn most of them off if you like. You can also change the settings of your browser to block/delete the cookies.

  • Essential: Some cookies are essential for you to be able to experience the full functionality of our site. They allow us to maintain user sessions and prevent any security threats. They do not collect or store any personal information.
  • Statistics: These cookies store information like the number of visitors to the website, the number of unique visitors, which pages of the website have been visited, the source of the visit, etc. These data help Sandalsand understand and analyse how well the website performs and where it needs improvement.
  • Marketing: This website does not display advertisements. However, there might be a cookie still. 
  • Functional: These are the cookies that help certain non-essential functionalities on our website. These functionalities include embedding content like videos or sharing content of the website on social media platforms.
  • Preferences: These cookies help us store your settings and browsing preferences like language preferences so that you have a better and efficient experience on future visits to the website.

The below list details the cookies used in this website. It may not be fully complete.

CookieDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisementSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analyticsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functionalThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessaryThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-othersThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performanceThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
CookieLawInfoConsentRecords the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.
NIDNID cookie, set by Google, is used for advertising purposes; to limit the number of times the user sees an ad, to mute unwanted ads, and to measure the effectiveness of ads.
viewed_cookie_policyThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
_gaThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_44975569_1Set by Google to distinguish users.
_ga_P16JZMRTY1This cookie is installed by Google Analytics.
_gidInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
__EC_TEST__No description

What’s the status of your consent? Here it is. You can change it if you like.

 

5. Firewall

Sandalsand uses a service from Wordfence to prevent unwanted people or computers from accessing the system behind the publishing solution (WordPress). I am notified immediately when I or others log in to the website. I get weekly summaries of unauthorised login attempts or attempts to upload (potentially malicious) content to the system. Hackers never rest, and you should know that there are constant attempts to gain access to Sandalsand and the system that runs the website. The attackers are blocked by Wordfence. The IP address of the attackers is noted and I can choose to block them permanently myself. This does not affect the regular user, only those who intentionally try to break in.

Other methods?

A final variation where some information is left is this: Sharing an article on social media. At the left hand side of the desktop view, or at the bottom on small devices, you will find links to a wide range of social media. It gives you the opportunity to share a particular article with others. Sandalsand does not know who, to who or when, but of course these providers do. In fact, it has been revealed that Facebook is following you wherever you move online. That is an issue between you and your own subscription to Facebook and other social media, and does not concern me.

 

Final words

Remember that you can ban the storage of cookies in your browser. Read more about handling browser cookies on this link. You can choose whether you want to click on the social media sharing buttons, but be sure you are welcome to do so.

Your continued use of Sandalsand’s websites implies that you accept the outlined privacy policy. Get in touch with me if you have any questions. 

 

(This page is, along with the terms and conditions on the Subscription page, Sandalsand’s response to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and its provisions.)

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