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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.

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.)
  • Cookies that track you across sites.
  • 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.

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:

Future services

As the site evolves, I may add:

  • Additional analytics (for example, Google Analytics 4 or PostHog) for more detailed understanding of reader behavior. If I do, this policy will be updated to describe exactly what they collect.

Cookies and similar tracking

The site currently uses no cookies. Vercel Web Analytics is cookieless by design. If that changes in the future, this policy will be updated and a visible consent notice will appear on the site where required.

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.
  • Opt-out. Ask me to stop processing your data.

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.

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