Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy describes how compscai ("compscai", "I", "me") collects, uses, and shares information when you visit compscai.com (the "Site"). compscai is an informational site for notes and write-ups on computation and applied computer science. I do not sell anything, I do not run ads, and I currently have no user accounts.
1. Information I collect
Information you give me
- Responses you post: if you submit a response to a post, I store the content of your response, the optional display name you provide (I default to "Anonymous" if you leave it blank), and your IP address (to help prevent abuse). I do not ask for or collect your email address.
Information collected automatically
- Your IP address, browser type and user-agent, the pages you view, the referring URL (where you arrived from), and the HTTP status of each request, recorded by my own server-side logging for analytics, performance, and security.
- A first-party visitor id (a random token in a cookie) used to count unique visitors, and a first-touch acquisition channel (for example direct, organic search, social, or referral) derived from the referring URL and any campaign (utm) parameters on the link you followed.
- Whether a request appears to come from an automated crawler/bot or a hosting/datacenter network, and whether it looks like an abuse or attack probe, so I can distinguish real visitors from bots and protect the Site.
- Cookies, see Section 4.
Information from third parties
- Cloudflare: my CDN/security provider sits in front of the Site and may collect security-related data (e.g. IP reputation and bot-detection signals) to protect it.
2. How I use information
- To operate, secure, and improve the Site (analytics and performance monitoring).
- To publish the responses you choose to post.
- To detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, spam, and security incidents.
- To comply with legal obligations.
3. How I share information
I do not sell your personal information. I share information only with:
- Service providers that help me run the Site, primarily hosting and my CDN/security provider (Cloudflare). They may use the information only to perform services for me.
- Law enforcement or government when required by valid legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of compscai, my visitors, or the public.
- Successors in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of the operation.
4. Cookies and tracking
I use a small number of first-party cookies, all set by me (no third-party advertisers):
- a session cookie that protects forms against cross-site request forgery (CSRF);
cs_vid(up to 12 months): a random visitor id that lets me count unique visitors and see which posts are popular;cs_attr(up to 90 days): remembers how you first arrived at the Site (the referring source and channel), for my own first-party attribution analytics.
I do my analytics with my own server-side logging. I do not use Google Analytics or other third-party tracking scripts, I do not use third-party advertising cookies, and I do not sell behavioral data. Cloudflare may set its own cookies for security and bot detection. Your browser controls let you block or delete cookies, though doing so may affect site functionality (for example, posting a response).
5. Data retention
For analytics logs, I remove visitors' IP addresses after 30 days, this includes ordinary automated/crawler traffic. Where a request is flagged as suspected abusive, malicious, or fraudulent activity (for example a security scanner or injection attempt), I may keep its IP address for up to 90 days so I can protect the Site, after which it too is removed. Responses you post remain visible until you or I remove them.
6. Security
I use industry-standard practices to protect information, including TLS encryption for all traffic and scoped database access. No system is perfectly secure; I cannot guarantee absolute security. If I become aware of a breach affecting your information, I will notify you as required by applicable law.
7. Your rights
Depending on your location, you may have the right to access, correct, or delete the personal information I hold about you, or to object to or restrict certain processing. Because I do not collect email addresses or maintain accounts, the main personal data I hold tied to you is any response you posted and the IP address recorded with it. To make a request, contact me (Section 10).
8. Children
The Site is not directed to children under 13, and I do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a minor has provided me information without consent, contact me and I will delete it.
9. Changes to this policy
I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. I will post the new effective date at the top of this page.
10. Contact
Questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy can be raised by posting a response on any post on the Site; the operator reviews responses and will follow up there.