Granting me permission to issue cookies
If your browser is already adjusted to accept cookies I take this, and your continued use of adeturner-artist.com, to mean that you are OK to accept any cookies it might set as you explore and use the site.
If you wish to remove or block cookies from my site you can learn how to do this below. However, be aware that doing so could mean that parts of my site might not work as you expect.
Disabling cookies
You can usually switch cookies off by adjusting your browser settings to stop it from accepting cookies. Learn how here. Bear in mind that doing so might limit the functionality of mine and most other sites as cookies are a standard part of most modern websites
You may worry that cookies are related to so called ‘spyware’. Rather than switching off cookies in your browser you may find that anti-spyware software achieves the same objective by automatically deleting cookies considered to be invasive. Learn more about managing cookies with antispyware software.
Why does adeturner-artist.com issue cookies?
Like most WordPress web site owners I rely on various ready-made tools called ‘plug-ins’. These are individual bits of useful code which do things like alert me to broken links, manage automated subscriptions, monitor how many visitors use the site over time etc.
They help me manage my web site to make it as engaging, user-friendly and hassle free as I can. Having said that, I don’t know exactly how they work any more than I know how the carburettor works in my car even though I can drive.
I do know that some, but not all, of these plug-ins, issue tiny text files called cookies which are temporarily stored on your computer, tablet or smartphone each time you visit my site.
WordPress too generates its own cookies in order to work properly.
Most cookies are purely functional and temporary. They neither store nor relay any personally identifiable information, but a small number do.
Types of cookies on my site
Disclaimer: I’m an artist not a web expert. Although I have tried my best to identify which types of cookie are set on my site, there might be some which I genuinely don’t know about.
Functional cookies
These are set simply to allow my website to work. They include things like:
- Remembering your search settings
- Remembering if you have accepted any terms and conditions
- Allowing you to add comments to posts and pages
There is no way to prevent these cookies being set other than to stop using my site.
Third party functions
Like many websites, mine includes functions offered by third parties. This includes services like YouTube e.g. used when I embed videos or Twitter which shows you my most recent posts.
Disabling the cookies associated with YouTube and similar entities will probably break the functions they offer.
Tracking – visitor statistics – cookies
Some cookies are set by ‘analytics’ programs to help compile visitor statistics. The information they gather helps me to see how many people have visited my site, what type of technology they are using (e.g. Mac or Windows), how long they spend on my site, which pages they look at, which pages/posts are proving most popular etc.
These ‘analytics’ programs also tell me how people have got to my site (e.g. from a search engine) and whether they have been here before.
All this information can help me improve my website and try to make it more engaging.
I use:
- Google Analytics
- Jetpack (a commonly used suite of tools for WordPress)
Fair warning: both of these tools might collect personally identifiable information such as your IP (Internet Presence) address. Google in particular issues a cookie for Doubleclick. Doubleclick is part of Google’s marketing and advertising machine. Although I don’t display adverts on my site, Google will continue to track you while you’re visiting. If this is unacceptable to you, please read how to disable cookies above.
Amended 6th July 2018