At A. J. Bolster, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights under UK data protection laws (including UK GDPR).
We only collect the minimum information needed to operate this website, respond to your messages, and provide the services you request. Your information is never sold or shared for marketing purposes without your consent.
By using this website, you agree to the terms outlined below. If you have any questions, please contact us via the Contact page.
Who we are
Our website address is https://ajbolster.com.
This site is owned and operated by A. J. Bolster (Angela Bolster), an independent author and creative business based in the United Kingdom.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, you can reach us via the Contact page.
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the data shown in the comments form, as well as the visitor’s IP address and browser user-agent string to help with spam detection.
An anonymised string (also called a hash) created from your email address may be provided to the Gravatar service to determine if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available at https://automattic.com/privacy/. After your comment is approved, your profile picture (if available through Gravatar) is visible to the public alongside your comment.
Media
If you upload images to the website, please avoid uploading images that include embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the site.
Cookies
When you leave a comment on our site, you may choose to save your name, email address, and website in cookies. These cookies are for your convenience, so you won’t need to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. They will last for one year.
If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine whether your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display preferences. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for one year. If you select “Remember Me,” your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.
If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after one day.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (for example, videos, images, or articles). Embedded content from other websites behaves in exactly the same way as if the visitor had visited the other website directly.
These external websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content — including tracking your interaction if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any external websites you visit through embedded content on our site.
Who we share your data with
We do not share your personal data with any third parties, except when it is necessary to operate this website or provide a service you have requested.
This may include:
- Website hosting providers and security services that help keep the site running safely.
- Email delivery services used for contact form submissions or newsletter sign-ups.
- Analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) that help us understand how visitors use the site.
All third-party providers we use are required to keep your information secure and to comply with data protection laws, including the UK GDPR. We do not sell or rent your personal information to anyone.
How long we retain your data
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This allows us to automatically recognise and approve any follow-up comments instead of holding them in a moderation queue.
For users who register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
If you submit a message through a contact form, your details may be stored temporarily for customer service purposes but are not used for marketing unless you explicitly opt in to receive updates.
What rights you have over your data
If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us.
You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to
Where your data is sent
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
Some data (such as website analytics or email submissions) may be processed through third-party providers that operate outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area (EEA). When this occurs, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal information in accordance with UK GDPR standards.
We only share the minimum amount of data necessary for each service, and all third-party processors are required to handle your data securely and lawfully.