Last updated: August 16th, 2025
Who we are
This website represents Brian McDonald — Author and Ghostwriter.
Our website address is: https://brianmcdonaldthewriter.com.
Comments
When visitors leave comments, we collect the information shown in the comments form along with the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help detect spam.
An anonymized string (hash) created from your email address may be shared with the Gravatar service to check if you use it. You can view the Gravatar privacy policy here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After your comment is approved, your profile picture becomes visible to the public in the context of your comment.
Media
If you upload images to the website, avoid including embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors to the website can download and extract location data from images posted on the site.
Cookies
If you leave a comment, you may opt in to saving your name, email, and website in cookies. This is for your convenience so you don’t have to re-enter your details for future comments. These cookies last one year.
If you visit our login page, we set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. It contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
When you log in, we set cookies to save your login details and screen display preferences. Login cookies last two days; screen options cookies last one year. If you select “Remember Me,” your login will persist for two weeks. Logging out will remove these cookies.
If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. It includes no personal data and simply stores the post ID of the article you edited. It expires after one day.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, or articles). Embedded content from other websites behaves exactly as if the visitor had visited the other website directly.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that content, including tracking if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Who we share your data with
We do not sell, trade, or rent users’ personal data to third parties.
- If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.
- Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
- An anonymized hash of your email address may be shared with the Gravatar service if you use it.
How long we retain your data
- Comments and their metadata are stored indefinitely. This allows us to recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them for moderation.
- For registered users (if any), we store the personal information provided in user profiles. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except their username). Website administrators can also access and edit this information.
What rights you have over your data
If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you’ve provided.
You may also request that we erase any personal data we hold. This does not include data we are required to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
Third-Party Services
We use third-party services to help us operate this website and improve your experience:
- Google Analytics – We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site. Google may collect data such as your IP address, browser type, and interactions with our pages. This information is aggregated and used to improve site performance. You can learn more in the Google Privacy Policy and opt out by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
- Google Tag Manager – We use Google Tag Manager to manage tracking codes and scripts on our site. Google Tag Manager itself does not collect personal data, but it may load other scripts that do (such as Google Analytics).
- Spam Detection – Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
- Gravatar – If you use the Gravatar service, an anonymized hash of your email address may be shared with Automattic to display your profile picture. See the Automattic Privacy Policy.
We do not share or sell your personal data to advertisers or unrelated third parties.
