Privacy policy

This policy covers stephenbarolak.com and the Geno app at geno.stephenbarolak.com and its test servers (Dev, QA and Stage). The site and the app are run by Stephen Barolak, who decides what is collected and why (the "controller" in GDPR terms). Questions and requests go to sbarolak@gmail.com.

What is collected, and why

Analytics on the homepage

The homepage (and only the homepage, at www.stephenbarolak.com) uses Google Analytics 4. When you visit it, Google sets cookies (_ga and _ga_…) and records the page you viewed, when, the page that sent you, your browser, device and screen size, and an approximate location worked out from your IP address. It's used to see how many people visit and where they come from, nothing else. The blog, the FAQ and this page don't load Google Analytics.

The mailing list

If you join the mailing list on the blog, your email address goes to Buttondown, the service that stores the list and sends the emails. Buttondown also records when you signed up and technical details such as your IP address. Your address is used only to send Geno news and new features. Every email has an unsubscribe link.

Files, bug reports and translations you send from Geno

Geno opens your .gno family-tree files in your browser; opening a file doesn't upload it. Something leaves your computer only when you choose to send it:

• Beta panel: .gno files you choose to send for testing, and wording you suggest when helping translate Geno.
• Bug? panel: the report you write and, only if you agree when Geno asks, the file that wouldn't open.

These are used to test Geno against real family trees, to fix what you report and to improve translations. A family tree usually holds other people's personal details: names, dates, relationships, and in a genogram often health, sexuality, gender identity and other sensitive information. Please send only files you have the right to share. They are used for testing Geno and nothing else, are never published or passed on, and are deleted on request.

What every visit sends

Every page loads its fonts from Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com), so Google receives your IP address, browser details and the page you were on. The site is hosted on Microsoft Azure (Azure Static Web Apps), and the deployment status the pages show is read from Azure Blob Storage; like any web host, Azure handles your IP address and request details to serve the site and keep it secure.

What stays in your browser

• Local storage: the pages keep a copy of the last deployment status they loaded (homepage.status) so a return visit draws at once. It's public information about Geno's servers, not about you.
• Service worker: the site registers a service worker that keeps copies of its pages and files in your browser's cache, so return visits open quickly.

Neither is sent anywhere. You can remove both by clearing this site's data in your browser.

Who handles it

Who	What for	Where
Google (Google Analytics)	Homepage visit statistics	United States and elsewhere
Google (Google Fonts)	Serving the site's fonts	United States and elsewhere
Buttondown	Storing the mailing list and sending its emails	United States
Microsoft (Azure)	Hosting the site and its status file	United States and elsewhere

Each handles the data under its own terms and privacy policy. Your information is not sold, rented or traded, and isn't shared with anyone else except where the law requires it.

If you're in the European Economic Area or the UK, your information is transferred to the United States; these providers rely on the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework or the European Commission's standard contractual clauses for that.

How long it's kept

• Analytics: Google Analytics keeps visit-level data for the retention period set in the site's account, never more than 14 months; totals that can't identify you may be kept longer.
• Mailing list: until you unsubscribe or ask for your address to be removed.
• Files, bug reports and translations: as long as they're needed to test Geno and fix what was reported, or until you ask for them to be deleted.
• Hosting and font logs: as long as Microsoft and Google keep them under their own policies.
• Local storage and the service worker's copies: in your browser until you clear them.

Your choices and rights

Wherever you live, you can ask what I hold about you, to have it corrected or deleted, or to stop receiving email, by writing to sbarolak@gmail.com. You can also:

• Opt out of Google Analytics with Google's browser add-on, or by blocking cookies or scripts from Google in your browser.
• Leave the mailing list with the unsubscribe link in any email.
• Clear what's stored in your browser by clearing this site's data.

In the EEA and the UK (GDPR): you have the right to access, correct, delete or move your personal data, to restrict or object to its use, and to withdraw consent at any time. The legal bases are your consent for the mailing list and for files and reports you choose to send, and legitimate interests (running, securing and understanding a small website) for hosting, fonts and analytics. You can complain to your local data-protection authority.

In California (CCPA and CalOPPA): you have the right to know what personal information is collected, used and disclosed, to have it deleted or corrected, and not to be treated differently for using these rights. Personal information is not sold or shared for cross-context behavioral advertising. The categories collected are the ones above: identifiers (email address, IP address, cookie IDs), internet activity on the homepage, approximate location, and whatever is in a file or report you send.

Do Not Track: browsers can send a "Do Not Track" signal, but there's no agreed standard for responding to it, so this site doesn't change what it does when it receives one. Use the opt-outs above instead.

Children

This site and Geno aren't directed at children under 13, and I don't knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has sent me personal information, write to sbarolak@gmail.com and it will be deleted.

Changes to this policy

When this policy changes, the new version is posted on this page with a new effective date. Significant changes are also announced on the blog and, if you're on the mailing list, by email.

Contact

Stephen Barolak — sbarolak@gmail.com