Counting visits and block views
Our own counter works for every visitor without asking, keeps nothing that identifies you, and you can switch it off at any time.
Two counters, two rules
Our own counter works for every visitor without asking, keeps nothing that identifies you, and you can switch it off at any time. Google Analytics works only if you allow it.
Our own counter
What it records. It records that a page was opened, and which block of a page was seen or clicked (for example “FAQ” or “install button”). With each event it keeps:
- the page address without anything after “?” or “#”;
- the page language;
- the size of your window (small, medium or large);
- the kind of site you came from (a search engine, GitHub, LinkedIn and so on, from a short list), not the address;
- if you followed a link with a source tag from a short list of ours (for example “linkedin”), that tag;
- for a link you clicked that leads elsewhere, only the kind of target (for example “GitHub” or “install page”);
- the date and time;
- whether the visit looks like an automated program (yes or no).
What it does not record. Your browser's user-agent string, the full address of a page or of the site you came from, your name or email, and any cookie or number stored on your device. Each page view gets a random number that exists only in that page's memory, to join the events of that one view; it is never reused, so we cannot tell one visitor from another, follow you from page to page, or find your events later.
Your IP address. To limit abuse, the counter's server keeps your IP address in memory for a few minutes and checks it there. It is not saved in the counter's database or logs and is dropped afterwards. Requests to the counter are not written to the web server's access log.
On your device. The counter stores nothing on your device. If you switch it off (below), your browser keeps one entry saying so (harnsy-no-count).
Where and how long. The counter runs on our own server at Hetzner Online GmbH in Germany and does not share the data with anyone or combine it with other data. Individual events are deleted after 30 days. We keep only daily totals (how many page views, and how many times each block of each page was seen or clicked, by language and window size) for 2 years. Totals for very small groups (fewer than 5 page views) are merged into “other”.
Why we do not ask first. We want to know which parts of the site are read and which are not, so we can improve it. That is our legitimate interest (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)). The counter measures only this site, produces only anonymous statistics, shares nothing and is not combined with other data, and you can switch it off. For that reason, within the limits the data protection authorities set for audience measurement, we do not ask for your consent.
Switch it off.— the counter is in this browser. Click again to turn it back on. The setting is kept in this browser only; if you clear your browser's data or use another browser, switch it off again. The counter also stays off when your browser sends the Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control signal. Choosing “No, thanks” in the bar also switches it off. Because the counter keeps nothing that identifies you, it cannot look up your events; the switch is the way to object.
Google Analytics
If you allow it in the bar, we also use Google Analytics 4 (Google Ireland Ltd) to count visits. Until you allow it, nothing is sent to Google. Your choice is kept in your browser (an entry named harnsy-analytics in local storage), and you can change it at any time with “Analytics settings” in the footer; if you withdraw, sending stops at once. Google Signals and ad personalisation are off, and we have set Google Analytics to keep event data for no longer than 14 months. Google may process data outside the EU, relying on the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or the European Commission's standard contractual clauses. Google's own privacy policy applies to that part. The legal basis is your consent (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a) and the rules on information stored on or read from your device). If you decline, nothing changes for you.
Server log
Separately from the counters, our web server writes a log of every request, with the full IP address, page and browser, and keeps it for 14 days. We use it for security, to fix faults, and to count visits and downloads in total, without following individuals (our legitimate interest, GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)). Switching off the counter or declining Google Analytics does not switch this log off. Requests to the counter are not written to it. You can object to this use by writing to butschster@gmail.com.
Your rights and complaints
You can object to our own counter with the switch above at any time. For other questions about data on this site, or to object to the server log, write to butschster@gmail.com. You can complain to the Personal Data Protection Service of Georgia (personaldata.ge) or, if you live in the EU/EEA, to the data protection authority of your country.