Cookie Policy

Cookies are small text files that a website can store on your device when you visit. They are widely used to make sites work, to remember choices and, in some cases, to measure how a site is used. Similar technologies - such as your browser's local storage - do much the same job by keeping a small amount of information on your device.

This policy covers both: the cookies this site may set and the one small piece of browser storage it uses to remember your cookie choice. It sits alongside the Privacy Notice, which explains the wider picture of how the site handles data.

When you first arrive, this site sets no cookies and runs no analytics. Tracking is switched off by default. A cookie banner asks whether you are happy for me to load analytics, and nothing non-essential happens unless you choose to accept.

If you decline, or simply ignore the banner, the site carries on working exactly as normal - You just will not be measured. Your choice is the trigger for everything described below.

To remember what you decided, I save a single setting in your browser's local storage under the key jl-cookie-consent. It records only your cookie choice, accept or decline, so the banner does not reappear on every page and so the site honours your decision.

This setting is classed as strictly necessary and is exempt from consent under UK rules, because it exists purely to deliver a feature you have asked for: remembering your own preference. It is not a tracking cookie, it holds no personal data, and it is never shared. You can clear it at any time through your browser's site-data controls, which simply brings the banner back.

If, and only if, you choose Accept analytics on the banner, the site loads Google Analytics 4 (GA4), a measurement service provided by Google. I use it to see which pages and records people are interested in, so the site can be improved over time.

Analytics runs with Google Consent Mode v2, with consent set to denied by default, and with IP anonymisation switched on. In plain terms: the analytics scripts do not load and these cookies are not set unless you have actively accepted, and your IP address is shortened before processing. I use this only for aggregate, anonymous insight - I am not building a profile of you, and the data is not sold.

The cookies below are set by Google on this site once analytics is accepted. Because GA4 is a Google service, the information collected is processed by Google in line with their own policies, linked at the end of this page.

The list below is the full set. The first item is browser storage rather than a true cookie, but it is included for completeness.

• jl-cookie-consent - Strictly necessary (browser local storage). Purpose: remembers your cookie choice so the banner does not keep reappearing. Set without consent. Lifespan: stays until you clear your browser storage.
• _ga - Analytics (Google Analytics). Purpose: distinguishes one visitor from another so visits can be counted. Set only after you accept analytics. Typical lifespan: around 2 years.
• _ga_<id> - Analytics (Google Analytics). Purpose: persists session and campaign state for GA4 so visits can be grouped into sessions (the <id> is your property's identifier). Persistent cookie. Set only after you accept analytics. Typical lifespan: around 2 years.
• Outbound links - Streaming and social platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, YouTube Music, Instagram, TikTok) may set their own cookies once you follow a link and leave this site. Those are governed by each platform's own policy, not this one.

You are in control and can change your mind at any time. Use the Manage cookies control on the site - It re-opens the cookie banner so you can accept or decline analytics afresh. Declining stops analytics from loading on future visits.

You can also use your browser's own controls to block or delete cookies, and to clear local storage. Most browsers let you do this from their privacy or site-data settings. Clearing this site's storage will remove your saved choice, so the banner will appear again next time you visit. Bear in mind that browser controls apply to every site you use, not just this one.

Because analytics is provided by Google, you may want to read how Google handles the data it collects. Their Privacy Policy is at policies.google.com/privacy, and their explanation of how Google uses information from sites that use its services is at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites. Google also offers a browser add-on to opt out of Google Analytics across all sites, at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

If anything here changes - for example, if a new tool is added - this page will be updated and the date at the top will change with it. For the wider picture of how the site handles data, see the Privacy Notice. If you have any questions about cookies, you are always welcome to email hello@josephlaurence.com.