Cookies and tracking

This page explains what cookies and similar technologies we use on ralspin.com — and, just as importantly, what we don’t. This page supersedes any earlier version.

§ 01What we don’t do

We do not use third-party advertising trackers. We do not use cookies or pixels to follow you around the internet. We do not build advertising profiles about you. We do not sell your browsing behavior. We do not embed Facebook pixels, Google advertising tags, TikTok pixels, Pinterest tags, LinkedIn Insight tags, or any similar cross-site tracking technologies. This is a deliberate choice consistent with how we treat the rest of your information.

§ 02What we use

We use a small, deliberate set of cookies and one privacy-respecting analytics tool:

§ 03About Fathom Analytics

We use Fathom Analytics to understand how visitors use our site in aggregate. Fathom is a Canadian company that built its analytics service specifically to avoid the privacy problems of larger analytics platforms. Specifically:

• Fathom does not use cookies to track visitors.
• Fathom does not collect personal data about visitors. IP addresses are processed only momentarily to deduplicate and identify approximate location (country level), then immediately discarded.
• Fathom does not share or sell visitor data.
• Fathom is compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and PECR by design — because it doesn’t collect personal data in the first place.
• Fathom’s tracking script is exempt from cookie consent banner requirements in most jurisdictions, including the UK.

Fathom’s own privacy policy is available at usefathom.com. Their approach is one of the reasons we chose them — it aligns with the rest of how we operate.

§ 04Essential cookies in detail

The essential cookies we set are first-party cookies. They are necessary for the site to function:

• Session cookies that keep you logged in while you use the site. These expire when you close your browser or after a period of inactivity.
• Preference cookies that remember choices you make (such as text size or language) so you don’t have to set them on every visit.
• Security cookies that help us protect your account against fraud and unauthorized access.

These cookies do not track you across sites. They are used only on ralspin.com.

§ 05Managing cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers let you refuse or delete cookies, view what cookies are stored, or be alerted when a site tries to set one. The links below explain how to manage cookies in major browsers:

• Chrome: support.google.com/chrome
• Safari: support.apple.com/safari
• Firefox: support.mozilla.org
• Edge: support.microsoft.com/microsoft-edge

If you disable essential cookies, the site may not work correctly for you. Because we do not set non-essential cookies, there is no need to provide a separate analytics opt-out — Fathom does not use cookies in the first place.

§ 06Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control

Some browsers send Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control signals. Because we do not track you across sites, do not sell or share your information, and use only privacy-respecting analytics, our practices already align with the intent of these signals regardless of whether your browser sends them.

§ 07Cookie consent banner

Because we use only essential first-party cookies and an analytics provider that does not use cookies or collect personal data, we do not display a cookie consent banner on our site. This is consistent with the approach permitted in most jurisdictions for sites that do not engage in tracking. If applicable law in your jurisdiction would require a banner regardless, please contact us at [email protected] and we will accommodate your preferences.

§ 08Changes

If we change our cookie or analytics practices — for example, if we adopt a new tool or category of cookie — we will update this page and note the change in the “last updated” date. Material changes (such as adopting a tool that uses cookies or collects personal data) will be communicated more prominently, including by email to subscribers.

§ 09Contact