Privacy

Last updated: October 23, 2026

I’m Andrew Finkle, and I operate AndrewFinkle.com from Ontario, Canada. This page explains what information the site collects, why I use it, and the choices available to you.

Messages and correspondence

The contact form asks for your name, email address and message so I can respond. Formspree receives the submission and forwards it to my inbox. It also processes technical details such as IP address, browser information and submission time to deliver the service and help prevent spam. Sending a message does not subscribe you to the newsletter.

Messages and replies may be stored in Formspree and my email accounts. Please leave sensitive personal information out of the form. See Formspree’s privacy policy.

If you sign up, this site’s Ghost system stores your email address, any name you provide, subscription status and related account records. I use these to manage your subscription and send the writing and updates you requested. Ghost also records information about where a signup came from, such as a referring page or campaign link.

Mailgun by Sinch handles signup and sign-in emails and newsletter delivery. Email delivery records can include the recipient address, sending time, delivery status, bounces and spam complaints. Newsletter open and click tracking is enabled: a small image can register an open, and tracked links can register a click. These events can be associated with your subscription and help me understand readership and improve future emails.

Every newsletter includes an unsubscribe link. Unsubscribing stops newsletter mail; it does not automatically delete your member record or prevent a sign-in email you request. You can contact me to request account deletion.

Website visits, cookies and analytics

The website and hosting systems process technical information such as IP addresses, requested pages, browser details and access times to serve pages, troubleshoot problems and protect the site.

Google Analytics is optional. It loads only after you accept analytics, and stays off if you reject it. If you accept, it helps me measure visits and how people use the site. It can use cookies and collect page views, referral information, device and browser details, and approximate location. Your browser sends this information to Google when the code runs. You can change your choice using Analytics preferences in the footer. Google explains its processing in How Google uses information from sites that use its services.

The site remembers your analytics choice for up to 180 days using first-party browser storage: local storage and, when you reject analytics, a small rejection cookie. That cookie records rejection, not a visitor identifier. Separate cookies may be used to remember private-site access and member sign-in. These preferences and access cookies are distinct from Google Analytics cookies. Ghost’s built-in web-traffic analytics are not active on this site.

Service providers and processing locations

I run Ghost on DigitalOcean hosting and use Formspree for contact forms, Mailgun for site email, Google Analytics for audience measurement, and email services including Apple iCloud forwarding and Google Workspace for correspondence. These providers process information needed for their roles. Using self-hosted Ghost does not mean Ghost hosts this website or its member database.

Information may be processed outside Canada, including in the United States and other countries where these providers operate. It can be subject to those countries’ laws, including lawful access by authorities. Provider information is available from DigitalOcean, Mailgun, Apple and Google.

I do not sell or rent your personal information. I may disclose information with your permission, when required by law, or as reasonably necessary to address fraud, abuse or a security incident. If operation of the site transfers to someone else, any transfer of personal information must remain subject to applicable privacy requirements.

Retention and security

I retain correspondence, subscription records and technical records as needed for their purposes, follow-up, security and applicable legal obligations. Retention varies across the website, email accounts, service providers and backups. Deleting a record from the active site may not immediately remove older backup copies.

Google Analytics currently retains event-level data for 2 months and user-level data for 14 months. New activity can reset the user-level retention period. These settings apply to detailed Analytics data, not standard aggregate reports.

I use safeguards intended to protect this information, but internet transmission and storage cannot be guaranteed completely secure.

Your choices and requests

You can decline to submit a form or subscribe. Rejecting analytics does not stop you from browsing, using the contact form or signing up. You can revisit Analytics preferences in the footer at any time. Browser settings can block or delete cookies and other stored site data, although doing so may affect sign-in or other features and remove your saved analytics choice. Google provides an Analytics opt-out browser add-on for supported browsers. It only affects Google Analytics, not the site’s other records or email tracking. Blocking remote images in your email app can limit open tracking, but does not prevent a tracked link from registering a click.

For questions, access or correction requests, deletion requests, or concerns about the use of your information, please contact me. I may need to verify your identity before handling a request. Applicable law may require some records to be retained or limit what I can disclose.

External links and updates

Publications, project links and other external websites have their own privacy practices. I will update this page as the site changes and provide additional notice or seek consent for material changes where required.