Privacy

German data protection authorities are famously fond of comprehensive privacy policies, and we are certainly willing to oblige:

When you read this blog

The server on which this blog is hosted will create the usual logfiles, collecting the data that your browser transmits to the server, i.e. information about

  • type and version of the browser that you are using,
  • the operating system of the device (PC, note-/netbook, talet etc./ that you are using
  • the Referrer URL (meaning the website from which you have come to our blog)
  • the host name of the accessing device
  • the time of the server request

On a regular basis, these data cannot be related to a particular individual. And we certainly have no intention whatsoever to make any such attempt. We will not match the data against or bring the data  together with other data. We only use the data for statistical purposes and will delete them when that purpose has been fulfiled

When you submit comments

You may comment on (most of) the posts on this blog. When you do that, we will (besides the comment itself, of course) store your name, your email address, the IP address that was allocated to your device when you submitted the comment, the exact time of your coment, and, if disclosed, the URL of you website.

The readers of our blog will  get to know your name, your webiste (if applicable) and the time of your comment, and will if course read the comment itself. On the other hand, neither your email address nor the recorded IP address will be published.

We ask for your email address in order to be able to, for example, contact you when we or other readers have questions regarding your comment. We record the IP address to as well as possible protect ourselves from misuse of our comment function (i.e. spam and hardcore trolling). We will not use your email address or the recorded IP address for any other purpose, and certainly will not pass them on to third parties.

Your right to ask for information

If you send us an email (or a letter or a fax, if you prefer) we will be happy to inform you about the personal data we have stored about you. If you have read our privacy policy, though, you already know the possible answers.

Social Media Plugins

Our blog may implement so-called social media plugins, in particular Facebook, Inc.’s “like” button, Google’s “+1” button and Twitter, Inc.’s Twitter buttons. When you visit a page that displays one or more of such buttons your browser will establish a direct connection to the respective Facebook, Google and/or Twitter server and load the button from there. At the same time Facebook, Google and Twitter will know that the respective page on our blog has been visited.

We have no influence on the data that Facebook, Google and Twitter collect on the basis of the buttons. According to the available information, however, if you do not click on the respective Facebook, Google or Twitter button, no personally identifiable data will be collected and stored unless you have logged onto to your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. In that case certain user data (including your IP address at the time) may be collected and linked to the account information already present at Facebook, Google or Twitter, respectively. If you wish to prevent this, please log out of your social media accounts before visiting our website.

In addition, clicking a button may also lead to a collection of certain data, such as the user’s IP address. Facebook, Google and Twitter may set cookies, as well, unless you have disabled the acceptance and storage of cookies in your browser settings.

We receive no information from Facebook. Google or Twitter about which social media buttons you may have clicked or seen on our website, but, if at all, a summarized, non-person-related statistical report on the use of the buttons.

If you wish to obtain more information on the subject go to:

Google Analytics

Our blog uses Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc., of Mountain View, CA 94043, U.S.A. („Google“). Google Analytics uses cookies, i.e. text files that are stored on your computer and that enable an analysis of your use of the website. The information generated by the cookie about your use of our website are generally transmitted to, and stored on, a server of Google located in the U.S.A. As we are using Google Analytics’ “_anonymizeIp()” function, your IP address will be shortened within members states of the European Union or in other states of the European Economic Area before transmission. It is only in exceptional circumstances that your IP address is transmitted to the U.S.A. and shortened there. Google will use the information on our behalf to analyze your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity, and to provide us with additional services related to the use of the website as well as Internet use. The IP address collected within the framework of Google Analytics will not be combined with other Google data.

You will find further information on Google and Google Analytics at http://www.google.com, and Google’s Privacy Policy at http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacy/ or http://www.google.com/intl/de/privacypolicy.html#information.

You can use your browser settings to prevent the acceptance and storage of new cookies. Should you disagree with the analysis of your use of our website you can also deactivate Google Analytics and thus declare your objection to the collection and processing of the respective data. To do this, please download and install the browser plugin that Google provides for this purpose. The plugin is available at

http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de].

Once the plugin has been installed, it will prevent the recollection of the data related to your use of our website that has been generated by the cookie (including your IP address) as well as the processing of the data by Google.