My Dear Readers,
As you may already know, in order to comply with the new European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), effective from 25 May 2018, I must have a privacy policy for this website.
As far as my own role in this is concerned, you can be assured that I never knowingly share your data with anyone, let alone sell it.
This is what happens now if you wish to leave comments:
● As soon as you click your cursor on the comments field, a form will drop down, asking for your e-mail address, name and website. This is a WordPress feature I have not been able to deactivate. HOWEVER, you do NOT need to fill in your details in order to post a comment. Just write your comment and click “Post Comment”: even though you will get no acknowledgement telling you your comment has been noted, it will be sent to me for moderation. The information I will then see is your IP. This is something I cannot avoid as far as I know.
Subscribing by E-mail
● If you subscribe to my blog, then, of course, your e-mail address is collected so that an e-mail version of my posts can be sent to you.
Like
● If you decide to LIKE one of my posts, then I understand you have to sign in, either through WordPress, Google, or something else.
Cookies
● For Cookies, please see https://automattic.com/cookies/
Links to Other Websites
I provide links to other websites in good faith. If you choose to click on them, I cannot tell you what their data collection policy is. That is something you may need to investigate for yourselves, if this is a concern.
You can, of course, unsubscribe and/ or unfollow me at any point. You can also ask me to delete your information.
For further information about these new EU regulations, please see https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/justice-and-fundamental-rights/data-protection/2018-reform-eu-data-protection-rules_en)
Since this site is part of WordPress here are a few links with regard to the WordPress policy on the subject. It is very important that you read this so that you know exactly your position and that of WordPress (and, therefore Automattic):
https://automattic.com/privacy-notice/
https://automattic.com/privacy/ (this is a different link from the one above!)
https://automattic.com/automattic-and-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/
I now have the above information on my site, under PRIVACY/DATA/GDPR and it will remain there and be updated as and when appropriate.
Please note that I have provided all the above information in good faith, and to the best of my knowledge.
As I said, once you have read all the information, if you have any concerns or reservations, you can, of course, unsubscribe and/or unfollow me. If you have any queries, I will address them to the best of my abilities, or forward your question to WordPress/Automattic.
I apologise for this complicated message. I am just trying to comply with this new law to the best of my abilities.
Katherine Gregor (ScribeDoll)
Scribe Doll 
Goodness me, this privacy compliance is causing such disruption. Well done for creating that email. I’m sure it felt like eating cardboard! x
Cardboard would have tasted like caviar in comparison to the angst I had to go through over this GDRP stuff!
Dear Katia, I am an eager follower of your site, and don’t find any trouble in communicating as we have been doing up until now. I have in fact wondered where you have been for the last little while. If you are getting (forgive the opinion, but somewhat ornate and crackpot) demands, however good the basic intent, that involve you in endless roundaboutations in order simply to have a website going in good faith, I can see why you have been so busy! All the best to you and H., and I hope you’re having as good a spring as we are (finally!).
What a lovely message. I’ve been snowed undeer with work and family commitments. The GDPR task took a couple of weeks of incomprehension, stress and culminated in utter despair until a kind soul flew to my rescue at the eleventh hour, and explained what it was I was supposed to do.
And good deeds spread: just as someone showed you what to do, I’m keeping under advisement your instructions and stuff so that if WordPress.com or the government suddenly start demanding such a declaration on this side of the pond, I’ll know what sort of thing to do. I hope you wouldn’t mind being imitated, in that situation.
Actually, technically, bloggers “across the Pond”, who have readers in the EU, as far as know, are subject to the same rules as we Old World folk.
Waiting for your new posts with anticipation!
Thank you. As soon as I have a moment… I miss writing!
Well done. 😆 A triple hooray for the GDPR (and a cup of Oolong)!
… in fine bone china cup! :–) Here’s to your health!
My dear Katia – I have never failed to follow your meaningful and interesting posts – hope you are well and prospering – Mike C x
How lovely to hear from you, Mike. Thank you for your kind words. I hope you are well. Whatever happened to the Academy?