Legal
Privacy policy
Last updated:
MossAtlas collects very little. This page lists all of it: what is recorded when you read, reply or write to us, who else is involved, and how long anything is kept.
When you read
Reading needs no account. Readers receive no cookies, and the site runs no analytics, advertising, tracking pixels or third-party scripts.
Like almost every website, our web server keeps standard access logs: the IP address of the request, the page requested, the browser’s user agent and the time. We use these logs only for security and to keep the site running. They are rotated and deleted after about two weeks.
The site is served over HTTPS with certificates from Let’s Encrypt, so traffic between your browser and MossAtlas is encrypted.
Files from other providers
Two kinds of files are loaded from outside providers. When your browser fetches them, the provider receives your IP address and browser information, as with any web request:
- Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com) delivers the typeface used on every page.
- Unsplash (images.unsplash.com) delivers the photographs on the home page.
Those providers handle that information under their own privacy policies. No other outside service is involved in a visit.
When you reply to a post
The reply form asks for a name, which can be any name you like, and your message. It does not ask for an email address.
Replies are held for review. If a moderator approves yours, it is published under the post with your name and the date. Replies that are not approved are deleted automatically after 30 days.
To slow down spam, the site looks at the IP address a reply or contact message comes from. This happens in memory only; IP addresses are not stored in the site’s database.
When you contact us
The contact form collects your name, your email address, a topic and your message. We use them only to read and handle your request and to reply if needed. Contact messages are deleted automatically after 90 days.
Writers’ profiles
Writers join by invitation. A writer’s profile (name, handle, portrait, bio, optional location and website link) and their published posts are public, because publishing is the point. Writers keep ownership of their work and can ask us to remove a post or their entire profile at any time.
Cookies
There is one cookie on MossAtlas: a session cookie set when a site administrator signs in. Readers and people who reply never receive a cookie.
How long things are kept
| What | How long |
|---|---|
| Published posts and approved replies | Until they are removed |
| Replies waiting for review | Up to 30 days unless approved |
| Contact form messages | Up to 90 days |
| Web server access logs | About two weeks |
| IP addresses for spam checks | In memory only, never stored |
What we do not do
- We do not sell or share personal information with advertisers.
- We do not show ads.
- We do not build profiles of readers or track them across pages or other sites.
- We do not add people who reply to any mailing list. We never ask them for an email address.
Your requests
You can ask what information we hold about you, or ask us to correct or delete it, for example a reply you posted or a message you sent. Use the contact page with the topic Privacy request and give enough detail for us to find it, such as the post link and the name you used. We may ask a question to confirm the request is yours.
Changes to this policy
If the way we handle information changes, we will update this page and the date at the top. Any new kind of data collection will be described here before it starts.