Our Cookie policy is straightforward. This site only uses cookies that are required to make your experience of using this site better, and only uses session cookies (see exception below). Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser.

These cookies are used to create the breadcrumb trail you see in the trace bar beneath the site name, and to aid in protecting the site from attacks.

Perversely (and ironically), an additional cookie is now required to inform the site that you have agreed to accept cookies, so the site remains (with regard to cookies) compliant with GDPR. This particular cookie remains on your machine after the session has expired so you aren't requested to accept cookies each time you visit.

There are no tracking cookies used on this site.

Information stored about you when you browse this site is dependent on whether you merely browse, join a discussion or subscribe either to the blog or to a discussion.

When you browse, the following information is stored:

• your IP address
• the referrer (where you came from)
• your browser identification (Chrome, Edge, Firefox etc)

This information is stored to protect the site from harm, and is usually cleaned after 14 days unless there is an ongoing investigation due to criminal activity.

Your name (as given by you, which could be a handle), is stored along with your comment(s). Although you are required to supply an email address for verification purposes, it is not stored.

Your name and email address are retained in order to send you update notifications. Your email address is obfuscated, and will never appear on any page on the website (unless you put it in a comment when joining a discussion - even then, it will normally be removed).

If you wish to unsubscribe from a discussion or the blog, and are having difficulties, you can make a request to unsubscribe using a comment form on any page where discussions are enabled. All comments are moderated before they become visible, so I will react to your request (unsubscribe you) and deny your comment, so nobody else sees it. You must use the same email address as you did when you subscribed.