Cookie Policy

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help the site remember who you are and how you like to use it.

2. Our Cookie Categories

We group cookies into four categories. You can accept or reject each (except Essential, which are required for the site to work).

Essential

These are the bare essentials. They keep you logged in, secure your account at signup, and remember your privacy choices. Because we record your IP for security and audit purposes, these cannot be switched off.

• sessionid — Keeps you logged in (expires after 2 weeks)
• csrftoken — Prevents cross-site attacks (expires after 1 year)
• cookie_consent — Remembers your cookie choices (expires after 1 year)

Site Preferences (Functional)

These remember how you like to use the site—for example, your preferred theme (Dark/Light mode) or localized settings based on your general location.

We don't currently set functional cookies, but this category exists for future features.

Human Insights (Analytics)

We don't use creepy tracking. These help us see aggregate data (like which articles are popular) so we can improve the site without ever identifying you personally.

• _ga — Google Analytics identifier (expires after 2 years)
• _ga_* — Google Analytics session data (expires after 2 years)

Analytics cookies are only set if you consent. We use Google Consent Mode, which means if you reject analytics, Google receives no identifying data from your visits.

Marketing

We do not currently use marketing cookies. This category exists to ensure that if we ever add a third-party service, it remains blocked unless you say otherwise.

Security Services (Not Cookie-Based)

We use Google reCAPTCHA to protect our forms from spam and automated abuse. While reCAPTCHA doesn't set cookies, it does transmit data to Google when you use protected forms (signup, login, password reset, and artist website contact forms).

• Data transmitted: IP address, browser characteristics, interaction patterns
• Purpose: Distinguish humans from bots without annoying puzzles
• Duration: Real-time analysis only (not stored in cookies)
• Cannot be disabled: Essential for protecting forms from abuse

For more information, see Google's Privacy Policy.

3. Quick Reference

4. Your Choices

You have several ways to control cookies:

• Our preference center: Click the button below or "Cookie Preferences" in the footer
• Browser settings: Most browsers let you block or delete cookies
• Google opt-out: Install Google's opt-out browser add-on

Note: Blocking essential cookies will break core functionality (you won't be able to log in).

5. What Happens When You Reject Analytics

If you click "Reject All" or disable Analytics in your preferences:

• No _ga cookies are set
• Google Analytics receives no data that could identify you
• We still load the analytics script (for Google Consent Mode), but it operates in "cookieless" mode with no personal data collection

6. IP Address and Consent Records

When you make a cookie choice (Accept All, Reject All, or custom), we record:

• Which categories you consented to
• Your IP address at the time
• A timestamp

This creates an audit trail proving we obtained your consent, which is required by privacy regulations like GDPR. This record is stored securely and only accessible to site administrators.

7. Changes to This Policy

If we add new cookie categories or change how we use cookies, we'll update this page and the "Last updated" date. For significant changes, we may reset your consent preferences so you can make an informed choice.

8. Questions?

If you have questions about how we use cookies, reach out through the Feedback form.

9. Manage Your Preferences

Manage Cookie Preferences