Privacy Policy

Who are we?

Hi! My name is Alexandra, and this is my little corner of the internet: https://alexgoesrural.com. Unlike some shadowy corporation snooping for data, it’s just me here—trying to create something meaningful. My main goal is to make this site a fun, safe, and positive place for us all. So let’s chat about what happens with your data while you’re here.

Comments

Want to leave a comment? Awesome—I’d love to hear from you! But here’s the deal: when you fill out the comments form, the site could collect a few bits of info like:

• • Your name

• • Your email address

• • Your IP address

• • Your browser’s user agent

I know, it sounds a little nosy, but this helps the site function properly and fight off spammy bots. Speaking of bots, there’s spam protection in place, and that also collects your IP address. If you use Gravatar (hey, fancy!), the service might get an anonymised version of your email address to see if you have a profile. Curious? Their privacy policy is here.

When your comment gets approved, your profile pic (if you have one) will show up next to your comment for all to see. Want to go incognito? No judgment—just skip adding a profile pic.

RSS Feed / Newsletter

Signed up to my RSS feed or newsletter? Amazing—welcome to the club! That does mean I’ll collect some info, like:

• • Your name

• • Your email address

• • Maybe your location (depending on the tool I’m using—still figuring this out)

What I won’t do: sell your data, spam your inbox, or share your details with anyone shady. What I will do: use this info to keep you updated on all the Alex Goes Rural magic. If you ever have concerns or want to unsubscribe, just email me at help@alexgoesrural.com, and we’ll figure it out together.

Media

Can you upload images to my site? Nope—not at the moment. But if you could someday, make sure you’re not accidentally sharing your GPS coordinates through embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Why? Because anyone can download those images and figure out where they were taken. Let’s not make that a thing, okay!

Cookies

Cookies! Not the delicious kind (sadly), but the little bits of data your browser saves while visiting websites. Here’s how they work on my site:

• • Comments: If you leave a comment, you can choose to save your name, email, and website in cookies. It’s a convenience thing—no need to retype your details every time. These cookies last for one year.

• • Login & Preferences: If you visit the login page, a temporary cookie will check if your browser accepts cookies. When you log in (if this ever becomes an option), additional cookies will save your login info and screen preferences. These expire after a couple of days, unless you hit “Remember Me,” which gives you two weeks.

• • Also, I like to keep an eye on how my site’s doing (traffic, popular posts, etc.), so I might use cookies for anonymous analytics. Don’t worry—none of this data is tied back to you personally.

Feel free to adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies. Just know that some features might not work as smoothly without them.

Embedded content from other websites

Some posts might have embedded content—things like YouTube videos, Instagram photos, or links to articles. Clicking on these is like stepping into another world (or website). These sites might:

• • Collect data about you

• • Use their own cookies

• • Track your interaction with their content

I do my best to link to trustworthy sources, but once you leave my site, it’s out of my hands. Be careful out there, especially with the big players like Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. I know they’re a bit… intense when it comes to tracking. Sorry in advance if I send you their way.

Who we share your data with

The short answer? Hardly anyone.

• • Spam Protection & Plugins: Some tools I use (like spam filters) may process your data, like your IP address.
  • Essential Functions: If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.
  • Analytics & Stats:  Keeping up with what interests you requires some third-party partners, so I may use some statistics and SEO plugins.   

Other than that, your data stays with me. No selling, no oversharing, no drama.

How long we retain your data

If you leave a comment, it (and its metadata) sticks around forever—or until I delete it. Why? So I can approve follow-up comments automatically instead of moderating every single one.

For users who register (if that ever becomes a thing), I’ll store your personal info in your user profile. You can see, edit, or delete this info whenever you want (except your username—sorry, that’s set in stone).

What rights you have over your data

You’ve got rights, and I respect them! If you’ve left comments or registered on my site, you can:

• • Request a file of all the personal data I have about you.

• • Ask me to delete your data (unless I need it for legal/admin purposes).

    Just email help@alexgoesrural.com, and I’ll do my best to help.

Where your data is sent

Comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service (because bots are sneaky). Analytics and other tools might process some data too. At the end of the day, I aim to keep your data as close to me as possible and only share it when absolutely necessary for the site to work.

Third-party plugins: 

Really Simple Security

Really Simple Security and Really Simple Security add-ons do not process any personal identifiable information, so the GDPR does not apply to these plugins or usage of these plugins on your website. You can find our privacy policy here.

Thanks for sticking with me!

That’s it — Alex Goes Rural’ s privacy policy! If you have any questions or concerns, shoot me an email at help@alexgoesrural.com.

Thanks for being here! ❤️