Privacy and cookies
This page explains what this site collects, which services handle it, how long it is kept and how to control it.
Last updated October 2026
Who I am and how to contact me
This site is run by me, Dhiren Patel, an independent engineer based in India. I also run Exivon Tech, my sole proprietorship, so I am the one person responsible for your data here. For anything about your data, email contact@dhirenpatel.me.
What I collect and why
The table below lists each service, what it receives, why and for how long.
| Service | What it receives | Why | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | Pages visited, the site that sent you, device and browser, approximate location and, if you accept, a cookie ID | To see which pages are read | 14 months |
| Contact form | Name, email, optional phone, message | To reply to you | 12 months after our last message, then deleted |
| Google reCAPTCHA (Contact page) | Technical details of your visit | To block spam | Set by Google; see Google’s policy |
| ShieldScope Pro list | Email address | To tell you when the add-on is ready | Until that one email is sent, then deleted |
| Comments and Akismet | Name, email, comment, IP address; Akismet (Automattic) receives the comment, IP address and browser details | To show comments and filter spam | As long as the comment is published; spam is deleted |
| Affiliate links | The link clicked, the page it was on and the time; no IP address | To count clicks and earn commission | Click counts only; no IP address is stored |
| Banner ads | Nothing: banners are images hosted on this site | To show the banner | Not applicable |
| Broken-link log | The address that was not found; no IP | To fix broken links | 30 days |
| PayPal (Paynow page) | Payment details, handled by PayPal | To take payment | Set by PayPal |
Cookies and analytics
I use Google Analytics 4, through the Google tag, to see which pages are read. Before you choose, the Google tag sends Google basic signals, such as that a page was viewed, without setting analytics cookies. It sets analytics cookies only if you accept. Your choice is kept for six months in a cookie called dp_consent, and you can change it at any time with Cookie settings, at the foot of every page. Fonts are hosted on this site, so loading them does not send your visit to a font provider.
Advertising and affiliate links
Some posts contain affiliate links, marked at the top of the post. If you buy through one, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links go through this site first, and it records the click without your IP address. Long articles may show one banner labelled “Sponsored”. Banners are images hosted on this site; clicking one takes you to the advertiser.
Forms
The contact form collects your name, email address, message and an optional phone number. I use them to reply to you. The form is protected by Google reCAPTCHA, which loads once you start filling in the form and then receives technical information about your visit. Form entries don’t store your IP address. The ShieldScope Pro list collects your email address only, to tell you when the add-on is ready. It is stored in this site’s database and deleted once that email is sent; to be removed sooner, email contact@dhirenpatel.me.
Comments
If you comment, the site stores your name, email address, comment and IP address. Akismet, run by Automattic, checks comments for spam: it receives your comment, IP address and browser details, and a small Akismet script on the comment form helps tell people from bots. Profile pictures are turned off, so Gravatar is not loaded.
Other services
PayPal: the Paynow page loads PayPal’s script, and PayPal handles the payment. cal.com: Book a call takes you to cal.com, which has its own privacy policy. Server logs: the host, Hostinger, keeps standard access logs (IP address, page requested, browser and time) for security and troubleshooting, under its own retention policy.
How long I keep data
The table gives a period for each service. In short: I keep what I need to reply to you or run the site, and delete it when that job is done. Affiliate clicks and form entries are stored without IP addresses, and the broken-link log is cleared after 30 days.
Your choices
You can change your cookie choice at any time with the Cookie settings button. To ask for a copy of your data, a correction or deletion, email contact@dhirenpatel.me. Depending on where you live, you may also have the right to object to or restrict how I use your data, and to receive it in a portable format. I’ll reply within one month. If you’re not happy with my answer, you can complain to the data protection authority where you live.
Changes
If I change this page in a meaningful way, I will update the date at the top.