Last updated · May 26, 2026
The short version
This site is a personal blog with a contact form and an optional newsletter. I don't run analytics. I don't sell data. I don't set tracking cookies. The only personal information that touches my systems is what you choose to send me — your email if you subscribe, your message if you contact me. You can ask me to delete any of it at any time.
What I collect, and why
Four data flows. That's it.
- Newsletter signups (Beehiiv). If you subscribe to The Dispatch, your email and (optionally) your name go to Beehiiv, my newsletter platform. They're used to send you the newsletter and nothing else. Beehiiv operates under their terms and privacy policy.
- Contact form (AWS). If you submit the contact form, your name, email, message, and submission IP address are sent through AWS Lambda to my inbox at admin@castanedanetworks.com. The IP and a user-agent string are stored in CloudWatch logs for 30 days purely for abuse prevention.
- Comments (Giscus + GitHub). If you post a comment on a post, you do so through a Giscus widget backed by a GitHub Discussion. Your GitHub username and the text you write live on GitHub, not here.
- Aggregate search data (Google Search Console). Google reports back to me, in aggregate, which search queries surfaced this site and which pages they landed on. I do not see who you are.
What I don't collect
No first-party analytics. No advertising trackers. No tracking pixels. No account system. No data sold to anyone, ever.
Cookies
I don't set any cookies of my own. Beehiiv's signup form, when embedded, may set first-party cookies on its iframe to remember whether you've already subscribed. The Giscus comment widget may set a preference cookie for the comment theme. If your browser blocks cookies, the site still works fine.
How long I keep things
- Newsletter list: until you unsubscribe (one click in any email).
- Contact form emails: in my inbox indefinitely, like any other email.
- Contact form logs (IP, user-agent): 30 days, then auto-deleted.
- Comments: as long as you leave them up on GitHub. Delete anytime.
Your rights
You can ask me to:
- Tell you what data of yours I have
- Delete it
- Correct it
- Export it (it's just an email address; I'll copy-paste it for you)
Email admin@castanedanetworks.com from the same address you signed up with. I usually reply within a week. If you're in the EU/UK/California, these rights are guaranteed by law (GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA); I treat everyone the same way regardless.
Children
This site is not directed at children under 13. I don't knowingly collect data from anyone under 13. If you believe I have, email me and I'll delete it.
Changes
If I change anything material here, I'll bump the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. The whole history of this file lives in the GitHub repo if you want to see what changed.