The Colored Folks Times-Dispatch (The CFTD) sincerely appreciates visitors who make a well-informed decision to get their news from us.
To that end, we endeavor to inform you of privacy Internet issues specifically related to this site.
The sections below provide relevant information.
Cookies are small bits of text that are downloaded to your browser as you surf the web. A cookie is a passive file. And contrary to common belief, it does not contain software that can spread computer viruses or other malicious programs.
The purpose of cookies is to carry bits of useful information about your interaction with the website that sets them. Cookies also can help analyze how the website is used, and webmasters can use data collected to improve user experience.
Cookies generally do not contain any information that would identify a person. Usually they contain a string of text or “unique identifier.” This acts like a label. When a website sees the string of text it sets in a cookie, it knows the browser is one it has seen before.
If you use a different computer, open a new web browser, or delete your cookies, the website will treat you as if you have arrived for the first time, and a new cookie will be set.
Cookies are sent back and forth between your browser and a web server. The server could be the web server of the website you are visiting (called a first-party cookie) or the web server of another Internet site (called a third-party cookie).
A website can have many types of third-party cookies. These third-party cookies are used by websites outside of the website you are visiting to, essentially, chase you around the Internet for a purpose!
Often chasing you down as you surf is merely for sales and advertising purpose. However, as with everything in life, there are creepy people and creepy companies that could be up to no good.
Learn about cookies here.
We use only first-party cookies for this site (see Social Sharing Buttons below).
By definition, clicking on a “Like” or “Share” button generates a third-party cookies for tracking a user’s Internet experience. Generally, the social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) site you “like” or “share” controls the behavior of the cookie.
However, it’s your discretion whether you choose to like or share.
Learn about social sharing here.
From our end, we use a simple social sharing software that does not engage in complex tracking. Of course, the social media site has control of how it uses data tracked to its end.
Web analytics is software webmasters use to record and learn about visitors to a website and their experience on a site. The software collects traffic data, including IP addresses.
A first-party cookies naturally goes to the web server of the hosting company for a site.
The common Internet best practice is companies that sell products and services (and others that do not sell products — this is controversial) have a legitimate business need to use third-party analytics software. Each brand of software has its own level of tracking complexity.
Learn more about web analytics here.
We are a content provider — not trying to sell you a product or service. So we do not use web analytics software that stores third-party cookies. Our web analytics data are stored on a server of our hosting company and not transmitted to other sites.
Of course, our webmaster has access to this data for operational needs of this site.
When you leave a comment on a website, anti-spam software collects data that are necessary for the protection and successful operation of that website. Anti-spam software collects IP addresses and email addresses. These are essential data for webmasters to operate websites securely.
Learn more about spam here.
Indeed, we use anti-spam software to protect our comment system and this website. There are widespread, continuously coordinated efforts worldwide by hackers and other mischief-makers to infiltrate and hijack websites via making a comment. There is no alternative way around this essential requirement.
Advertising is a necessary component of the Internet. Of course, website operators use ads to generate revenue. It’s as simple as that.
On this site, we use ads to generate revenue for our operations. However, we do not write reviews on products that you might see in an ad. It is your discretion to click on an ad or not.
Learn more about online advertising here.
Thank you for dropping by The CFTD. We certainly hope you enjoy your experience.
Rick Marx
Head Editor
