Last Modified: July 17, 2026
Contact Information: contact@benheater.com
Change Log
Change Log (Show/Hide)
July 17, 2026
- Updated the Collected Information section to reflect a change from Plausible Analytics to Umami Analytics.
- Umami Analytics is a privacy-first, cookie-less analytics platform and doesn't change the cookie policy with regard to web analytics. Data is collected in an anonymized fashion and does not allow me to link activity back to any specific user. It does, however, give me deeper insights on page performance and how content is being consumed by readers.
- Updated the Data Retention section to add language that Umami Analytics and Ghost will undergo scheduled purges based on rolling period or account audit.
Disclaimer
The content on benheater.com and notes.benheater.com is provided for informational and educational purposes only. The author does not condone nor support illegal or criminal activities of any kind. Any misuse of the information provided on this site is the sole responsibility of the user. Please always act ethically and obtain signed authorization before testing any system or network that is not your own.
Privacy
This site is run by me, Benjamin Heater. Where possible, I use open-source, privacy-focused solutions on any servers maintained by me. My intent with this platform is to provide educational and informational content, not to mass-collect and sell data for profit.
This privacy policy applies to benheater.com, notes.benheater.com, and any newsletters sent to those wishing to become subscribing members of benheater.com. By using — and if desired — subscribing to the aforementioned, you are agreeing to the privacy policy described below.
Cookies
benheater.com
benheater.com does not place any cookies on user devices.
notes.benheater.com
notes.benheater.com places only cookies required for BookStack to function.
External Content and Integrations
Integrations and content embedded from external sites — such as an iframe — functions the same as visiting the external site. They may collect data about you, use cookies and embed additional third-party tracking. They may monitor your interaction with said embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Collected Information
Umami Analytics
When you connect to any web site, you are arbitrarily sharing information about yourself. This information is stored in web server logs, and is unavoidable with the way current web technologies work:
- IP address
- Browser software and version
- Operating system
- Pages visited
- Referring URLs
I host and maintain a Umami Analytics server — a cookie-less, privacy-focused platform — to analyze the information mentioned above. This data is used by me to understand the performance of content and newsletters. Any data sent to Umami is encrypted and stored securely.
Subscribing Members
Free Subscribers
If you choose to become a subscribing member of benheater.com, only the following information is requested:
- Email Address: Required
- Name: Optional
Paid Subscriptions
You have the option to become a paid subscriber on benheater.com. Payment processing — and any information as part of that transaction — is handled by Stripe. Payment information is not stored on benheater.com.
Subscriber Metadata
- Account Creation Date
- Email Address
- Name — if provided
- Country of Origin — based on IP address
- Membership Type and Status
- Email Open Rate — when newsletters are sent
One-Time Donations
There are options for one-time donations on benheater.com and notes.benheater.com:
- Stripe
- Ko-Fi
Payment processing — and any information as part of that transaction — is handled by those respective services and payment information is not stored on benheater.com nor notes.benheater.com.
Your Rights to Your Data
I do not collect any additional data beyond that disclosed above. Umami Analytics anonymizes the data before storing it, so it is impossible for me to delete this data.
If you choose to become a subscribing member on benheater.com, your data will be stored until you delete your account. If you are unable to delete your account, you can send an email to contact@benheater.com from the same email you used to subscribe to benheater.com and I will assist you with deleting your account.
If you wish to receive a copy of your member data stored on benheater.com, send an email to contact@benheater.com from the same email you used to subscribe and I will do my best to respond to requests within a reasonable timeframe.
Any newsletters sent by me will contain links allowing you to unsubscribe should you no longer wish to receive said newsletters.
Data Sharing
I do not sell, rent, nor trade any information shared when subscribing to benheater.com, nor any information in Umami. Information stored on servers maintained by me is stored for the sole purpose of providing membership to those wishing to subscribe.
Third-party integrations — such as Stripe or Ko-Fi — may collect information from users. Submitting data to these services is completely voluntary. You should consult the data sharing policies of those services for more information on how they share your data.
On the very extraordinary occasion that there is a legal or law-enforcement request for information, I will comply where required by law.
Data Security
Data transmitted to any services run by me is encrypted in transit and at rest. Any data transmitted between my servers and third-parties is also encrypted. Servers I maintain are regularly patched, backed up, audited, and monitored.
There are strict network and application layer firewall rules governing the flow into and out of servers maintained by me. There are also strict policies and procedures in place with respect to who can access user data. Where possible, multi-factor authentication is employed.
Data Retention Period
- Umami Analytics: 365 days
- Subscriber Information: Indefinite (or until user deletes account, indicates desire to do so, or until removed as part of account audit)
External Content
benheater.com and notes.benheater.com may contain embedded content or links to external or third-party websites for informational purposes. The content on external or third-party websites is the sole responsibility of the owner of those sites.
Clicking on links to external sources is at your sole discretion. And, you are solely liable for any damages resulting from interactions with external content. Please consult the privacy policies of those sites for any information before interacting with them.
Children's Privacy
If I become aware that a minor has entered their personal information as a subscribing member, I will take immediate action to purge this data from my servers.
The content on benheater.com and notes.benheater.com is acceptable for minors as an educational and informational platform, but it is recommended to acquire informed consent from an adult parent or guardian.
Any parents or guardians with questions or concerns can send an email to contact@benheater.com.
Changes to this Policy
In the event any changes are made to the privacy policy, changes will be documented clearly on this page, indicating the last modified date of this policy, along with a clear log of what was changed.
Your continued use of benheater.com and notes.benheater.com after such updates constitutes your acknowledgment of and agreement to the updated policy.
Contact
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or requests regarding the policies above, you can find the latest contact information at: https://benheater.com/contact/