Cookie Policy – Whispers of Void

Cookie Policy

Last Updated: November 30, 2024

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how Whispers of Void uses them, and how you can control them. We believe in complete transparency about the data we collect, so we’re laying it all out here in plain language.

What Are Cookies Anyway?

Cookies are small text files that websites place on your device (computer, phone, tablet) when you visit them. They’re basically tiny notes that help websites remember things about you.

Think of cookies like this: imagine visiting a coffee shop where the barista remembers your usual order. Cookies do something similar for websites – they help us remember your preferences and provide a better experience.

Fun fact: Cookies are called “cookies” because of the “magic cookie” term used in computing – a piece of data passed between programs. The name stuck because it sounded friendlier than “persistent data storage mechanism” 😊

Cookies can’t harm your computer, access your files, or spread viruses. They’re just small text files – nothing scary!

Types of Cookies We Use

Not all cookies are created equal. Here are the different types you might encounter on Whispers of Void:

1. Essential Cookies (Strictly Necessary)

Purpose: These cookies are absolutely necessary for the website to function properly. Without them, certain features simply won’t work.

What they do:

  • Remember your language preference
  • Keep you logged in (if we add that feature)
  • Maintain your session while you navigate the site
  • Remember items you’ve saved locally (like vision board images)

Can you disable them? Not really – if you disable these, the site won’t work properly. But they don’t track you or collect personal information.

Duration: Usually session cookies (deleted when you close your browser) or short-term persistent cookies

2. Analytics & Performance Cookies

Purpose: These help us understand how visitors use our website so we can improve it.

What they do:

  • Track which pages are most popular
  • See how long people spend using different tools
  • Identify technical errors or issues
  • Understand user flow through the site
  • Measure the effectiveness of our content

Tools we use:

  • Google Analytics: The most common web analytics service (with IP anonymization enabled)
  • We may also use other analytics tools to better understand user behavior

Can you disable them? Yes! You can opt out of analytics cookies through your browser settings or using tools like Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Duration: Typically 1-2 years

3. Advertising & Marketing Cookies

Purpose: These cookies are used to display relevant advertisements and measure ad campaign effectiveness.

What they do:

  • Show ads that might interest you based on your browsing
  • Prevent the same ad from appearing too many times
  • Measure how effective advertising campaigns are
  • Track conversions from ads

Third-party services:

  • Google AdSense: Displays contextual ads on our site
  • Other ad networks: We may partner with other advertising platforms

Can you disable them? Absolutely! You can opt out of personalized advertising through:

Duration: Usually 1-2 years

4. Functionality & Preference Cookies

Purpose: These remember your choices to provide enhanced, personalized features.

What they do:

  • Remember your dark/light mode preference (if we add that)
  • Store your tool preferences and settings
  • Remember which notifications you’ve dismissed
  • Save your chosen font size or accessibility settings

Can you disable them? Yes, but some features may not work as smoothly or remember your preferences.

Duration: Varies, typically 6 months to 2 years

Specific Cookies We Use

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the actual cookies you might encounter:

Cookie Name Purpose Type Duration
_ga Google Analytics – distinguishes unique users Analytics 2 years
_gid Google Analytics – distinguishes users Analytics 24 hours
_gat Google Analytics – throttle request rate Analytics 1 minute
wov_preferences Stores your site preferences Functional 1 year
cookie_consent Remembers your cookie preferences Essential 1 year
IDE, DSID Google advertising cookies Advertising 1-2 years

Note: This table may be updated as we add or remove services. The actual cookies you see might vary depending on which tools you use.

First-Party vs Third-Party Cookies

There’s an important distinction here:

First-Party Cookies:

These are set directly by Whispers of Void. We have full control over these and they’re only used on our site. Examples include preference cookies and session cookies.

Third-Party Cookies:

These are set by other companies whose services we use (like Google Analytics or AdSense). These companies have their own privacy policies governing how they use cookies.

Third-party cookies can sometimes track you across multiple websites. That’s why browsers are increasingly restricting them, and we support that movement toward better privacy.

How to Control Cookies

You’re in control! Here are all the ways you can manage cookies:

Browser Settings

All modern browsers let you control cookies. You can:

  • Block all cookies
  • Accept only first-party cookies
  • Delete cookies after each session
  • View and delete specific cookies

Cookie Consent Tools

When you first visit our site, you’ll see a cookie consent banner. You can:

  • Accept all cookies
  • Reject non-essential cookies
  • Customize your preferences

Browser Add-ons

Install privacy tools like:

  • Google Analytics Opt-out
  • Privacy Badger
  • uBlock Origin
  • Cookie AutoDelete

Advertising Opt-Out

Use industry opt-out tools:

Important: If you block or delete cookies, some features of our website might not work properly. Essential cookies are necessary for basic functionality, but all others are optional.

Browser-Specific Instructions

Here’s how to manage cookies in popular browsers:

Google Chrome:

  1. Click the three dots (⋮) in the top right corner
  2. Go to Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
  3. Choose your cookie preferences

Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Click the menu button (☰) and select Settings
  2. Select Privacy & Security panel
  3. Under Cookies and Site Data, adjust your preferences

Safari:

  1. Go to Preferences → Privacy
  2. Select your cookie blocking preferences
  3. You can also manage website data here

Microsoft Edge:

  1. Click the three dots (…) → Settings
  2. Go to Cookies and site permissions
  3. Select Cookies and site data to manage preferences

For detailed instructions, search “[Your Browser Name] manage cookies” or visit your browser’s help center.

Do Not Track (DNT) Signals

Some browsers offer a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal that requests websites not to track you. Here’s our stance:

Currently, there’s no industry standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. However, we’re committed to respecting your privacy preferences. If you enable DNT:

  • We’ll still use essential cookies (because the site needs them)
  • We’ll respect your preference regarding analytics when technically possible
  • Third-party services (like Google Analytics) have their own DNT policies

For maximum privacy control, we recommend using the cookie management tools described above rather than relying solely on DNT.

Cookies and Local Storage

In addition to cookies, we also use local storage – a similar technology that stores data directly in your browser.

How we use local storage:

  • Saving your tool results temporarily (like numerology calculations)
  • Storing vision board images you upload
  • Remembering your preferences for specific tools
  • Caching data to make the site faster

The key difference: local storage data stays on your device and isn’t sent to our servers (remember, we’re 100% client-side for most tools!). You can clear local storage through your browser’s developer tools or by clearing browsing data.

Updates to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect:

  • Changes in the cookies we use
  • New features or tools we add
  • Changes in cookie regulations
  • Feedback from users like you

When we make changes, we’ll update the “Last Updated” date at the top. Significant changes will be highlighted via email (for subscribers) or a prominent notice on our website.

Your Rights Under GDPR and CCPA

If you’re in the European Union or California, you have specific rights regarding cookies:

GDPR Rights (EU):

  • Right to be informed about cookies (that’s this policy!)
  • Right to consent or refuse non-essential cookies
  • Right to withdraw consent at any time
  • Right to access data collected via cookies
  • Right to have cookie data deleted

CCPA Rights (California):

  • Right to know what data is collected
  • Right to opt-out of cookie-based tracking
  • Right to request deletion of data
  • Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

Questions About Cookies?

We know cookies can be confusing! If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy, how we use cookies, or how to control them, we’re happy to help.

Email us at:
cookies@whispersofvoid.com

We typically respond within 48 hours.

© 2024 Whispers of Void. Transparency in every crumb. 🍪✨

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