The Small Print

Terms of Use

All content provided on FrancesRyanPhD is for informational and/or entertainment purposes only. The owner, Frances Ryan (me, my, I), makes no guarantee as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any links on this site. I will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information or the availability of this information and will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.

(Remember: Just because you read it on the Internet, doesn’t mean it’s true. Be sure to fact check or consult with a professional – especially with regards to medical or legal issues.)

Copyright

Please note that the copyright to this material belongs to FrancesRyanPhD and Frances Ryan unless otherwise noted. For full terms of copyright, please visit this page.

Privacy

Every time you visit FrancesRyanPhD, your IP (Internet Protocol) address registers on my servers. Your IP address reveals no information other than the number assigned to you – which may or may not change daily – a general location based on your Internet providers’ information, and the name of the host. (For example: 127.0.0.1; City, Country/State; Awesome Net)

When you subscribe to – or interact with – FrancesRyanPhD through commenting on posts or via the contact form, your name, email address, and IP address are logged. This information is not shared with any third parties and is held in strict confidence by me. From time to time, I may use your email address to privately follow up on a comment or to update subscribers about site management, but your email address will remain safe and confidential.

Cookie Policy

FrancesRyanPhD uses cookies, as most websites do. If you do not know what cookies are, or how to control or delete them, you may want to take a moment to learn more about them. Cookies are tracked on an “implied consent” policy, meaning it is assumed you are happy with this usage. If you are not happy, then you should either: Not use this site, delete the cookies having visited the site, or browse the site using your browser’s anonymous usage setting (called “Incognito” in Chrome, “InPrivate” for Internet Explorer, “Private Browsing” in Firefox and Safari etc.).

First Party Cookies (These are cookies ‘baked by FrancesRyanPhD’)

FrancesRyanPhD uses Google Analytics to collect information about visitor behaviour. Google Analytics tracks information about your web browser, operating system, and location – as well as what pages you visit, how long you are on the site, how you got here, and what you click on. This data is collected via a JavaScript code on the site and is not tied to personally identifiable information or an IP address. I do not collect or store your personal information and this information cannot be used to identify who you are. You can find out more about Google’s position on privacy in regards to its analytics service here.

Why do I track this information? Simple: Because knowing what kind of browsers or screen resolutions readers use means the site can be tweaked so that it renders nicely for the majority of readers. It is also great to know how people find the site and what stories they read the most. It all helps to ensure I am creating content that people can find, read, and enjoy!

Third Party Cookies (These are ‘store bought’ cookies)

These are cookies set on your machine by external websites whose services are used on this site. These are the sharing buttons you see that allow you to share content on social networks (such as Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest) and are only tracked when you opt to use them. You should check the respective policies of each of these sites to see how exactly they use your information and to find out how to opt-out or delete such information.

Comments Policy

When you comment on FrancesRyanPhD, you do so with the full knowledge that the comment may be available publicly. FrancesRyanPhD aims to be a place where conversation is encouraged. But as we know, conversations on the Internet can turn nasty. To that, I have developed a wee comments policy.

By posting on FrancesRyanPhD, you agree to the following:

  1. You may post with a fake name. You are under no obligation to tell me who you really are. If you wish to comment but don’t want others to know that your views are yours, please feel free to make up a name. (Offensive or suggestive names will be altered as I see fit.) Please note the privacy section of this page if you have any questions.
  2. You must include your email address. Yes, you must include an email address to post a comment. Admittedly, it doesn’t have to be a real one, but I will probably not approve your comment if it looks spammy or extremely fakey. I reserve the right to Google your email address to see if it is on any spam-watch lists.
  3. You may post questions. Sometimes you may want to ask a question instead of commenting. If that’s the case, please feel free to do so. Your question may be the same one someone else wanted to ask, so you’re doing them a favour, too! (You may ask questions privately through the contact form.)
  4. You may disagree. You don’t have to agree with everything I say – or anything I say! And if that’s the case, you are welcome to have your say. However, I ask that you do so in a respectful way. Personal attacks on me (or anyone else) will not be tolerated here.
  5. I reserve the right to delete or edit your comments. FrancesRyanPhD is my blog and I don’t have to let others play if I don’t want to. I fully respect your rights to free speech, but I am under no obligation to provide the platform for your opinions. The moderation and/or approval of comments is subject to the appropriateness of the content. More specifically, I will delete comments if they contain something that is in my opinion: (a) rude/snarky; (b) off-topic; (c) libellous, defamatory, abusive, harassing, threatening, profane, pornographic, offensive, false, misleading, and/or otherwise violates or encourages others to violate my sense of decorum and civility or any law, including intellectual property laws; or (d) “spam,” i.e., an attempt to advertise, solicit, or otherwise promote goods and services. (If your comment seems to have been made in good faith, but contains something that, in my opinion, is inappropriate, I may modify it before publishing. Where this is the case, it will be noted that edits and/or deletions have been made.)
  6. You retain ownership of your comments. I do not own them and I expressly disclaim all liability that may result from them. By commenting on my site, you agree that you retain all ownership rights in what you post here and that you will relieve me from all liability that may result from those postings. (In simple terms: If you post something libellous/illegal/etc, it is you – not me – who will get in trouble.)
  7. You grant me a license to post your comments. This license is worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free. You grant me the right to store, use, transmit, display, publish, reproduce, and distribute your comments in any format, including but not limited to a blog, in a book, a video, or a presentation. (In simple terms: If you publicly post on FrancesRyanPhD, I can quote you in anything I may publish without paying you money. But I’ll give you credit for your words.)

In short, my goal is to host interesting conversations with caring, honest, and respectful people. I believe this simple comments policy will facilitate this.

These terms and conditions of use are subject to change at any time and without notice.

Join the conversation!