First, let’s lay it out on the table: this blog isn’t financially driven. I blog because I love it. I blog because I think it does great things for my writing and my understanding of people. And I blog because I think it helps people. My primary means of supporting myself is via book sales and freelance writing.
That said, I do use affiliate links (for products I already love and plan on recommending), I review products from time to time, and I run ads through MediaVine (see below for their privacy details).
Beginning December 1, 2009, the FTC requires bloggers to disclose whenever there could be hidden interests or unspoken biases related to recommendations. So here goes…
Per the FTC rules, if I interview someone and they grab the bill for lunch, I would need to disclose this. Ditto if I use an Amazon link that gets me 8 cents instead of an Amazon link that gets me 0 cents. If someone gives me a comfy t-shirt with a logo and I wear it in a photo, same deal. Disclaimers all over the place. This would be tedious for me and even more tedious for readers. But rules is rules. To cover my ass and preserve your reading experience, please assume that, for every link and product I use, the following all hold true:
Writer probably also got free or discounted accommodations, plane tickets, train tickets, tours, spa days, admission, puppy snuggles, and advice. On occasion, writer may have even been paid to participate in an activity, stay somewhere, etc.
Privacy Policy: For users in the EU and UK, please note that this site uses Google Analytics and opt-in emails are controlled by MailChimp and Substack. This site only collects data from you when you choose to interact with us in the following ways:
:: By visiting and browsing the site.
The ad network I’m part of uses cookies. If you’re in the EU or UK, expect to see a pop up that allows you to opt in or out of these cookies before you start browsing.
:: By signing up for email newsletters.
When you sign up for one of the email newsletters on this site, we’ll ask you for your email address, which we use to send you said newsletters. You can opt in or out of newsletters at any time. I never sell this data and advertisers do not have access to it.
:: By participating in surveys.
Occasionally, this site will run a small survey on how we can improve, what you (the readers) want to see next, and/or questions related to travel, books, and other topics featured herein. Surveys are run through SurveyMonkey and/or Google forms. We use this data as stated in the request for each survey (usually to improve the content here on the site and/or to collect and share large data trends like in this post). Participation in surveys is always optional. When we collect data in surveys, we may share quotes and larger data trends publicly, but will never share personal details (your email address or contact information, for instance) without your express consent.
:: By purchasing books or products.
If you choose to purchase a travel guide or other product through this site, those purchase processes are handled by third-party products like e-Junkie, PayPal, etc. Please see their privacy policies for specifics of how they collect and use data. As for us, the only way we will use your data is to provide you with the product you ordered and/or to contact you if needed (for example: if there is something wrong with your order). We do not sell this data or use it for marketing.
:: By using the contact form on this website or emailing us.
Any personal data you provide in your emails will not be used publicly or shared without your express permission. Your emails are not added to any mailing lists (unless you specifically opt in) and this data is not used for marketing purposes.
:: By commenting on the site.
When you comment on this site, we ask for name and email address, as well as comment. This information is collected in WordPress and only used if or when we specifically need to contact you to follow up on a comment. It is not used for marketing purposes or shared with third parties.
This site uses Google Analytics to track things like page views, number of monthly visitors, and overall trends. Google Analytics may collect information such as browser type, location, operating system, and name of internet provider. This information is not linked with any personal data by us and is used to track trends and improve the site.
We may also collect data automatically through our use of cookies on the Website. If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.
MailChimp also tells us when our newsletters are opened, which links you’ve clicked on within the newsletter, and the country you are in.
This Website and our services are aimed at adults, and we do not knowingly collect any Personal Data relating to children aged under 15 years old. If you are under the age of 15, please do not provide us with any of your Personal Data, including your email address.
You have the legal right to contact us to find out what personal data we have for you, to ask us to change your personal data, or to ask us to delete your personal data. Please use the contact form on this website if you’d like to speak to us about personal data.
We will only use your Personal Data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If you wish to have an explanation as to how the processing for the new purpose is compatible with the original purpose, please contact us. If we need to use your Personal Data for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.
Pages and blog posts on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracing your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
This is the personal website of author Gigi Griffis. We do not have a physical business address, but can always be contacted through the form on this site.
(Blueprint for this page courtesy of Tim Ferris. Illustrations courtesy of Louis Gray and Jeannine Schafer)
Mediavine Programmatic Advertising (Ver 1.1)
The Website works with Mediavine to manage third-party interest-based advertising appearing on the Website. Mediavine serves content and advertisements when you visit the Website, which may use first and third-party cookies. A cookie is a small text file which is sent to your computer or mobile device (referred to in this policy as a “device”) by the web server so that a website can remember some information about your browsing activity on the Website.
First party cookies are created by the website that you are visiting. A third-party cookie is frequently used in behavioral advertising and analytics and is created by a domain other than the website you are visiting. Third-party cookies, tags, pixels, beacons and other similar technologies (collectively, “Tags”) may be placed on the Website to monitor interaction with advertising content and to target and optimize advertising. Each internet browser has functionality so that you can block both first and third-party cookies and clear your browser’s cache. The “help” feature of the menu bar on most browsers will tell you how to stop accepting new cookies, how to receive notification of new cookies, how to disable existing cookies and how to clear your browser’s cache. For more information about cookies and how to disable them, you can consult the information at All About Cookies.
Without cookies you may not be able to take full advantage of the Website content and features. Please note that rejecting cookies does not mean that you will no longer see ads when you visit our Site. In the event you opt-out, you will still see non-personalized advertisements on the Website.
The Website collects the following data using a cookie when serving personalized ads:
- IP Address
- Operating System type
- Operating System version
- Device Type
- Language of the website
- Web browser type
- Email (in hashed form)
Mediavine Partners (companies listed below with whom Mediavine shares data) may also use this data to link to other end user information the partner has independently collected to deliver targeted advertisements. Mediavine Partners may also separately collect data about end users from other sources, such as advertising IDs or pixels, and link that data to data collected from Mediavine publishers in order to provide interest-based advertising across your online experience, including devices, browsers and apps. This data includes usage data, cookie information, device information, information about interactions between users and advertisements and websites, geolocation data, traffic data, and information about a visitor’s referral source to a particular website. Mediavine Partners may also create unique IDs to create audience segments, which are used to provide targeted advertising.
If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices to opt-in or opt-out of this data collection, please visit National Advertising Initiative opt out page. You may also visit Digital Advertising Alliance website and Network Advertising Initiative website to learn more information about interest-based advertising. You may download the AppChoices app at Digital Advertising Alliance’s AppChoices app to opt out in connection with mobile apps, or use the platform controls on your mobile device to opt out.
For specific information about Mediavine Partners, the data each collects and their data collection and privacy policies, please visit Mediavine Partners.