Last updated: 22 September 2026
This site uses cookies for three things: to work at all, to count visitors, and to show advertising. Only the first group is set without asking you. This page lists what is actually there, so you can check it against your browser instead of taking my word for it.
How consent works here
Readers in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland see a consent message from Google, which is a consent management platform certified by Google and registered with the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF). Nothing beyond the strictly necessary cookies is set until you choose.
The message has a button to consent and a button to refuse at the same level, plus a screen where you can go through purposes and vendors one by one. Refusing is one click, the same as accepting. If you refuse, the site works exactly the same; the ads you see, if any, are non-personalised.
To change your mind later, use the Privacy & cookie settings link at the bottom of every page. It reopens the same message with your current choices. You can also delete the cookies in your browser, which makes the message appear again on your next visit.
What is set before you choose
| Cookie | Set by | What it does | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
FCCDCF, FCNEC |
Google (consent message) | Stores your consent choice, including the TCF consent string, so you are not asked again on every page | Up to 13 months |
wordpress_test_cookie, wp-settings cookies |
WordPress | Only set for logged-in administrators, to keep the editor working | Session to 1 year |
These are strictly necessary: they exist to remember your decision and to run the site, so consent is not required for them under the ePrivacy rules.
What is set only if you consent
| Cookie | Set by | What it does | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga and related Analytics cookies |
Google Analytics | Counts visits and separates returning visits from new ones, in aggregate | Up to 2 years |
__gads, __gpi |
Google AdSense | Serves ads, limits how often you see the same ad, and measures performance | Up to 13 months |
IDE, test_cookie (doubleclick.net) |
Google advertising | Ad selection and measurement, and personalisation if you allowed it | Up to 13 months |
Cookie names and lifetimes come from Google and can change on their side without notice. If you find one here that no longer matches what your browser shows, tell me through the contact page and I will correct the table.
Turning advertising cookies off for good
Beyond the consent message, you can opt out of personalised advertising across sites at Google Ads Settings, at youronlinechoices.eu in Europe, or at aboutads.info in the United States.
Blocking cookies in your browser
Every browser can block or delete cookies: look under Privacy and security in Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari. Blocking everything is fine here, since nothing on this site needs a cookie to be readable, although it does mean the consent message will ask you again on every visit.
Where the rest of it is explained
What data is processed, on what legal basis, for how long and what rights you have is in the privacy policy.