ALERT: Please Read - This Affects You! - (CLOSED)

[Ian]

Just a quick heads up, I'm going to be taking the board down tomorrow night around 10pm-ish for a bit to run an update that is going to bring the site up to date for the upcoming GDPR compliance requirement people who own a forum like me are up against.

After the update, you'll see pop-ups prompting you to confirm your consent for the normal things like cookies, etc. The goal is to make users aware of how their data is used and the reasons cookies, etc. are implemented, so I'll make it simple and explain every bit of data collected on here, which will be included in the upcoming privacy page that I'll be updating.

Cookies:

1) The only cookies I've coded are used in just two applications on this site:

• The forum software sets one after you login to keep your session active.
• If you have the "new post" notifications enabled, a cookie is updated and logs that you've closed it so it doesn't pop up until the next time a post is changed. Otherwise, it would continue to pop up each time it's polled.
• The newsletter popup on our blog has one, which is to save your setting for the remainder of your session if you (x) out so it doesn't pop up again.

2) A handful of ad networks are used here, and each uses cookies. Each ad network gives you the ability to click on the link on the ad and opt out. If you've visited the Account Upgrades section and you're a supporting member, the site is ad-free and the ad code doesn't run on the site at all which eliminates that all together. That's a recent change as it used to only be here in the forum, but now it allows anyone to read a blog entry, view stats, news, etc. without ads. So if you support the site, that ad-free benefit is now carried site-wide.

Data Storage:

1) The only data stored here is your username, your selected password, email, and date of birth (which is required to prove you're over 13-years old - and is for a different compliance) and your IP address (used to prevent spam, abusive users, etc.). Also stored are your selections if you've enabled/disabled different boxes in the upper-left slideout menu, which control what you want to see along with your selections of reporters you do/don't want to view in the Twitter channel. The system obviously also saves and counts your likes, dislikes, winner, funny, etc. ratings. Your other profile settings and fields are also saved, and obviously not shared with anyone.

2) If you've saved any links in the link library, those are stored along with any additional information you've entered for them.

3) If you've signed up for our newsletter, which is powered by MailChimp, your name, username and email are stored and you can obviously opt out at any time.

Storage/Sharing of Data by Me:

No one else has access to your data, except for me. Site contributors for the blog at PatsFans.com only have access to the content they create and have no server access whatsoever beyond that. I have no one that assists with coding - it's 100% me. I do not share your data with anyone and have always done everything within my power to ensure that your data remains as secure as possible. I cannot guarantee catastrophe would not prevent something from ever happening, but I can guarantee that there are constant efforts to ensure that doesn't happen.

But otherwise, when the windows pop up asking you to "agree" or "consent" after the update, that's what those are addressing. For me to be in compliance, you'll have to consent that you're aware of it and agree to it. If you don't, it won't allow you to proceed, so you'll need to click on it and then your consent will be stored for legal reasons because of this new guideline. You're going to start seeing this everywhere starting Friday, but I wanted to make you all aware of this before it's implemented here.

This update will not reflect the new version of the forum that is coming. I'm still working on that and had hoped to have it done for this week, but it's going to be a bit longer while I finish some things.

Edited 5/24 - Added that IP addresses are also stored.

 

[Bill Lee]

GDPR = gosh darn public relations?

 

[lancerman]

GDPR compliance is the biggest ass ache for the whole world. Freakin Europe

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

OK let's see heads you take the college board with my parental consent...the Soviets are retaking East Germany, you're consoling yourself reading Forum and eating cookies while you update your data for school applications...you're playing password and I'm enabling your popup to blog though I'm a Twit....I'm storing Lancelot Link at the library, who's also the mail chimpanzee, and you guarantee catastrophe (okay clearly this IS the Pats' site) if I agree to see Joe Friday as my parole officer in this version of the movie.

Got it.

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

GDPR = gosh darn public relations?

My company is considered a data processor for about 8000 clients. The GD stands for something else in our internal meetings......

 

[lancerman]

My company is considered a data processor for about 8000 clients. The GD stands for something else in our internal meetings......

Then does every tech sales team in the country have something to show you sir? Starting with me, we can take this to the pm's

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

Then does every tech sales team in the country have something to show you sir? Starting with me, we can take this to the pm's

HA. If the pm's had a clue, I might take you up on that offer. Alas, after writing, and rewriting code...its all still a mess

 

[Ian]

GDPR compliance is the biggest ass ache for the whole world. Freakin Europe

I understand it - especially given that people's data is stored and site owners do have a responsibility to be transparent about what is stored and how it's used. It's just hard for someone like me who only has a couple of hours each night after work to deal with having to read up and make changes to adjust when this sort of thing happens that makes it tough.

But whatever - it is what it is and it wasn't that bad. Any button that says "I agree" is always concerning so I wanted everyone to be aware of everything so that it's not a surprise and they understand the reasoning behind it and that I try and make things here as transparent as possible.

 

[maust]

Got it.

You sure do...to the point we're getting a contact high off of it.

 

[maust]

Any button that says "I agree" is always concerning...

...not to mention being anathema to some folks.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

My company is considered a data processor for about 8000 clients. The GD stands for something else in our internal meetings......

Be glad it's only 8,000. My company has over one hundred million clients.

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

Be glad it's only 8,000. My company has over one hundred million clients.

I hear you. One client for us can represent 10's of K users, so the scale is in the same magnitude...

 

[WinstonSmith]

SnapFace had to go and ruin it for everyone...

 

[WaterfallJumper]

I hear you. One client for us can represent 10's of K users, so the scale is in the same magnitude...

Ah, yes, sounds like about the same situation. It's all a huge mess.

 

[Tony2046]

Be glad it's only 8,000. My company has over one hundred million clients.

Oh Yeah! My company has over one hundred billion.

 

[n6249c]

Ian, thanks for a very clear and cogent explanation.

Rest of you, lulz. Rotflmao @ y'all as I enjoy being part of a dot gov site that makes honey badger seem cuddly.

 

[Deus Irae]

I understand it - especially given that people's data is stored and site owners do have a responsibility to be transparent about what is stored and how it's used. It's just hard for someone like me who only has a couple of hours each night after work to deal with having to read up and make changes to adjust when this sort of thing happens that makes it tough.

But whatever - it is what it is and it wasn't that bad. Any button that says "I agree" is always concerning so I wanted everyone to be aware of everything so that it's not a surprise and they understand the reasoning behind it and that I try and make things here as transparent as possible.

The problem is, and I say this with no malice towards the site owners, that these things don't really solve issues. They just add layers of red tape. You're not going to allow people on if they don't agree

For me to be in compliance, you'll have to consent that you're aware of it and agree to it. If you don't, it won't allow you to proceed, so you'll need to click on it and then your consent will be stored for legal reasons because of this new guideline.

so it's really just setting up a new flash point. Again, that's not the fault of the site owners, but it's what happens when we allow the clowns to run the circus. We see the same thing here in the U.S., all the time.

 

[Ian]

The problem is, and I say this with no malice towards the site owners, that these things don't really solve issues. They just add layers of red tape. You're not going to allow people on if they don't agree


so it's really just setting up a new flash point. Again, that's not the fault of the site owners, but it's what happens when we allow the clowns to run the circus. We see the same thing here in the U.S., all the time.

I don't necessarily disagree, but I also don't have a choice. Unfortunately it's the people in California who put me in this position and this is strictly for liability reasons. I'm just one person who does this in my free time and personally I'm not entirely sure what this solves aside from eliminating a user from saying they didn't know these practices we're going on and threatening legal action. A lot of people don't realize that when they sign up for a site like this, when they log in, it places an electronic piece of data on their computer to keep them logged in. This forces them to acknowledge it and logs it in the system and at least covers that end of it. Obviously on Facebook, that's only one small bit of information that's available and they foolishly left it all in their API for every developer to abuse. Not everyone is honest, unfortunately and they got burned when someone exploited it.

Here, its pretty straight forward. We're here to talk football and that's the extent of what's going on, aside from what I posted above. But people come here thinking that just because the site looks nice it's some corporation, not realizing it's just me sitting on my couch with a laptop at night after I get home from working all day and I can't afford a lawsuit. So while I don't agree it's the right answer, I do agree that transparency is important and that's definitely a good thing.

 

[maust]

Oh Yeah! My company has over one hundred billion.

You're not Bill Belichick so we're going to need a link

 

[Triumph]

I don't have a choice. Unfortunately it's the people in California who put me in this position and this is strictly for liability reasons. I'm just one person who does this in my free time and personally I'm not entirely sure what this solves aside from eliminating a user from saying they didn't know these practices we're going on and threatening legal action.

Hmm

When did you say that you were taking the site down to make changes?