Privacy

I run AppStorent on my own, and I treat your privacy the way I wanted IT policies to work back on the help desk: explain what happens, skip the fluff, and let you get on with your day.

Comments and moderation

What does a moderator see when I leave a comment?

Every comment sits in a moderation queue before it appears publicly. When I review it, I see exactly four things: the comment itself, the display name on your account, the email address tied to that account, and the program page you commented on. I do not see your password or your favourites list. Your comment stays visible to you while it waits, marked “awaiting moderation”, so you know it landed. Once approved it becomes public. If I decide not to approve it, nobody else ever sees it.

Can I edit or remove a comment later?

You cannot edit a published comment yourself, because I believe a catalogue is a record, not a chat room. If something really needs changing, write to [email protected] and I will sort it. I can remove any comment you wrote, on request, and I will confirm once it is gone.

Server logs

What gets logged when I visit?

Like practically every website, the server keeps ordinary access logs. Those contain your IP address, the browser you used, and the pages you requested. I look at these logs for two reasons: keeping the site secure, and troubleshooting when something breaks. I do not use them to build a profile of you or to track your reading habits over time. Logs rotate and old entries get purged; I have no desire to hoard them.

Accounts and what we store

What information does an AppStorent account hold?

When you create a free account, you give me a display name and an email address. You also choose a password, which I store as a one-way hash—I cannot see it, and neither can anyone who might get hold of the database. Your account then holds:

• your display name
• your email address
• that hashed password
• any programs you have saved to favourites
• any comments you have written
• on-site notifications when a saved program gets an update

That is the full list. There is no hidden profile, no marketing categorisation, no “engagement score.”

Do you send marketing emails?

No. I do not send newsletters, promotional mail, or anything of the sort. The only emails that leave this server are direct replies when you write to me, and I answer those as a person, not a mailing list.

Children

Can children use AppStorent?

AppStorent is a catalogue of Mac software. It does not target children and I have no way of knowing a visitor’s age. If you are under the age where you can consent to data processing on your own, please have a parent or guardian handle any account creation.

Cookies

What cookies does this site set?

If you browse without signing in, the site sets zero cookies. Not one. No “essential” cookie banner nag because there is simply nothing to consent to.

When you sign in, two small cookies appear:

1. A session cookie so the server knows you are the same person as you move between pages. It vanishes when you close your browser.
2. A sign-in marker cookie that remembers you chose to stay signed in, so you do not have to log in again on your next visit. It does not store your password or any personal detail.

That is it. No advertising trackers. No analytics scripts dropping third-party cookies. No pixels. I do not run ads on AppStorent and I never will.

Deleting your data

How do I delete my account?

Write to [email protected] from the email address on your account and tell me you want it gone. I will delete the account, your favourites, your notification settings, and all personal data. Comments are a slightly different matter—see below.

What happens to my comments when I delete my account?

By default, comments you wrote remain on the program pages because they are part of a public conversation that other readers may have replied to or relied on. The display name switches to “Former reader” and the comment is no longer linked to any account. If you would prefer I remove the comments entirely, just say so in your email and I will delete them as well. I will confirm once everything is done.

Changes to this policy

Will this page ever change?

Possibly, if the site adds a feature that touches privacy. If a change matters, I will note it on the site and explain what is different. There will not be a silent rewrite that quietly permits something I previously said I would not do. The date at the bottom tells you when the current version went up.

What we never do

Is there anything you flat-out refuse to do with visitor data?

Plenty. I never sell, rent, or trade personal data. I never share it with advertisers or data brokers, because I work with neither. There are no third-party advertising trackers on this site. I do not hand email addresses to mailing-list services. I do not embed social-media share buttons that phone home. AppStorent is a quiet catalogue of Mac apps that behave. I aim to run it the same way.

If something here is unclear, or you have a question I did not cover, email me at [email protected]. I read every message.