PRIVACY
Privacy Policy
We’ve got nothing to hide.
This page explains what information the site collects, why, and what you can do about it. It’s written to meet New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020. If something here doesn’t make sense, ask.
Last updated 13 November 2026.
The condensed version
- No ads, no selling, and no mailing list (yet).
- Analytics only tracks your visit if you accept it.
- Contact form messages come straight to me.
- You can ask to see or correct anything I’ve written.
1. Who’s responsible
The Human Operating Manual is run by Jay Downes in Aotearoa New Zealand. I’m responsible for the personal information collected through this site, and I’m the person to contact about it. “I” and “me” on this page refer to me. “You” means anyone visiting the site.
2. What I collect
When you send a message: the contact form asks for your name, email address, a subject and your message. These are emailed to me so I can reply. They aren’t added to a mailing list or used for anything else.
When you accept analytics cookies: Google Analytics records how the site is used: which pages are viewed, roughly where visitors are, what device and browser they use, and how they arrived. I use this to understand which parts of the manual are useful. It isn’t used to identify you or to show you ads.
When you visit any page: like most websites, the servers that run this site automatically process technical information such as your IP address, browser type and the pages you request. This is needed to deliver pages, keep the site secure and block malicious traffic.
3. Cookies
The site sets one essential cookie that remembers your answer to the cookie banner. Analytics cookies from Google are only set if you choose Accept. If you choose Reject, the analytics script runs in a restricted mode that sets no cookies, although Google may still receive limited information, such as the fact that a page was viewed.
To change your choice, delete this site’s cookies in your browser settings. The banner will ask again on your next visit.
4. Who else is involved
A few services help run the site, and each handles some information on my behalf:
- Hostinger hosts the site and keeps standard server logs.
- Google provides analytics (only with your consent) and serves the site’s fonts. Loading the fonts means your browser contacts Google’s servers, which see your IP address.
- Automattic, through Jetpack, protects the site from attacks and delivers images through its content network, which involves processing your IP address.
These providers may store information outside New Zealand, including in the United States. I don’t sell, rent or trade personal information, and I don’t share it with anyone else unless the law requires it.
5. How long it’s kept
Contact form messages stay in my email for as long as they’re useful for the conversation, and you can ask me to delete them at any time. Analytics data is kept for a limited period set in Google Analytics and then deleted automatically. Server and security logs are kept by the providers above according to their own schedules.
6. How it’s protected
The site runs over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection, uses a firewall and login protection, and collects as little as it can. No system is perfectly secure. If a privacy breach ever caused you serious harm, I’d tell you and the Privacy Commissioner, as the law requires.
7. Your rights
Under the Privacy Act 2020, you can ask to see the personal information I hold about you and ask me to correct it. I’ll respond within 20 working days. You can also ask me to delete your messages.
If you’re in the European Union or the United Kingdom, you may have additional rights under the GDPR, such as objecting to processing or asking for your data to be erased.
If you’re unhappy with how I’ve handled your information, please tell me first. If that doesn’t resolve it, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.
8. Children
The manual isn’t designed for children, and I don’t knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you think a child has sent me their details, get in touch and I’ll delete them.
9. Changes to this policy
This policy will change when the site does. The date at the top of this page shows the latest version.
10. Questions
For anything privacy-related, including access or correction requests, use the contact page. The rules for using the site itself are in the Terms & Conditions.