Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

Welcome to fractured.top (the "Website"). We are a blog dedicated to the craft of playwriting — from dramaturgy and structure to character development and production insights. Your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you visit or interact with our blog.

By using fractured.top, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information that you voluntarily provide and the minimal data necessary for basic analytics and site functionality. Because fractured.top is a blog — not a store — we do not collect payment information, shipping addresses, or account passwords.

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Contact form submissions: When you send us a message through the contact form, we receive your name, email address, and the content of your message. We use this solely to respond to your inquiry.
• Comments: If you leave a comment on an article, you may provide a name, email address, and your comment text. Your name and comment are publicly visible; your email is kept private and used only for comment moderation (e.g., to notify you of replies, if you opt in).

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Cookies: We use minimal cookies to improve your experience. These include a comment session cookie (to remember your details if you leave a comment) and a cookie to track whether you've dismissed a site notice. No third-party advertising cookies are used.
• Basic analytics: We use a privacy-respecting analytics service (e.g., Plausible, Fathom, or a self-hosted Matomo instance) that collects anonymized data such as page views, referral sources, browser type, and general geographic region (country level only). This data is aggregated and cannot identify you personally.
• Server logs: Our hosting provider may automatically record standard log data (IP address, browser user agent, timestamp, requested pages). These logs are retained temporarily for security and troubleshooting purposes and are not shared with third parties.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect only for the following purposes:

• To respond to your inquiries submitted via the contact form.
• To manage and display comments on blog posts.
• To understand general reader interests and improve our content (via anonymized analytics).
• To maintain the security and integrity of the Website.
• To comply with legal obligations, if necessary.

We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing or any other purpose.

3. Cookies

A cookie is a small text file stored on your device by your web browser. fractured.top uses cookies sparingly and only for essential functions:

• Comment preferences: If you leave a comment, you may choose to save your name and email in a cookie for convenience on future visits.
• Analytics opt-out: If you disable analytics tracking via our opt-out mechanism, a cookie remembers your preference.
• Session cookies: Temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser, used for technical functionality.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling all cookies may affect some features of the site, but you can still read all articles.

4. Comments

When you leave a comment on fractured.top, we collect the data shown in the comment form, your IP address, and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. After approval of your comment, your profile picture (if any) is visible to the public alongside your comment.

We use Akismet (or a similar spam-filtering service) to review comments for potential spam. Your comment data may be sent to that service for automated checking.

5. Embedded Content from Other Websites

Articles on fractured.top may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if you visited that 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 tracking your interaction if you have an account and are logged in to that website. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of those third parties.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not share your personal information with third parties except in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We may use trusted third-party services (e.g., web hosting, analytics, spam filtering) that process data on our behalf. These providers are contractually bound to protect your data and use it only for the services we request.
• Legal requirements: If required by law, court order, or governmental regulation, we may disclose information to comply with legal process.
• Protection of rights: If we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of fractured.top, our readers, or others.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:

• Contact form submissions: Retained for up to 12 months after the last communication, unless a longer retention period is required by law.
• Comments: Retained indefinitely so that the conversation thread remains coherent. If you wish to have a comment removed, please contact us.
• Analytics data: Aggregated, anonymized data is retained indefinitely; raw individual-level data is retained for no more than 26 months.
• Server logs: Retained for up to 30 days, then deleted.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the data we hold about you.
• Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., legal obligations).
• Objection: Object to the processing of your data for analytics or other legitimate interests.
• Data portability: Request a machine-readable copy of your data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Children's Privacy

fractured.top is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Material changes will be highlighted on the Website for a reasonable period.

11. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data, please reach out to us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Postal address: 4740 Main St, Springfield, IL 62701, United States

We are committed to resolving any privacy concerns promptly and transparently.