Cookies

What’s in the cookies used by BookOxygen?

Cookies are small text files maintained by websites and stored by your browser on your computer. All major browser allow you to clear any existing cookies once stored on by your browser and provide some control over what type of cookies are kept. Some will be removed automatically when you close your browser; others will expire at given date. However, by default websites can generally store information on your browser. Cookies may be used to make websites functional or easier to use and can be used to track internet usage.

Please see here for more information on cookies.

BookOxygen uses cookies in the following:

1. To make the website easier to use. We use small cookies to identify which sub-menus you’ve opened so they appear consistent when you move between pages. This information is only retained by your browser: we don’t record this
   information on our servers. In future we may extend this for other similar purposes this would be limited to what you’ve clicked rather than who you are.
2. To remember your details when you’ve contributed to the site. If you’ve posted a comment your browser will record the details of the name you’ve used. We don’t use this information.
3. To help make the website better by monitoring usage. To do this we use Google Analytic. This provides us with data such as users’ browser versions and (imprecise) geographical locations. We use this to collect anonymous statistics about how the site is being used (e.g. how many pages people read when visiting the site). This doesn’t given us any information about individual users. This information is collated and stored by Google.

We hope you agree that our use of cookies is innoculous and that you provide consent for us to use this mechanism to make this site as useful as possible.

Why am I being asked?

Seeking consent for cookies is a legal requirement for EU based websites from the end of May 2012. This does mean you’ll be asked this type of thing by websites regularly. Unfortunately, the requirement is for individual sites to seek permission so you just can’t say yes once.

Some exceptions exist to having to seek explicit user permission but these are specific. The UK’s ICO interpretation is such that it’s likely that most sites using cookies will need to ask permission. Websites that don’t ask are likely to not be complying with the legislation.

The EU legislation seems to have been intended to provide user protection from explicit tracking mechanisms that intrude into on-line privacy. Unfortunately, basic cookie use to improve the usability of websites (Which is all
they’re used for on BookOxygen) is caught by its definition and interpretation.

BookOxygen privacy policy?

BookOxygen does not attempt to monitor individuals of their use of the site. However, we do use Google Analytics to collate aggregated data to help us improve the site.

Only explicitly solicited information is maintained by BookOxygen. This information may be shared with relevant third parties. E.g. if you sign up to receive exclusive content from publishers then we’ll make the information we hold about to available to them.