Cookies are a commonplace tool utilized by websites to aid in providing services to users. Cookies are small text files that typically allow websites to remember that a user is logged in, as well as gain insights from user behavior and assist in other actions were it is helpful to store or remember data and preferences about the user.
On this site, we use cookies according to the following policy:
Most of our cookies on this site are performance/insight cookies used to gain insights about our user’s experiences on this site. This allows us to optimize our site to best serve those who are interacting with our site. We can then deliver a better site experience to all of our users, by (for example) either knowing what pages are the best performing or if there is a pattern of user difficulty with any part of the site.
We also have cookies that are purely functional and necessary for certain features to work, for example users that wish to login to the site to comment or submit materials will have a cookie set so that the site knows they are authenticated. These cookies are only necessary if you wish to login, and are not required for browsing the site.
In accessing this site, you may also receive cookies from third-parties and advertisers, to help deliver relevant ads to you
Cookies of the first type mentioned, that is performance/insightcookies, may include:
_cfduid = This cookie from the security company Cloudflare allows us to remember if users are trusted before allowing them to access the site, which allows us to maintain the reliability of the site in case of malicious use.
_ga, _gid, _gat = These are Google Analytics cookies that distinguish between users of the site and help us understand overall trends of use on this site, as provided by Google.
_hjIncludedInSample = This and other cookies from the analytics company Hotjar assist in providing insights into user behavior in order to optimize the user experience on our site.
Cookies of the second type mentioned, that is necessary cookies after one logs in, may include:
wordpress_[hash] cookie = This cookie, from our site provider WordPress, stores authentication details to assist in maintaining your login.
wordpress_logged_in_[hash] = This cookie, also from our site provider WordPress, also helps to assist in maintaining your login.
*Note that [hash] is simply a stand-in for a user-specific hash that is generated per user when the cookie is created.
Please consult your web browser documentation for specific ways you may control and manage your cookies and settings. Note that if you do opt to disable cookies, some aspects of the site (such as authentication) may not work.
Some sample web browser documentation links:
Google Chrome – https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl=en
Safari – https://support.apple.com/kb/Ph31411?locale=en_US
Microsoft Edge – https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10-microsoft-edge-and-privacy
Internet Explorer – https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17442/windows-internet-explorer-delete-manage-cookies