In my previous post, I told you what I was promising. In this post, I will tell you what I’m very much not promising.

I do not promise not to try to monetize this blog — probably in multiple ways. But I do promise — in the midst of my non-promise XD — to do my absolute best not to be sleazy in how I go about it. Because, uhh, sleaziness makes me feel gross. >_<

To that end, I will try to be as transparent as possible (read: as transparent as I feel safe enough to be and as I can be while still protecting the privacy of both myself and others) about any shenanigans going on in these Stacks. (No, I’m not talking about hanky-panky — get your mind outta the gutta, folks! XD)

One of the things that will (I hope) help me make money (ideally, Teh Monies) is, of course, the use of data. That means, in short, that I will be — er, am (depending on when you come to read this ^^’) — using analytics on this blog — and on any other pages if when this blog grows up into a Real Website™.

My plan is to start with Google Analytics because — what else? — it is free and I am poor. (For now.) I will pull the trigger on it sometime between when this post goes live and the next one (which will be next week, as of this posting).

Since I’ve never used Google Analytics before, I don’t really know what that means yet, but it will almost certainly mean that you, dear reader, will be tracked coming to and from this site and that all your actions (scrolls/swipes, clicks, etc.) here will also be recorded. At minimum.

I know that doesn’t sound great. It probably sounds like I am actively trying to chase you away. ^^’ But . . . let’s face it, we are all tracked to & fro online and monitored (read: surveilled, to strip away any euphemisms here) as we interact with just about every site on the web. T_T It is, alas, nigh unto impossible to escape the creepy Eye of Google (à la Sauron) here on Internet Earth.

Now, I’m not saying that just because everyone else is doing it or that because it’s basically ubiquitous, you (or any of us) should just resign yourself to being tracked without your permission.

Rather, I’m trying to be clear (I mentioned transparency, yes?) about what you’re signing up for when you come here — that you are, in fact, giving me permission to track you while you’re here (including your comings & goings). And it is explicit permission now that I’ve told you about it and you’ve decided to stay/return.

In other words, my surveillance cameras, which are also recording video and audio devices, are out in the open — and I’m making a big deal of pointing them out to you, so you aren’t surprised by them.

And, to be excruciatingly clear, yes, I fully intend to use the data I collect to make strategic decisions about how to make money — yes, how to make money off of you, dear reader!

However!

What that does not include is my distributing (in any form: publishing, giving away, selling, etc.) any of the data I collect. While I cannot make any promises about what Google or WordPress or any other third party/platform I use to run this blog will or will not do, I will never give out, for free or for profit, any of that data — unless I am forced to for legitimate reasons.

Now, I will do my best not to be sleazy about defining what constitutes “legitimate”, if it ever becomes an issue (eek). But, of course, you may not agree with my conclusions and decisions — to which I can only say, “I’m doing my best. If that’s not good enough for you, there’s the door.”

Ahem. Anyways.

Back to tracking: If you do feel uncomfortable with my collecting data on you here and wish to leave, I completely understand. I have, in real life, entered spaces where the surveillance felt excessive and/or oppressive, and so I left those spaces. So I get it.

Of course, it is getting harder and harder these days to go into any physical space that isn’t just, you know, one’s own home, never mind any online space, that isn’t under at least some kind of surveillance. (Have you seen how many cameras there are out there?? You can’t walk down any public thoroughfare without having a bajillion cameras recording your every step! >_< Even in so-called “private” neighbourhoods. After all, what do you think all those Ring and Nest doorbells on people’s houses are doing? DX) The only thing that makes it even somewhat tolerable for me is that I’m at least somewhat mentally prepared about it when I know I’m being watched and recorded. After all, the worst is when you’re being watched/recorded and you don’t know it. *shudders*

Remember how I said I didn’t want to be sleazy? My telling you all this is my trying not to be sleazy here. (It is not, in fact, to discourage anyone from ever leaving their house. ^^’)

So, yes, while you’re here, I’ve got my capitalistic Sauronic Eye — oh, oh, Google-y Eyes! XDD — on you. I hope that will not put you off too much. I hope that you stay. More than that, I hope that you come back. ^_^

And that you give me money! XD That you happily throw money at me — and a lot of it! XDD Multiple times! XDDD

Now of course I’m talking about your purchasing only those things that you think are worth your money. I will do my best to offer such good stuff — and in spades! — that you can’t help but want to shower me in riches. ^.~

I do not promise to succeed, of course — this post is about what I am not promising, after all XD —, but I will do my best. b(^_^)d