Privacy Policy
Minimum collection. Explicit consent. No third-party trackers. Your data stays with Ask the Human LLC, operator of this site.
This Privacy Policy explains how Ask the Human LLC ("we," "our," or "us") collects and uses information when you visit workiscode.com or subscribe to communications from the site. We are based in Tennessee, United States.
The short version: reading articles on this site does not require you to give us any information. If you subscribe to the newsletter, we collect your email address and nothing else. We do not sell data, we do not run third-party trackers, and you can remove yourself from the list at any time with one click.
Who We Are
Ask the Human LLC is the entity operating workiscode.com and any associated newsletter. The site is authored and maintained by Bert Carroll.
For any privacy question, email bert@askthehuman.com.
What We Collect
When you read articles
Nothing personally identifying. The site is a static website with no user accounts, no login, and no analytics scripts from third parties. Your web browser sends standard request metadata (IP address, user agent, referring page) to our hosting provider to deliver the pages, but we do not log or retain it.
When you subscribe to the newsletter
If and when a subscription form is available, we collect:
- Email address — so we can deliver the newsletter you asked for.
- First name (optional) — so we can address messages to you by name.
- Subscription source — an internal tag (e.g., "workiscode," "ask-the-human") so we understand which property you subscribed from.
- Consent record — the date, time, and IP address of your subscription request and the date of your double-opt-in confirmation. This is kept as evidence that your subscription was freely given.
- Engagement metadata — if you open an email or click a link, we may record that event at the subscriber level so we can understand what's useful. You can request a copy of this record or its deletion at any time.
We do not collect phone numbers, physical addresses, payment information, or any special category of personal data (health, race, religion, politics, etc.).
Why We Collect It
We collect and process the information above only for the purposes you provided it:
- To send you newsletter content you requested.
- To honor your opt-out when you unsubscribe.
- To maintain records showing your consent was given freely, as evidence if a regulator or your mail provider ever asks.
We do not use your email for advertising, do not sell it, do not share it with third-party marketing partners, and do not use it to train machine-learning models.
Legal Basis (for readers in the EU / UK)
Our legal basis for processing your subscription data under the GDPR and UK GDPR is your explicit, affirmative consent, confirmed via a double opt-in process. You can withdraw consent at any time using the unsubscribe link in any newsletter email, or by emailing bert@askthehuman.com. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing that took place before the withdrawal.
For readers in California, Colorado, Virginia, and other US states with consumer privacy laws: you have the equivalent rights to access, correct, delete, and port your data, as described below.
How We Store and Protect It
Subscriber records are stored in a database we operate on Microsoft Azure infrastructure in the United States. Microsoft acts as our sub-processor for storage, email delivery (via Azure Communication Services), and hosting. Microsoft's Data Protection Addendum to its Online Services Terms governs their processing.
The newsletter-delivery software is self-hosted by us on Azure, not a third-party SaaS service. No marketing-automation vendor (Mailchimp, HubSpot, etc.) touches your data. Email is delivered via Azure Communication Services using our verified sender domain.
Data is encrypted at rest (Azure-managed) and in transit (TLS 1.2+). Access to the subscriber database is restricted to Bert Carroll using identity-managed credentials.
How Long We Keep It
- Active subscribers: your record is retained for as long as you remain subscribed.
- Unsubscribes: your email is retained for 30 days after you unsubscribe, in a suppression list, so we do not accidentally re-add you if you appear in a future data import. After 30 days, the record is hashed (one-way) so we can still honor suppression without retaining your plain email address. You can request immediate erasure by emailing us.
- Consent records: kept for 3 years after your subscription ends, as evidence that your subscription was freely given, then deleted.
- Engagement events (opens, clicks): aggregated after 90 days so individual events are no longer linked to individual subscribers.
Your Rights
Regardless of where you live, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct inaccurate data.
- Delete your data ("right to be forgotten").
- Port your data in a machine-readable format.
- Withdraw consent at any time via the unsubscribe link or by emailing us.
- Complain to a supervisory authority in your jurisdiction.
To exercise any of these rights, email bert@askthehuman.com. We will respond within 30 days.
Cookies
This site does not use tracking cookies. It may set session storage values for functional purposes (for example, remembering that you dismissed a banner). None of these are used for advertising, profiling, or cross-site tracking.
We do not participate in the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework because we have nothing to consent you to.
Children
This site is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has submitted information to us, please email bert@askthehuman.com and we will delete it.
International Transfers
If you are accessing this site or subscribing to the newsletter from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States on Microsoft Azure infrastructure. We rely on Microsoft's EU Standard Contractual Clauses and UK International Data Transfer Addendum as the lawful basis for cross-border transfers where applicable.
Changes to This Policy
If we make material changes to how we handle your data, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, for active newsletter subscribers, send a notice by email at least 14 days before the change takes effect. Non-material changes (typos, clarifications, broken links) may be made without notice.
Governing Law
This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-laws provisions. Any dispute arising from this Policy will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Tennessee, unless applicable consumer-protection law requires otherwise.
Contact
Ask the Human LLC
Attn: Privacy — Bert Carroll
Email: bert@askthehuman.com
Jurisdiction: Tennessee, United States