October 30, 2024--If you see a big red round thang in the lower lefthand corner of the screen on the main website, that just means consentmanager ran out of "page impressions" for the month. You might not see the cookie banner pop up today and tomorrow, BUT.
You will also not see any cookies set.This is because with the exception of the cookie banner itself (always on), everything else is "Opt In". That means you have to allow cookies to be set. If there's no permission, there are no cookies as they are automatically blocked if consent isn't given.
All good!
In this update, there's a lot to cover. First, if you visit the main website, you have no doubt seen the Parlor's new cookie banner. Hey, it's color coordinated, y'all!
Anyway.
In time, this blog might also have a cookie banner if it doesn't already. I'm going to post below the update from the main website's Home page. Also, instead of adding links to this post, I'm going to direct your attention to the column to your right on this blog. Scroll down a bit, and you will see a small graphic that says "The Parlor on Tripod Lycos". That is a link that will take you to the Parlor's main website. There is a link to it in the Files on the Mayfair Witches menu above, as well.
If you are on the main website, you will not see the feed that was on the Home page previously (it is in the Updates archive, though). However, you will find a link to this blog in the main navigation menu at the top of every page of the Parlor. The link will open in a new tab and take you straight to this blog.
Though this is detailed in the update, again, you will also see a link to each of the Parlor's social media platforms in the main navigation menu of the website. These links are there whether or not the Parlor has content on it. I have also restored share links to this blog. If you do decide to use the share buttons, please use them responsibly.
Here is the update from the Parlor's main website:
October 27, 2024
Things are a bit crazy around here. The process of setting up the Parlor's cookie banner--or setting up a cookie banner to comply with GDPR requirements at all--is a bit tedious. However, it's not hard to see why this is a good idea.
Anything that is to protect users and their privacy online is worth the headache(s).
At the moment, I have no clue if I'm talking to actual people or a bunch of computers. Still, I wanted to take a moment to explain a bit about what's been going on. I really hope I can get back to focusing on the actual purpose of the Parlor very soon.
Several hours later...
When you first land on this home page, you will see the Parlor's cookie consent banner. This is provided by the consentmanager, which is always on. Everything else is there according to what the Parlor itself or its web host (Lycos) has put in place. Everything on that list is set up to default to Opt-In. That means each on this list will not set cookies unless you specifically allow it.
The good news is, if you don't allow the cookie, the cookie remains automatically blocked.
This keeps the Parlor GDPR-compliant, but the Parlor has applied this cookie banner to function this way worldwide.
On this home page, and on everyone's favorite page, Inside First Street (should I just make that the home page?!), you will see an additional box set. These will appear on embedded content from the Parlor's social media platforms, and this content is put in place by the Parlor only. These boxes (they match the cookie banner, which in turn matches the Parlor's color theme--not important, but it's pretty nifty that I was able to make it match) will allow you to decide if you want to allow the platform's cookies on a "one time only" basis (just enough to see that particular embedded content), or allow it in the settings. Allowing it in the settings means if you come across another embedded post from the same platform, for example, Instagram, you'll be able to see it instead of having to accept on a post-by-post basis. However, this is not something done often on the Parlor anymore, so you won't see these boxes strewn across multiple pages of the Parlor.
To go directly to the Parlor's social media platforms, you can do that, as well. Added to the main navigation menu are direct links to each of the Parlor's platforms (whether they have content or not). The Parlor's social media platforms will open in a new tab. You will find links for TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and the Parlor blog. The Parlor blog is where updates like this usually go, but for now, I am putting this on the Home page. The Home page is also where I typically prefer to put any embedded content, but only in the context of an update on a temporary basis. This will likely be moved to the the Parlor's Guidelines section at some point in case new guests have questions, most likely on the Privacy Policy. A link to the Parlor's Privacy Policy page is provided in the cookie consent banner at the bottom, beneath the buttons.
Elsewhere, to further help prevent unwanted third-party detritus, the Parlor uses https:// links. If a link is http only (I left the colon and slashes out on purpose for this post), you will need to copy and paste the link into your browser manually. Throughout the website, every link that has an https:// version has been updated.
Why all of this effort?
It is not always easy to tell how much traffic--real traffic, not automated trash--a website like this truly gets. It's even more confusing when different sources give different results. However, there are things that can tell us as website owners that we do have guests in our individual corners of the Internet. However much or little that actually is, each and every guest of the Parlor has the right to privacy.
The Mayfair Witches Parlor is a US-based website with both myself and its server in the US. However, this is the Internet. The Parlor has guests throughout the world, including in the European Union. Wherever you are in the world, the Parlor is determined to help make sure your privacy is protected throughout your visit.
I'll bet Mona Mayfair would have had a blast setting this up!