I enjoy a good cookie, particularly the slightly squidgy ones with huge chunks of chocolate in. Sadly, this isn’t about highly-calorific comestibles, but about information this site will store in your browser.
The Register published a rather helpful article on the impending deadline for UK sites to conform to the new EU ePrivacy Directive (a thoroughly riveting read), which prompted me to get with the programme. You probably saw the notice pop up when you first visited the site.
This is what The Register has to say:
The ePrivacy Directive makes it clear that the storing and slurping of data on an individual web surfer’s computer is only lawful “on condition that the subscriber or user concerned has given his or her consent, having been provided with clear and comprehensive information … about the purposes of the processing”.
Furthermore, that consent needs to be granted explicitly and must be unambiguous.
So I’m now using the WordPress plugin EU Cookie Directive to pop up a message requesting your consent to use cookies and I’ve prepared a little page to help you find out more about how this site uses cookies.
It is rather ironic that this opt-in preference is then itself stored in a cookie, but there you go.
Also, if you’re like me and clear your browser cookies automatically on browser shutdown, then that pop-up message may get annoying. Sorry about that, feel free to vent your anger in the comments.