Yes, there is some personal data I collect to run this site efficiently
Tools for Creators is actively trying to avoid collecting personal data.
But there are three things I want to mention here:
...not in the sketchy way. I don't track your IP address, nor your browser, nor your operating system. I only track information that does not let me identify you whatsoever.
How? By using a privacy-focussed & self-hosted analytics tool - Plausible. You can view the data we collect right here.
The reason I track visitors on this site is quite simple: it gives me feedback on what works and what doesn't. I want to understand what you as a creator get the most value from and that works best if I have data at hand. Yet, I still want to stick to the principle of "less is more".
On our Submit page you have the possibility to submit a tool you think should be added to Tools for Creators. By submitting a tool, you are sending all the information you entered to a server hosted by Microsoft Azure.
This server processes your data and sends it onwards to a third party: Airtable. Airtable is a cloud service that I use to store data published on this site. The tables that host the data you submit through the form are private and not accessible by anyone apart from myself.
Once the tool you have submitted is published on this site, I will contact you through the email address you provided, to let you know that the tool has been published. After this, your personal data will be deleted from Airtable.
Please note that the Microsoft Azure server is hosted within the European Union, however Microsoft is a US-based company. Airtable is also a US-based company and also operates servers outside of the European Union.
Tools for Creators should be free for you as a creator. I don't want to charge you for using this website. But, I cannot deny that running this service comes with some costs and is part of my portfolio of income streams.
Thus, some of the tools on this website use affiliate links. These links are clearly marked with an asterisk (*) whenever I use them.
When I select the tools I share on this site, I do not select them based on whether they have an affiliate program or not. I also make sure that there are no extra costs involved for you, when signing up through my affiliate links. In fact, sometimes I even get better deals for you through them.
But, back to the privacy part: I cannot guarantee that you will not be tracked by any third party when clicking a link – be it an affiliate link or not. However, if you want to browse safely, I can highly recommend Brave as a web browser.