Effective September 3, 2026

Privacy policy

This policy explains what information Ruin This Website processes when you take part in the shared web experiment, why it is needed, and what choices you have.

Information needed to operate the experiment

When you connect, the server receives standard request information such as your IP address, user agent, requested URL, and request time. This information is used to deliver the site, maintain security, diagnose failures, and operate the shared visit counter and live connection state.

Your IP address may be checked locally against a MaxMind GeoLite2 Country database to derive an approximate country code for the public activity feed. The site does not publish your IP address or a precise location. Developer-allowlisted and unresolved addresses use a generic globe marker.

Browser storage

The site stores a randomly generated visitor identifier in local storage. It is used to recognize your own recent activity in your browser and is not displayed to other visitors. Local storage also remembers your light or dark theme and your analytics choice.

Live state and retention

Visit events include a time, visit number, approximate country code when available, and the resulting visual change. Only the 50 most recent events are kept in the current server process. The current implementation stores incarnation state in memory, so this information is cleared when the application restarts. Operational server logs may be retained by the hosting environment for security and troubleshooting.

Optional Google Analytics

Google Analytics is loaded only after you select “Allow” in the consent banner. It helps measure visits and understand how people find and use the experiment. If you decline, the site records that preference and does not initialize Google Analytics. You can change your choice by clearing this site’s local storage and revisiting the page.

Google may process information such as device and browser details, approximate location, pages viewed, and identifiers according to its own policies. Learn how Google uses information from sites that use its services and review the Google Privacy Policy.

Advertising

Google-served advertisements are not currently displayed on the site. If advertising is introduced, this policy and the consent experience will be updated before ads are enabled. Google and other advertising vendors may use cookies, web beacons, IP addresses, or other identifiers to deliver, limit, personalize, and measure advertising where permitted by your choices and applicable law. Google provides controls for personalized advertising in Ads Settings.

Your choices

• Decline optional analytics in the consent banner.
• Clear local storage and cookies for this domain in your browser.
• Use browser controls or extensions to restrict third-party requests.
• Stop using the site; no account is required.

Contact and changes

Questions about this policy can be sent to hello@ruinthis.website. Material changes will be published on this page with a revised effective date.