Technology and I have a love-hate relationship. I love having access to shopping online, emailing my friends, sharing photos, checking the weather, reading blogs with great new ideas, recipes, projects ...
At the same time ...
I struggle with learning all the new things in technology and keeping up with changes. The internet is moving at light speed, making my head spin some days, as I try to keep my balance.
I hate getting multiple emails from companies bombarding my inbox to sell me something. I hate having to check for information from so many sources: US Mail, phone texts, personal email, business email, blog email, voice mail ...
📪 📫 📬 📠📮... ☎ ... 📲
I long for the days when all mail/messages showed up in ONE mailbox, leaning slightly sideways, on my country road or on my front porch in the city. Technology is my friend, but also my frustration.
📀 💻 📃 📄
AND I hate feeling like I have no control over my personal data.
How about you? Do you ever feel like BIG BROTHER is alive and well? If you don't know who Big Brother is, ask your grandparents.
Every now and then something comes along that is another love-hate aspect of technology.
Today, May 25, 2018, is one of those days when the love-hate relationship with technology is significant.
new 📋 new 📋
new 📋 new 📋 new 📋 new 📋
ne📋w📋📋📋📋📋📋📋📋📋📋
New Internet Policies For You AND Me
You probably have already received scads of notices from EVERYONE and their big brothers that they have a new Privacy Policy which you need to read and to approve before you can still be their friend. I cannot count the number of emails I have received with that news.
WHY? you say?
Enter the age of
GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION (GDPR)
The European Union's new GDPR goes into effect today, May 25, 2018. Why is there so much hoopla about a European law? I live in Kansas (... not really, I live in Texas, but some of you live in Kansas with Dorothy and ToTo.)
The aim of the law is to give citizens control over their personal data.
I'm all for that!
LOVE it.
GDPR requires internet entities to inform readers, subscribers, customers
1] how their data is collected and how it is used
2] a way actively to select to opt in when data is about to be collected
3] a way to contact internet entities
4] a way to have their data removed
5] a way to opt out (unsubscribe)
As a blogger who has readers in European Union countries, I have to implement the law on my blog. Uh-oh. HATE it. (Hate having to figure out the law, not hate that I have readers in European Union countries. No, I LOVE that.)
😨 😩 😪 😫 😱
More learning, more trying to figure this out. So confusing... do I really fall under this law? What parts of my blog are affected? How do I implement this?
R*O*C*K ✯ S*T*A*R
Breathe... calm down... I got this! I am a ROCK ✯ STAR after all (according to KariAnne of Thistlewood Farms... she tells all us all the time on her blog that we are ROCK STARS.)
Now that I am calm, I will tell you why I want to comply with the new GDPR, and then I will tell you how it affects my blog and you.
WHY comply?
- I think "it's a good thing." (Say it in your best Martha Stewart voice.) It may not be perfect; it may not be easy to implement; it is a good thing anyway. More control to individuals; less big brother.
- A society depends on its citizens to voluntarily comply with laws for the good of the group. Not because there is someone looking over our shoulder. The vast majority of us follow laws not because there are fines, jail time, or other penalties. No, for a society to work, citizens have to work together.
- I want you, my readers, to know you can count on me to do the best I can with everything, not just things I agree with, not with just the easy things. I want to be PROFESSIONAL, not a slackard who takes the easy way out. So you can trust me.
- I want to look in the mirror everyday and like who I am. Integrity ... even if no one else knows my actions, I do.
HOW does it affect you and my blog?
- I have a new Privacy Policy that complies with GDPR requirements. Please read it (especially if you need help falling asleep. 💤)
- I will change my email service provider in the coming days. You should not have to do anything to continue receiving my posts. However, there is always a possibility a glitch will occur (causing another HATE in my technology relationship.) According to information from Google and GDPR, my email service appears to comply with GDPR, but it looks like Google will not continue to support it with updates.
- To leave a comment, you must complete Word Verification to show you accept my Privacy Policy regarding comments. As soon as I can, I will change my Comment provider/format to comply completely with GDPR another way. Please accept my apologies for requiring Word Verification until a new Comment format is installed. (I HATE Word Verification ... I can never get it right the first time. Maybe they should offer me a math problem instead.)
- I will continue to review all parts of the new GDPR to make sure I comply.
- My blog is hosted by Google which complies with GDPR.
- I have a terrific blog technician who is helping update parts of my blog's code. LOVE her!
~~~~❦~~~~
Enough with HATE part of my technology relationship.
I LOVE ❦ writing Botanic Bleu and I LOVE ❦ my readers.
I hope we are still friends ... and you will leave comments with Word Verification. ❦
❦❦❦❦❦
