Chris Ducker

Expert Business Growth, Virtual Staffing & Personal Branding

  • Mastermind
  • Coaching
  • Speaking
  • Books
  • Blog
  • About
  • About
  • Speaking
  • Coaching
  • Conference
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Tools
  • Contact

5 Secrets to Controlling Technology (and not letting IT control YOU!)

March 20, 2012 by Chris 10 Comments

Note from Chris: I’m in the process of preparing for back surgery (thanks to all of you who have sent ‘good luck’ messages), so today I’d like to hand over the blog to the very capable and informative friend of mine, Phil Montero from The Anywhere Office. In today’s guest post, Phil (pictured, left) will provide answers to a few frequently asked questions about common pitfalls of a digital workplace. Something that, as new-age entrepreneurs, we must always pay attention.

Over to Phil…

Information Overload

Q: As mobile technology has transformed business and the workplace in the past few years, is information overload now a concern for businesses and their employees?

A: Yes information overload is a concern as we are exposed to much more information than ever before.  Email, blogs, podcasts, social media, video, TV, newspapers, and other media can make it hard to keep up. It used to be there was a much smaller pool of information and it was mostly consumed in the workplace – but with today’s mobile tools we can access and consume this information from pretty much anywhere.

It is an advantage but it can also be a challenge to know when and how to turn it off and take a break without getting overwhelmed.

Hardware Convergence

Q: In terms of hardware we use multiple devices including laptops, cell phone, work computer, tablet, etc, and online people increasingly have several email accounts, twitter, facebook and so on –  do you see this trend for multiplicity increasing in the years ahead, or would you expect them to converge and simplify – i.e. one piece of hardware to do everything, a unified online persona?

A: I see a form of convergence already taking place today.  Many people use a laptop, but also a tablet or smartphone to access the same information when they are mobile.  Thanks to cloud computing and the increasing inter-connectivity of software and applications there is already a lot of convergence.  For example, I have helped clients move their calendars, mail, and document collaboration to the cloud allowing them to use any device they have to access that information without duplicating documents or messages.  It is also becoming more common for a single programs to allow you to interact with Facebook, linkedin, twitter, and other social media sites.

RSS tools (like Google Reader for instance) make it easy to share information you find on any social media service, via email, or to programs like Evernote.  I think there will always be multiple services but the hardware, software and services we use will increasingly allow you to combine that information into one central place or interface.

Timezones and Communication

Q: In a global workplace, do you think working evenings and weekends – especially to communicate between different timezones, is simply the reality now?

Yes, I do feel a reality of our more global workplace is workshifting – working from different locations and times.  Smart companies will embrace this by allowing their employees greater flexibility in where and when they work.  At first you might think having to work on an evening or a weekend means you never get to unplug and are simply working more, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Many companies are embracing what they call ROWE (a Results Only Work Environment), which essentially means your work hours are much more under your control provided the work gets done (your work is measured on deliverables rather than a set number of hours you work).  With that type of philosophy, someone who needs to work during the night or on a weekend might not be working during the day so they can spend time with their family or pursue other personal development goals they have.

With the mobile tools and access to information we have today it’s possible to have a greater level or “work life integration”.  You might do a bit of work during a vacation but in turn that might be a vacation you couldn’t have taken in the past because of that work. It is a new form of “work life balance” that I think has a greater fit with the way work happens today.

24/7 Contact

Q: How can firms ensure their staff are not put under more pressure from tools that are supposed to make their lives easier?

A: Companies can discuss what are on/off times for employees and respect that time.  Just because you can send or reply to an email anytime doesn’t mean you should be expected to.  I think setting up acceptable and open communications guidelines (i.e. turnaround time for voicemail/email, what times/days are you expect to be accessible) can go a long way toward knowing when it’s OK to turn off or unplug from your mobile work tools. Granted, there may be certain times during important projects that exceptions need to be made, but it’s important for these guidelines to be setup and respected.

Digital Disruptions

Q: What can individual business people do to sort their communication technology so they are not disturbed by non-essential or untimely interruptions?

One key to managing your communication technology is knowing how to use it.  For example, with smartphones there are ways to turn off audible or visible notifications during times when you don’t want to be interrupted by them.  On a weekend, or at night, do you really need to be alerted every time a new email arrives in your inbox?  Someone else on your team might be working at that time but it doesn’t mean you need that notification right away.  Part of your communication guidelines is not only setting up expected turnaround times for different forms of communication but also a priority level.  So, for example, you might decide that voice calls are used for priority messages versus email or IM.  That allows your team members and employees to “turn off” their email or IM during non-essential times, knowing that if something really important turns up they can still be reached.

The communication guidelines need to be discussed and preferably decided on as a group.  They also need to be clear and open so that everyone understands and abides by them.

Chris: This article is seriously important to digest. There’s a lot of great stuff in here. I particularly liked Phil’s points on managing email, which I’ve gone into quite a bit of depth about before and the importance of work/life balance, too. 

One thing is for sure, the importance of technology in business isn’t going to start slow down, if anything, we’re going to be more tech-savvy and sexy than ever in the coming years. However, as business owners and entrepreneurs that are wanting to remain (or even just become!) uber successful, its important that we appreciate technology and what it can do for us, but not become bogged down (or even slowed down!) by it. Switch off for a while, peeps. Enjoy the view – wherever you may be.

My thanks to Phil for a great guest post submission, and please feel free to post your own views on the subject, along with any stories, ideas and resources that you feel are relevant to what we’re all trying to achieve in our lives.

How to Maximize Your Entrepreneurial Day, Easily and Quickly!

November 21, 2011 by Chris 45 Comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgt82_PVdTU

I was driving to the office this morning and shot this quick video on the hop, as they say – but, I think the content brings up a serious point…

As entrepreneurs, we ALL do things differently, right?! What works for me, might not work for you, and vice-versa. That’s what makes this entrepreneurial world that we live in so remarkable and outstanding.

I enjoy making people smile… Shortly after filming this clip, I popped into Starbucks to get coffee for a couple of my managers, one of which tweeted a thank you (below) message. She was so happy, that she forgot how to spell ‘christmas’ (I assure you, her written English is spotless – unless infused with a free Starbucks treat!). Its awesome to think that this employee has been with me for 3+ years, has grown her career with my company and recently brought yet another Live2Sell Family member into the world!

What a way to begin not only my day, but my week – one of which, I can only assume, as I always do, will be awesome! It’s this mindset that I have that I know for a FACT has something to do with the way I am so productive, and therefore enable myself to be highly productive, in an increasingly ‘noisey’ entrepreneurial world.

What do you do to get started every day? Let us know below, maybe we’ll pick up some cool ideas from each other!

Are YOU a True Entrepreneur..?

January 14, 2011 by Chris 16 Comments

Are You are Real Entrepreneur?

The following is a Guest Post by Stuart Mills of UnlockTheDoor.net

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell

A lot of people love The Simpsons. I sure do. But would we turn to them if we need serious advice? Would we turn to Apu and his Kwik-E-Mart for entrepreneurial advice? I wouldn’t; the poor man works 23 hours a day, and has too many kids to count. He’s the dictionary definition of stress.

So who can we turn to? A lot of people want to start up their own businesses because they hate working ‘under’ someone, but when they finally start a business, they quickly sink because they aren’t sure what they’re doing. They’re missing something. They aren’t true entrepreneurs.

Three Questions

You want to be free from your boss, right? Live the entrepreneurial lifestyle. Well this leads back to the title, “Are you a true entrepreneur…?”

Ask yourself these three questions, and let’s find out.

1. Do you find yourself daydreaming of a glorious future for yourself and others?

In other words, can you see your business empire in detail, even if you haven’t started? Can you see yourself as a millionaire, multi-millionaire, or even billionaire, whilst still helping others? Can you reach your goals?

2. Can you adapt yourselves easily to change?

Can you deal with the many, inevitable setbacks that WILL occur? Can you change your strategy if the need arises? Can you drop something that just isn’t working, even if you truly, deeply love it?

3. Do you see yourself as someone who can inspire and lead others?

Can you inspire others to believe in your dreams? Will you convince them to give up their time and efforts for your cause? Could you keep their support through the rough times?

I hope I haven’t scared you off with these questions. The truth is, even those wildly successful entrepreneurs can’t always give positive answers to these questions. No-one is perfect.

And even if you said “no” to any of these questions, it doesn’t matter. Actually, even if you said “no” to all three questions, it doesn’t matter. Why? Because these questions are about traits that you can develop with practice and experience.

We can all reach the level where we can say “yes!” to all three questions. After all, you can’t climb a mountain until you’ve walked up a hill.

Four Attributes

Having said that, it’s essential to have a plan to becoming a true entrepreneur. If you’re going to be a leader and inspire others, even in stormy weather, then you’ll need to develop some attributes. Some ‘true entrepreneur’ attributes. Here they are:

Risk Taking

An entrepreneur doesn’t get where they want to go by doing the same things day after day, week after week. They take risks, they stretch themselves.

I remember hearing Lord Alan Sugar, of The Apprentice, talk about how he took risks when he was small, once using half of his life savings to buy equipment for his Amstrad business. He took risks, and by doing so he shown that he was a true entrepreneur, even if it wouldn’t have paid off.

How can you take risks? It’s simple, you only have to change one thing. Put your fear aside. That’s it. Move your fear out of the fore-front of your mind when you’re faced with a risk, and just go for it. If you think it’ll work, do it. If it works, brilliant! But if it doesn’t work, don’t let that deter you from the next potential risk. No two risks are the same.

Passion

James Dyson has a passion for vacuum cleaners. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have passions for technology. Walt Disney had a passion for cartoons. Every true entrepreneur out there has a passion for something, and I bet you, that something is what they’re in business for.

If you want to be highly successful, if you want to be a true entrepreneur, then you need to have a passion. It’s passion that will keep you going when everyone else has deserted you. It’s passion that will fire you up to work that extra hour or three to finish an important project. Passion is essential.

How do you find passion? You don’t. Your passion has already been set, even if you don’t know what it is yet. Do what you love to do, that’s your passion. And if you know your true passion, then what are you waiting for? Put it to use in business! With technology today, there’s a business for everything. No matter what your passion is, you can make an income out of it.

Tough Skin

Everyone needs a tough skin. Entrepreneurial types, too. Everyone needs the skin of a rhino to help them charge through obstacle after obstacle. If you don’t have tough skin, then how can you expect to get anywhere that is worth going to? Having a tough skin will not only help you survive the many blows that’ll come your way, but it’ll also send a message out to everyone that can see. That message will say: “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to stay.”

How can you develop thick skin? I used to have thin skin, but I developed a thick skin when I realised that other people don’t have your best interests in mind. They aren’t going to clear the road ahead for you. If you want to do something, then YOU must make it happen.

And by doing the hard work, a tough skin will come naturally. Scratches and knocks will come, but they won’t get you down, they’ll only harden you up. If you have the passion, as mentioned earlier, then your skin will toughen up almost magically.

Discipline

This attribute is perhaps most important, because even if you have the previous three in abundance, they won’t matter one jot if you don’t have discipline.

Discipline is the backbone of your business, the supporting pillars. It’s so important to be disciplined throughout your days, as everyone will be looking to you. If you don’t behave the way you want others to behave, why should they?

You can develop discipline, that entrepreneur mindset, even with baby steps, by being consistent. The key is to be consistent. It’s far better to spend 7 days in a row on small improvements, then spend just 2 days in a week on massive improvements. I say this because, otherwise, you won’t grow. You’ll just have growth spurts, then return to where you were before.

With consistent discipline, your business will climb mountains, one step at a time.

Finally…

Everyone can become a entrepreneur, because everyone already IS a entrepreneur.

If you can nurture your spirits and your dreams by developing these four attributes, and if you keep asking yourself these three questions on a consistent basis, then you can achieve whatever you want. Because that’s the secret of a true entrepreneur; they already know they can do it.

Phew!

I’d like to thank Chris for offering me the chance to write for his amazing website. He does a lot of exceptional work on forging your entrepreneurial path, and I wish him the best.

And for reading this post, I thank you! 🙂

[Chris Here! And, thank you, Stuart for writing such a great guest post. You’re bang-on, my man – anyone and everyone can become an entrepreneur. It all comes down to passion, having the right attitude, being innovative and to become ultra-successful – a little bit of good old fashioned luck! Thanks for contributing, bud. If you would like to be featured on the VBL Blog as part of our Guest Post Friday series of authors, feel free to let me know!]

How to Take Charge of Your OWN Virtual Lifestyle!

October 26, 2010 by Chris 14 Comments

Virtual Lifestyle

This guest post by Yolanda A. Facio is part of the VBL Guest Post Month!

It sounds exciting…sitting on the beach with a fruity exotic umbrella drink and tapping away at the keyboard of your laptop, waves crashing 5 feet away, mmmmmmmmm.

Sounds great!  But it also sounds very, very far away…

I’m here to tell you it isn’t that far away and to help you change your perception about what being “virtual” really means….

READ POST

Entrepreneurs: How’s Your Karma?

October 13, 2010 by Chris 19 Comments

Guest post by Adrian Swinscoe

This guest post by Adrian Swinscoe is part of the VBL Guest Post Month!

Many of you will be familiar with the concept of karma. According to karma theory, every action has a consequence and good acts will have positive results and bad acts will produce negative results. In more common terms, karma is explained by various sayings like:

…

READ POST

Going the Cheap Route and Learning along the Way: How NOT to Hire Virtual Staff!

October 4, 2010 by Chris 41 Comments

Guest post by Jaime Tardy

This guest post by Jaime Tardy is part of the VBL Guest Post Month!

I only work 20 hours per week. Recently, I thought a virtual assistant could push my business forward faster. I coach local entrepreneurs but wanted to branch out online. I wanted to find a virtual assistant that was computer savvy and could help me grow my audience online. I hired my first Virtual Assistant this past May.

…

READ POST

Entrepreneurial Lifestyle Design – Be Your Own Boss and Much More!

September 16, 2010 by Chris 47 Comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ov_ERjPpQ4

I’ve been an entrepreneur, my own boss, for close to 10 years now. Living an entrepreneurial lifestyle isn’t as easy, however, as a lot of people think it is. Sure, you have the freedom to do what you want, when you want, with who you want and to work on whatever you like, whenever you like – but, there is more to it.

…

READ POST

August 2010 “Virtual CEO Goal” Monthly Report

September 4, 2010 by Chris 13 Comments

 

Virtual CEO - Chris Ducker's August Monthly Report

My desk at the Live2Sell Group HQ – Yes, the one I want to give away!

Location: Home Office – Reading Time: 6mins

Number of Days in the Office: 13, Total Number of Employees: 213

So, here we go with another monthly round-up as I get closer and closer to approaching my end of year goal, and becoming that (hopefully) full-time Virtual CEO. First up, I spent considerably less time in the office this past month, which is great. This wasn’t actually down to me making sure I did this, however, it simply ‘just happened’ as I have been focusing on different projects and have been working more from home to stay focused throughout the ‘creative’ stage on things.

The biggest part of August was the launch my of Virtual Staff Finder service. For a full run-down on the service and its features, you can visit the seperate website, or read my full launch post here on the blog.

We were, frankly, blown away with the response and I have been up to my eyeballs in consultation calls over the last couple of weeks. As we launched the service to the VBL subscriber list only we expected a certain number of people to sign-up, but saw a lot more sign-up’s than we anticipated. So far, so good… with over 20 virtual assistants already deployed to entrepreneurs around the world, through the service.

Although this is not 100% ‘passive’ income, it is to a certain degree. Meaning, nothing actually takes place until someone sign’s up and pays for the service. At that point, myself and my team work on things. I must say, I have enjoyed coming back from dinner and from being out on the weekend, to see emails from Paypal…!

Other going-on’s this month included:

  • Two new client sign-up’s.
  • Expansion on our sales and marketing team.
  • Promoted 3 members of staff to mid-management level.
  • I enjoyed spending time with a good friend that came into town from the UK.
  • Finally found my Eskrima teacher, and a Grand Master, no less (more on this in a future post!).
  • My Son is now a full-blown bodyguard for his Mommy, not even letting me get a little hug-time in!
  • I’ve started planning my first full-blown online product, too.

We also surpassed our target of 1,000 RSS subscribers here at the blog, too (at the time of writing this report we are around 1,020, I believe). Thanks to all the subscribers and if you haven’t added us to your reader yet, please do so, to make sure you never miss an update on the blog. Be sure to also join us on Facebook and follow me on Twitter, too.

Virtual Business Lifestyle Podcast

Another point to mention is that our iTunes Podcast has grown from strength to strength, and has been featured very predominantly throughout the last month in the ‘Noteworthy’ section of the Business listing consistently. You’ll see in the above image that we’re featured along with Pat Flynn’s great new podcast, too.

So, a pretty strong month. Thanks to everyone for their continued support on these reports. They won’t last forever, in terms of the current format anyway, and I do enjoy reading the feedback from you all, very much so. See you on the next post!

4 Ways to Manage Your Healthy Lifestyle Like a Virtual CEO

May 19, 2010 by Chris 43 Comments

Location: Company HQ – Reading Time: 5mins

I’m very happy to post this excellent Guest Post by Matt Gartland of HealthyLifestyleDesign.com. Matt comes to the VBL table with some great concepts and ideas on embracing lifestyle design, with the focus on health, more then anything else.

Many people believe that business is boring. These are the same folks that work gloomy 9-5 jobs, believe that meetings are sacred, and are addicted to bureaucratic procedures. Haunting images of Dilbert, Office Space, and The Office come to mind.

These same people believe that health is boring. They are apathetic about their food choices, believe that exercise is stressful, and are surprisingly “too busy” to get healthy. Of course, they think that “healthy” is a straight-jacket restraining personal freedom, indulgence, and fun.

But that’s not you. That’s not me. We don’t settle for conventional wisdom’s. We think and act differently. We design our lives the way we want them. And in so doing, we’ve come to learn that one aspect of our life profoundly influences the next.

And so it is with business and health. The same mindset applies to optimizing both. This may not be obvious on the surface. But half-truths live at the surface. True meaning lies deeper. So let’s dive in and discover the ways you can manage your healthy life just like your virtual business.

…

READ POST

Why Beating Entrepreneurial Burnout is More Important than EVER!

May 10, 2010 by Chris 21 Comments

You must have gone through that stage in your life where you felt totally drained and exhausted. You’re almost there at the top. Your mind tells you to keep on going, but your body is too weak. You are physically and emotionally drained. You’re absolutely knackered and you feel totally helpless. Welcome, my friends, to burnout.

So, how do you beat burnout and get your life back on track?

First up, slow down and take stock of your life. You’re exerting too much of your energy and time working, but a lot of this energy actually goes to waste. It’s a fact that nobody is truly ‘productive’ after around nine hours of work in a day. So, pulling those huge fourteen hour work days is a) just plain crazy and b) pretty much a waste of time. You may not realize it, but a lot of the tasks that you perform, as a business owner, are actually unnecessary and your multitasking doesn’t make you more productive, as you think it might.

Working long, late hours doesn’t help at all. The main reason behind this is because it will fundamentally play havoc with your sleeping patterns. Depriving yourself of sleep has serious consequences. It’s time to change that bad habit of working late into the night until you tire yourself out. It takes conscious effort to get enough sleep every day, but you’ll eventually develop that good habit. Although you’ll have to work on it.

Why I Used to Work 300 Hours a Month!

I remember when I first set up my company, I would pull 13-14 hour days like they were a regular requirement. After all, I was the captain of the ship, and had to make sure that I was busting my balls each day to catapult the company to where I wanted it to be. However, when I sat down and calculated that I had worked close to 300 hours one month, it was like a light bulb went off above my head! Also remember the wisdom behind Tim Ferriss’ 4 Hour Work Week. So talk about a wake-up call (sleep – wake-up call, get it!?). I forced myself into a sleeping cycle that took around 3 weeks and 5mg of melatonin each night to finally level-out and feel ‘natural’ again.

Ask yourself if your goals are realistic and achievable? The pressure of setting yourself a goal and focusing on achieving it can lead anyone to burnout – especially if it’s not achievable within a reasonable time period. Break down your goal into small, but achievable units and work your way up slowly, but surely. Put it in black and white to help you keep track of your progress. Sooner or later, the goal will be achieved and you can move on to the next one.

Start to Achieve Work / Life Balance!

As busy entrepreneurs, its hard sometimes to not let yourself get burned out by letting your work affect your daily living. Achieve work-life balance and avoid burnout by establishing a clear boundary between your work and daily living. The reason why the Virtual Business Lifestyle is so achievable is because it gives you the chance to separate different locations from work and relaxation, etc.

Last tip – exercise. Physical activity is a great way to channel out excess energy. So, instead of picking up a copy of Fitness Monthly or Women’s Health, reading it and saying “I must get around to that, but I don’t have the time…”, MAKE THE TIME! You have to.

In closing burnout is a drag on anyone’s life, especially if that someone is the person in charge of running a small, but growing ship. You cannot expect the ship to sail safely and gradually pick up speed if the captain is too tired to focus on the horizon properly.

Have an awesome, productive, but above all, enjoyable week ahead everyone!

  • 1
  • 2
  • NEXT

Free Ebook

Personal Branding Roadmap

You’re just 10 steps away from your own powerful personal brand business!

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE NOW

Motivational Coach

Motivational

Coach

WORK WITH ME

Book Chris to Speak

BOOK CHRIS TO SPEAK

Visit Youpreneur

The Business of You!

YOUPRENEUR

VISIT YOUPRENEUR.COM

Footer Logo


Chris is a serial entrepreneur and highly regarded as THE authority on the subject of building a profitable personal brand business. 

MUST SEE

  • Mastermind
  • Coaching
  • Blog
  • Resources

ABOUT CHRIS

  • The Journey
  • The Books
  • Keynote Speaking
  • Virtual Staff Finder

YOUPRENEUR®

  • The Incubator Program
  • The Academy Course
  • Youpreneur FM Podcast
  • Rise of the Youpreneur

LEGAL INFO

  • Earnings Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Social Menu

  • © Chris Ducker & 4C Media Limited
  • All Rights Reserved
  • Who Designed This Website?
This website uses cookies to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Privacy Policy

Who are we?

Our website address is: https://chrisducker.com, a site owned and operated by Chris Ducker & 4C Media Limited.

What personal data we collect and why we collect it

Comments – When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media – If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Cookies

If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.

If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Analytics

How long we retain your data – If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

What rights you have over your data – If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Where we send your data – Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.