Privacy Policy

The GearBoxx is operated by Xtego Creative, LLC ("we," "us," or "our") at thegearboxx.com. This policy describes what we collect, how we use it, and what choices you have.

The short version

We do not collect personal information beyond self-hosted web analytics (page views, referrers, anonymized IPs). We do not sell or rent your information. We do not run an email list. The site uses affiliate and referral links, which set cookies on the destination site (Gusto, Amazon, etc.) when you click through. See the affiliate disclosure for details on how affiliate links work.

What we collect

Analytics. We use Matomo, a self-hosted, privacy-respecting analytics platform that runs on our own infrastructure (analytics.xtego.cloud). Matomo helps us understand which articles are useful to readers. The data Matomo receives includes anonymized IP address, country, browser, device type, the page you visited, the page that referred you to us, and outbound link clicks. We do not collect your name, email, or any other identifying information through analytics. The data is not shared with Google, Meta, or any third-party advertising network.

Server logs. Our hosting provider keeps standard access logs (IP address, timestamp, requested URL) for operational and security purposes. These are not used for marketing.

Affiliate / referral cookies.When you click an affiliate or referral link on this site (for example, the Gusto referral link or an Amazon Associates link), the destination site sets a cookie that lets them attribute the referral to us. We do not see the contents of those cookies. The destination site's privacy policy governs that cookie's use.

What we don't collect

We do not currently run an email newsletter, contact form, comment system, or user accounts on this site. If that changes, this policy will be updated and the change will be visible at the top of the page.

How we use the information

Analytics data is used to understand which articles are valuable to readers and to improve the publication. Server logs are used to keep the site online and secure. We do not use any of this data to target you with advertising on other websites.

Third-party services

• Matomo for self-hosted analytics, running on our own server. Data does not leave our infrastructure. Matomo's privacy practices are described at matomo.org/privacy.
• Affiliate networkswe participate in: Amazon Associates, Gusto's referral program, and others where individually disclosed on the relevant article. Each network has its own privacy practices governing the cookies set when you click through.
• Hosting provider (currently Enhance Cloud Panel) for serving the site. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies.

Your choices

Opt out of analytics.Matomo respects the browser-level "Do Not Track" setting and the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal. You can also use any standard ad blocker or content blocker; Matomo's tracker is widely recognized and blocked by default in most privacy-focused tools.

Block affiliate cookies.Use a browser's tracking protection (Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention, Firefox Enhanced Tracking Protection) or an ad blocker. Note that blocking affiliate cookies means a sign-up will not credit a referral to us, but the underlying product or service still works normally.

Children

This site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Changes to this policy

We will update this policy when our data practices change. The "last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent change. Material changes will be noted at the top of the page for at least 30 days.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Reach Curtis at curtis@xtego.com.