1. What Cookies Are
Cookies are small text files a website saves in your browser. Local storage is a similar feature that lets a site remember a setting on your device. In this policy, "cookies" covers both.
This policy explains which cookies openstackforge.ca uses, why, and how you can control them. It should be read with our Privacy Policy.
2. Cookies We Use
We keep cookies to a minimum. We use two kinds:
- Essential: needed for the site to work the way you expect, such as remembering your light or dark theme and protecting our forms from spam.
- Analytics: Google Analytics 4 cookies, loaded through Google Tag Manager, that help us see which pages are useful and whether visitors can reach us easily.
We do not use advertising, retargeting or social media tracking cookies.
3. Cookie List
| Name | Set by | Purpose | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
osf-theme (local storage) | Open Stack Forge | Remembers whether you chose light or dark mode. | Until you clear it |
osf-cookie-notice (local storage) | Open Stack Forge | Remembers that you dismissed the cookie notice, so it does not show on every page. | Until you clear it |
_ga | Google Analytics 4 | A random ID used to count visits from the same browser. | Up to 2 years |
_ga_<ID> | Google Analytics 4 | Keeps track of the current visit (session). | Up to 2 years |
| ScoreApp cookies | ScoreApp | Run the free online scorecard if you choose to use it. | Set by ScoreApp |
Google may change the exact names and lifetimes of its cookies. Google explains how it uses information from sites that use its services at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.
4. Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager
Google Analytics 4 tells us things like which pages were visited, how visitors found us, the type of device and browser used, and approximate location (city, region or country). It also records simple actions, such as sending our contact form or clicking our phone number. It does not receive what you type into our forms.
Google Tag Manager is a tool that loads Google Analytics on our pages. It does not set its own tracking cookies.
Google may process this information in the United States. See Section 10 of our Privacy Policy for more detail.
5. Third-Party Scorecard
Our free Software Cost & Flexibility scorecard is run by ScoreApp, a third-party service. If you open and use the scorecard, ScoreApp may set its own cookies under its own privacy and cookie policies. We do not control those cookies.
6. How to Control Cookies
- Browser settings: most browsers let you block or delete cookies and clear local storage. Look in your browser's privacy or security settings.
- Google Analytics opt-out: install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
- Content blockers: privacy-focused browsers and extensions can block analytics scripts.
Our site still works if you block cookies. Your theme choice may reset, and the cookie notice may appear again.
7. The Cookie Notice
When you first visit, we show a short notice explaining that we use cookies, with a link to this page. Selecting "Got it" hides the notice and saves that choice in your browser's local storage, so we do not show it again. The notice does not change which cookies are set; use the options in Section 6 to control them.
8. Changes and Contact
We may update this policy when our website or the services we use change. We will post the new version here and update the date at the top.
Questions about cookies or privacy? Email privacy@openstackforge.ca. For anything else, contact info@openstackforge.ca or call 902-706-8753.
Operational Notice: This Cookie Policy describes how our website works today. It is a plain-language operating document, not legal advice. We recommend having a qualified legal professional review it periodically.