Terms of Use
The rules for using this site, written plainly.
Last updated: August 15, 2026
What this service is
The Variables is an independent publication. These terms cover the website, the newsletter, reader accounts, and comments. Using the site means accepting them.
Accounts and comments
One account per person, registered to an address you control, because that is how account messages reach you. You can delete your account yourself from your account page: deletion removes your name and address and replaces your identity on any comments with "Deleted reader", and you may remove the text of those comments as well. You own what you write, and posting grants permission to display and store the comment alongside the article it belongs to, in any language that article appears in. Comments must not be abusive, unlawful, or promotional, and comments that break these standards may be hidden. A reader's first comment waits for review; after that they appear immediately, and you can remove your own from the menu on the comment.
Privacy: what is stored, and why
This section is the privacy policy, and it mirrors the database rather than describing an intention: if something is not named here, the site does not collect it. An account stores a name, an email address, and a preferred language; a newsletter subscription stores an address and a language; comments and likes are stored against the account that made them. Reading is counted without identifying anyone, as a view, a read-depth signal, and the referring domain, which is how decisions about what to publish get made. Server logs hold addresses and request lines briefly, to diagnose faults and to stop abuse. Email is used for the newsletter and for messages your account needs, such as confirming an address or resetting a password, and every newsletter carries a one-click unsubscribe link that does not delete your account. Your data is not sold, rented, or shared: there are no advertising networks, no third-party analytics, and no tracking cookies on this site.
Your rights, cookies, and how long things are kept
You can read and correct your name, address, and language on your account page, and delete your account there without asking anyone. Comments you left remain under "Deleted reader" unless you also remove their text, and the comment rows themselves are kept even then, because removing them outright would break the replies underneath. There are two cookies: access_token keeps you signed in and is dropped when you sign out, and tv-theme remembers whether you chose the light or the dark theme. Neither is used to track you, and there are no others. Account data is kept until you delete the account, newsletter addresses until you unsubscribe, reading counts in anonymous aggregate, and server logs briefly before they are discarded.
Who is responsible
The data controller is [DATA CONTROLLER], and requests about anything on this page reach them at [CONTACT ADDRESS]. Requests are answered within thirty days, and a request that is refused is refused in writing with the reason. Nothing here removes a right you hold under the consumer or data-protection law of the country you live in, and where that law and these terms conflict, that law wins.
Content, liability, and governing law
Articles, images, and the design of the site belong to The Variables or to the authors and rights holders credited; quoting with attribution and a link is welcome, and republishing whole articles needs permission. Authors keep copyright in their own work and license it to The Variables rather than assigning it. The site is provided as it is, and what is published here is analysis, not financial, legal, or professional advice. So far as the law allows, The Variables is not liable for losses arising from use of the site or from reliance on its contents. These terms are governed by the law of [JURISDICTION], and disputes go to the courts of [JURISDICTION].
Changes
These terms may change, and the date above records the last change. A change to what you agreed to, rather than a correction of wording, is announced in the newsletter before it takes effect. Continuing to use the site afterwards is acceptance of the revised terms.