Cookie notice
Last updated: 8 August 2026
This page describes how Pen Drift (pendrift.pro) uses cookies and similar browser storage. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a site. They are not programs. They cannot read other files on your computer. They are simply a way for a website to remember a choice or setting between visits.
Pen Drift uses few cookies compared with commercial sites. There are no advertising cookies, no social media trackers, and no analytics cookies that follow you across the internet. What exists is listed in the register below, together with purpose and duration.
Cookie register
| Name | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| pd_consent | Stores your cookie consent choices as JSON: essential (always true), preferences (quiet reading on/off allowed), embeds (Google Maps allowed or blocked). Set when you click Accept, Reject, or Save on the banner. | 180 days (approximately six months) | First-party, consent |
| pd_read | Stores quiet reading mode preference (on or off) when you enable the reading toggle and have accepted preference cookies. Not set if you reject preferences. | 180 days while preferences remain allowed; deleted if you reject preferences or withdraw consent | First-party, preference |
Essential operation
Serving pages does not require pd_consent or pd_read. Those cookies exist to remember choices you make about optional features. Strictly speaking, the site could run without any cookies at all if you never clicked the banner — but then every visit would ask again, and embeds would load by default, which is not what I want.
How consent works
When you first visit, a banner at the bottom of the screen explains that cookies may be used and offers three paths: Accept all, Reject non-essential, or Customise. Accepting all enables pd_consent with preferences and embeds set to true, and allows pd_read when you use the quiet reading toggle. Rejecting non-essential sets pd_consent with preferences and embeds false; pd_read is not set. Customise lets you tick preferences and embeds independently before saving.
Essential in the consent object always remains true because the consent record itself is necessary to honour your choice. That is not a trick — it is how the site knows whether you rejected embeds.
Google Maps embed
The find me page includes an iframe that loads a map from Google Maps when embeds are allowed. Google may set its own cookies and collect data under Google's privacy policy. I do not control those cookies. They are third-party. If you reject embeds, the iframe does not load; you see a placeholder and may load the map once for that session without changing saved consent. The map shows the area around Simei MRT Station to help orient readers who wish to visit the neighbourhood or understand where notes are written from. It is not required to read the blog.
Withdrawing consent
Footer links labelled "Change cookie settings" reopen the banner panel. "Withdraw consent" deletes pd_consent and pd_read, removes quiet reading mode, blocks embeds again, and shows the banner as if you were a new visitor. You may also delete cookies manually through your browser settings. Instructions vary by browser; search "clear cookies" plus your browser name if needed.
Reading preference without cookies
Quiet reading mode changes typography contrast for comfort. If you reject preference cookies, the toggle may still change appearance for your current visit, but the choice will not persist — and a small notice on the writer page explains that preference was not saved. This is intentional: storing a preference without consent would violate the approach described on the privacy page.
Browser storage beyond cookies
Pen Drift does not use localStorage or sessionStorage for tracking. The consent script keeps a temporary in-memory flag if you choose "Show the map just for this visit" so the Google Maps iframe can load once without rewriting your saved embed preference. That flag disappears when you close the tab. It is not sent to my server.
Third-party cookies from Google
When embeds are allowed and the map loads, Google may set cookies such as NID or CONSENT on the google.com domain. Those cookies are outside my register because I do not set them. You can block third-party cookies in your browser settings if you wish to prevent them entirely, though some browsers already restrict third-party cookies by default. Rejecting embeds on this site is the simpler route if you do not want Google resources loaded at all.
Updates
If I add a cookie — unlikely, but possible if the site gains a feature that needs memory — I will update this register, the privacy notice, and the banner text. Last reviewed: 8 August 2026.
Contact
Questions about cookies: [email protected]. Describe what you saw in your browser if something does not match this page and I will check the code.
General
Pen Drift (pendrift.pro) is a personal blog written and maintained by Priya. All content — notes, pages, images generated for this site, and footer text — reflects personal observations and opinions unless explicitly stated otherwise. Nothing on this site is offered as professional advice of any kind, including legal, medical, financial, psychological, or technical advice. If you require professional guidance, consult a qualified practitioner licensed in your jurisdiction.
Accuracy
I write carefully and correct errors when they are pointed out, but I do not warrant that every detail — dates, place names, descriptions of weather, accounts of public scenes — is complete or current. Memory is imperfect. Pages are not updated retroactively unless a factual mistake needs fixing. Do not rely on this site for navigation, safety decisions, or news about events described in personal notes.
Third parties
Mentions of businesses, stations, estates, or public places are descriptive, not endorsements. I am not affiliated with hawker stalls, kopitiams, transport operators, or map providers unless I say so plainly. Embedded Google Maps on the contact page is a convenience link; Google's terms and privacy policy govern your use of that embed.
External links
If a note links outward, the destination site is responsible for its own content. I do not control third-party pages and am not liable for what you find there.
Email correspondence
Email sent to [email protected] creates a direct conversation between you and me. It is not published unless you explicitly ask and I explicitly agree. Do not send sensitive personal data through email to a personal blog address.
Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by Singapore law, I am not liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of this site or reliance on its content. The site is provided as-is. Hosting interruptions, typos, and outdated information may occur.
Copyright
Text and original images on Pen Drift are copyright Priya unless noted. You may quote short excerpts with attribution and a link to the source page. You may not scrape the entire site, republish full entries as your own, or use content for commercial training datasets without written permission.
Changes
This disclaimer may be updated without notice. The version on the site at the time you read it applies.
Questions: [email protected].