Privacy Policy

In short

talk.themace.de is the forum of the private blog TheMace.de. There is no tracking, no analytics and no advertising. Everything runs on my own server in Germany, including the fonts. To make the forum work, more data is processed than on the blog: a user account, login cookies and the content you publish yourself. The details are listed below.

1. Controller

Controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

Samuel Müller
Richard-Miller-Straße 1
94051 Hauzenberg
Germany

Phone: +49 15566 175855
Email: webhost@themace.de

2. Hosting and server log files

This forum runs on servers operated by HexaHost in Germany. With every request, the web server automatically stores the following information in log files:

  • IP address of the requesting device
  • Date and time of the request
  • Requested page or file
  • Referrer URL (the previously visited page)
  • Browser type, browser version and operating system

This data is not combined with other data sources and is not analysed to identify visitors. I need it to deliver the forum technically and to detect attacks or errors.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. My legitimate interest is secure and stable operation.
Retention period: Log files are deleted after 7 days at the latest.

3. Cookies

The forum sets cookies that are strictly necessary for its operation: a session cookie so that you stay logged in while moving between pages and, if you choose, a cookie for staying logged in permanently. In addition, the forum stores which external content you have consented to (see section 9). These cookies contain no tracking information and are not passed on to third parties.

Legal basis: Section 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG (German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act) and Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.
Retention period: The session cookie is deleted when you close your browser, the cookie for permanent login when you log out.

4. Fonts

All fonts and icons used by the forum are stored on my own server and loaded from there. No connection is made to Google Fonts or any other font provider.

5. User account

You can read the forum without logging in. To post and upload files, you need a user account. When you register, I store your username, email address and password, which is only stored as a hash. Optional information such as your avatar, signature or profile fields is visible to others unless you restrict this in your settings. For logged-in members, the forum shows who is currently online and when someone was last active. You can turn this off in your privacy settings.

I use your email address to confirm your registration, for notifications you enable yourself and for important notices about the operation of the forum. You will not receive any advertising.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (user relationship).
Retention period: Your data is stored for as long as your account exists. You can delete your account at any time in your account settings or have it deleted by sending me an email.

6. Posts, conversations and uploads

Posts, comments and files in the FileBase are publicly visible and displayed with your username. Private conversations can only be seen by their participants. They are stored on the server and are not end-to-end encrypted, so do not write anything there that you would not entrust to a server.

When you write a post, your IP address is stored so that I can respond to spam or unlawful content. These IP addresses are deleted automatically after 30 days.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR for publishing your content, Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR for the IP addresses. My legitimate interest is preventing abuse.

If you delete your account, your public posts remain so that discussions stay comprehensible. They will then no longer be linked to an account. If you would like your posts removed as well, send me an email.

7. Contact form and email

If you contact me via the contact form or by email, I process your address and the content of your message in order to reply.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. My legitimate interest is answering your enquiry.
Retention period: I delete the message once the conversation is concluded, unless statutory retention obligations apply.

8. External links

The forum links to other services, for example GitHub and Discord. No data is transferred until you click such a link. From that point on, the privacy policy of the respective provider applies.

9. Embedded content

Posts may contain embedded content from external providers, for example YouTube videos. Such content is only loaded once you consent to it being displayed. Only then does your browser connect to the respective provider, which receives your IP address and the page you are viewing. You can withdraw your consent at any time by deleting this site's cookies.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and Section 25(1) TDDDG.

YouTube is operated by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Data may be transferred to Google LLC in the USA; Google is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. Privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy

10. SSL/TLS encryption

The connection to the forum is encrypted using SSL/TLS. You can recognise this by "https://" and the padlock icon in your browser's address bar. Data you transmit cannot be read by third parties.

11. Your rights

You have the following rights towards the controller at any time:

  • Access to your stored data (Art. 15 GDPR)
  • Rectification of inaccurate data (Art. 16 GDPR)
  • Erasure of your data (Art. 17 GDPR)
  • Restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR)
  • Data portability (Art. 20 GDPR)
  • Objection to processing based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (Art. 21 GDPR)
  • Withdrawal of consent with effect for the future (Art. 7(3) GDPR)

A short email to the address above is sufficient.

12. Right to lodge a complaint

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority (Art. 77 GDPR). The competent authority is:

Bayerisches Landesamt für Datenschutzaufsicht (BayLDA)
(Bavarian Data Protection Authority)
Promenade 18
91522 Ansbach
Germany

Phone: +49 981 180093-0
Email: poststelle@lda.bayern.de
Website: https://www.lda.bayern.de/

13. Last updated

This privacy policy was last updated in October 2026. I will update it if anything changes about the forum or the legal requirements.