Site policies

Privacy policy

Effective date:

Last updated:

Note: Sections marked Coming soon describe features that are not live yet; this policy applies to them once they launch, and we'll update the effective date if anything changes.

The short version

  • The portfolio site collects no personal information and uses no cookies, analytics, or trackers.
  • The apps have no public sign-up. Coming soon "Try the demo" will create a temporary demo account with sample data that is deleted automatically within about 24 hours.
  • Coming soon When AI features launch, the text you enter into them will be sent to Google's Gemini API to create the answer.
  • Coming soon If you add your own Google AI key, it will stay in your browser and go only to Google, never to us.
  • Victorious Herbal Elements store: Checkout is off today: no orders, no charges, and no card details are collected. Stripe test mode is coming soon. When it launches, Stripe handles payment details; we never store them.
  • We do not sell personal information or share it for advertising.

1. Who we are and what this covers

This site is the portfolio of Andrew Strachan, an individual based in Alabama. In this policy, "we" and "us" mean Andrew Strachan.

This policy covers nonartificialsi.com and www.nonartificialsi.com (the portfolio), and these apps under the same name:

  • AdaptiveSchool, a schooling portal: adaptivehs.nonartificialsi.com and adaptivehs-v2.web.app (planned address: adaptiveschool.nonartificialsi.com).
  • MaQkrs Command Center: rebuild in progress, not public yet (planned address: command.nonartificialsi.com).
  • Victorious Herbal Elements store: herbal.nonartificialsi.com.
  • CS646 Sanctum, a 3D study world with a study guide: cs646-sanctum-app.web.app (planned address: sanctum.nonartificialsi.com).

It also covers the Electronic Career Portfolio at astrachan163.github.io when that site links here.

MaQkrs AI Tutor, the iPhone, iPad, and Mac app, has its own privacy policy, with its own support address. That policy, not this one, applies to the app.

2. The portfolio site

The portfolio has no sign-up, contact form, comments, or newsletter. It sets no cookies, stores nothing in your browser, and runs no analytics, advertising, or tracking code. The only information we receive from it is what you choose to send us by email (section 10).

3. App accounts and the demo login

The apps are working products. Public sign-up is turned off. There are two kinds of accounts:

  • Andrew's admin account. Only Andrew uses it.
  • Coming soon Temporary demo accounts. The "Try the demo" button signs you in to a new, temporary account. We don't ask for your name, email address, or a password. The account gets a random ID and its own private copy of sample data (a "sandbox"), separate from real app data.

What a demo account stores Coming soon

  • The random account ID and the demo role you picked (for example, student or instructor).
  • The sample data copied into your sandbox, plus anything you add or change there: for example, notes, answers, progress, practice sets, or AI results the app saves for you.
  • Counts of how many demo AI replies you have used, so the app can apply its limit.

How long it's kept: automatic deletion Coming soon

  • Each demo account and its sandbox are set to expire 24 hours after they are created.
  • Every night at 3:00 AM Central Time, a cleanup job deletes all demo accounts and their sandboxes and restores fresh sample data. A database expiry rule deletes any expired sandbox as a backup.
  • So demo data is usually gone within 24 hours, and you can't get it back. Please don't put anything in a demo that you want to keep, or any real personal information.

Preventing abuse Coming soon

To stop automated abuse, the apps limit how many demo sessions can start. To count sessions per device, the app makes a one-way scrambled code (a salted hash) from your connection's IP address and the app's ID. We store only that code, not your IP address, and the counters reset every night.

Apps that offer demo sign-in or AI features use Firebase App Check with reCAPTCHA Enterprise, a Google service that checks your browser and device signals to tell people from bots. Google processes that information under the Google Privacy Policy and Google Terms of Service. reCAPTCHA may set its own cookie for this check.

4. AI features Coming soon

AI features are not live in the apps today; AdaptiveSchool's AI tools are off. When they launch, some app features will use AI, for example explaining a lesson, making practice questions, or drafting text. See the AI use page for the full list.

  • When you use an AI feature, the text you enter, and the related app content needed to answer (such as the lesson or question you are viewing), is sent to Google's Gemini API, through Firebase AI Logic or our Cloud Functions, to create the answer with current Google Gemini models.
  • Demo AI has a small usage limit per session, and it works only after the App Check bot test above.
  • Google processes AI requests under the Gemini API Additional Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy.
  • We don't keep copies of your AI requests anywhere except where the app saves a result in your account. For demo accounts, that is your sandbox, which is deleted as described in section 3.
  • Please don't enter personal, health, or student information into AI features.

Using your own Google AI key ("Bring your own key") Coming soon

Some apps let you paste your own Google AI Studio API key so AI features run on your own Google account.

  • Your key stays in your browser. By default it's kept in session storage and erased when you close the tab. If you choose "Remember on this device," it is kept in local storage until you remove it.
  • Your browser sends the key only directly to Google (generativelanguage.googleapis.com) with your AI requests. It is never sent to our servers or saved in our database or logs.
  • You can remove it at any time with "Remove my key," or by clearing this site's data in your browser.
  • Requests made with your key are between you and Google, under Google's terms for your key. On Google's free tier, Google says it may use your content to improve its products.
  • Anyone who uses the same browser profile can use a remembered key, so don't choose "Remember" on a shared device.

5. Victorious Herbal Elements store and payments

  • Your cart is kept in your browser's local storage on your device. You don't need an account to shop.
  • Checkout is off today: no orders, no charges, and no card details are collected. Stripe test mode is coming soon.
  • Coming soon Checkout will run in Stripe test mode. No real charges will be made, and no real orders will be placed or shipped. Use Stripe's test card number, not a real card.
  • Coming soon Checkout will happen on Stripe's own checkout page. Stripe handles all payment details, and we never receive or store card numbers. Stripe processes checkout information under the Stripe Privacy Policy.
  • Coming soon For a test-mode order, Stripe sends us the order details and the name and email address entered at checkout. We use them only to test the store, and we delete test orders before live payments are turned on.
  • Before live payments are turned on, we will update this policy first.

6. Service providers

We use these providers only to host and run the sites and apps. Each processes data under its own privacy terms:

7. Hosting logs

Like any website, these hosting services receive basic technical details with every request: your IP address, the page or file requested, the date and time, your browser and device type, and the page that linked you here. They use these details to deliver pages and keep the service secure, and they may keep them in service logs under their own terms. We do not use these logs to identify visitors or build profiles.

The Victorious Herbal Elements store loads some product placeholder images from a public image service (placehold.co). Your browser's request to that service shares the same kind of technical details.

8. Storage in your browser

The portfolio stores nothing in your browser. The apps may store:

  • a sign-in token, so you stay signed in (Firebase Authentication);
  • Coming soon a short-lived App Check token;
  • your store cart (Victorious Herbal Elements); and
  • Coming soon your own Google AI key, only if you add one (section 4).

None of these are used for advertising or tracking. You can remove them by signing out or by clearing this site's data in your browser.

9. Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control

We do not track you across websites, and these sites and apps run no advertising or analytics trackers. Because nothing here tracks you, Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals are honored by default: you get the same no-tracking experience whether or not your browser sends them. If we ever add analytics, we will update this policy first and treat a GPC signal as an opt-out.

10. Email you send us

If you email strachan@uab.edu, we receive your email address, your message, and anything you attach. We use it only to reply and follow up, and we keep it only as long as needed for that. Please don't send passwords, health information, or student records.

11. We do not sell personal information

We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it for advertising. We send data to the providers in section 6 only to run the sites and apps.

12. Age

The apps are for adults 18 and older, including AdaptiveSchool. None of these sites is directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you think a child has sent us information, email us and we will delete it.

13. How long we keep information

Retention periods
InformationHow long
Demo accounts and sandbox data Coming soonUp to 24 hours. Deleted by the nightly cleanup (3:00 AM Central) or the expiry rule.
Demo session counters (hashed) Coming soonReset every night.
Your own Google AI key Coming soonIn your browser only: until you close the tab, or until you remove it if you chose "Remember."
Store cartIn your browser until you clear it.
Test-mode store orders Coming soonUntil live payments are turned on, then deleted.
Email you send usAs long as needed to reply and follow up.
Hosting logsKept by the hosting provider under its own terms.

14. Your choices: access and deletion

Demo data deletes itself, and you can sign out or clear this site's data at any time. You can also ask what information we have about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it, by emailing strachan@uab.edu. We will reply within 30 days. We can't link hosting logs or hashed counters to a person, so we can't search or delete them by name.

15. Security

All of these sites use encrypted HTTPS connections. App data is protected by access rules that keep each demo sandbox separate from the others and from real app data. No method of sending or storing data is perfectly secure, so please don't put sensitive information in the apps or in email.

16. Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, we will update the dates at the top of this page and summarize what changed. For significant changes, such as turning on live payments, we will update this policy before the change takes effect and post a short notice on the portfolio home page.

17. Contact

Andrew Strachan, Alabama. Email: strachan@uab.edu

See also the terms of use, the accessibility statement, and the AI use page.