GDPR: can we justify third-party scripts?
I’ve written before about how managing privacy on websites is bigger than just deciding whether you need a cookie banner. In this post, we look in more detail at how websites process PII, how it...
Tracking scripts, privacy and performance
So earlier this week I wrote a post with some recommendations for website owners to help them keep abreast of online privacy requirements. The post came out of internal discussions about where we...
Internet privacy: insights for website owners
This post focusses on the battleground that is internet privacy, and its implications for website owners. We're going to take a quick look at things like how the data protection rules apply to...
Making documentation happen
New year: it’s a good time to talk about process. Process improvement is easy to want and often difficult to implement. We all set out with good intentions, but there’s that whole thing about the...
Page Speed Insights Scores Aren't As Stable As You'd Think
We use a number of different tools when profiling our sites performance. PageSpeed Insights is one that gives you a nice high level and easy to compare scores. Recently though, I've become aware...
Making sense of IoT
The IoT is not new. It’s essentially been with us since the first computers connected to the first networks. But from conceptual beginnings to real-world implementations in a few short years, it’s...
Using FallbackResource with Apache Header Expressions Causes Weirdness
Recently we needed to set one of our Apache servers to output a HTTP header for a specific URL, a simple task right? Well it turns out it can be a right pain... The server is pretty standard,...
On server migrations…
Server migration: there’s a term bound to strike fear into the heart. Horror stories of downtime and lost data abound. This post looks at the good and bad of our migration from dedicated to Cloud...
Misleading Validation Messages When Creating BitBucket Pipeline Variables
Just in case anyone else finds themselves wrestling with this: I was recently attempting to create BitBucket Pipeline variables via BitBuckets API using curl: curl -X POST --data...
Protecting Against Textfile Collector Script Failure
Monitoring bespoke metrics with Prometheus textfile collector scripts can fail in such a way that all your monitors look fine but actually there is a problem. Here's how to prevent that. When...
You want security? You have to ask for it
I know at Freshleaf we’re a bit guilty of going on (and on) about website and application security, code quality, and the consequences of leaving online data protection to chance. We treat...
We need to talk about tech debt
Technical debt is part of the landscape of development. But so often it's the elephant in the room - we all know it's there, but we can't talk to customers about it. Why is that? What is...
GDPR – Gigantically Dull Privacy Rubbish, or vital for the greater good?
Yes, I know, yet another blog post about GDPR. I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time and effort on reading, understanding and implementing the new regulations over the last 12 months, and like...