What we use
You can browse the public catalog without an account. When you sign in, Firebase handles authentication and stores your account identifier, email address, display name, profile image when provided, and sign-in timestamps.
Covers, summaries and original PDFs are public. DotDock asks you to sign in before opening its embedded Google Drive reader, but a copied Drive link works without DotDock authentication. Google receives viewer requests when you open a PDF. Signing out clears the embedded reader but cannot close separately opened Drive tabs or recall downloaded copies.
Your reading list, reading status, tags, private notes and email preferences are stored in account-restricted Firestore records. Unsynchronized drafts may remain in this browser, separated by account. Use a trusted device for private notes.
Public activity and AI
Comments and like counts are visible to other visitors. Comments may show your account display name. Do not include confidential information in comments or AI questions. Questions sent to AI features are processed through an external AI service to produce answers.
When you explicitly ask the PDF assistant a question, the selected public PDF and a bounded portion of the conversation are sent to the AI provider. The provider may use submitted content and responses to improve its services. The conversation shown in DotDock stays in the open reader and is cleared when you close it or sign out. The backend temporarily caches responses for up to six hours for connection recovery and keeps request identifiers, document IDs and status records to prevent duplicate processing; it does not keep a permanent chat transcript. Uploaded AI file references are reused only for the same PDF version while valid. AI answers and page references can be inaccurate: verify them against the original.
Research pilot
In the Research experiment, selecting Generate research sends your question and selected original PDFs to an external AI service for an input-size check and one generation. Brief, Mind map and Sources share that response. The provider may use submitted content and responses to improve its services. DotDock does not create a duplicate PDF or extracted-text library, and does not save your Research question or answer. Answers remain only in the open page and are cleared on sign-out; copy them before leaving. Small private request, quota and status records expire after 24 hours and prevent duplicate generation; they cannot restore a lost answer. PDF size checks read file metadata only and make no AI request. Server-side Research records are included in account-deletion handling; restricted backups follow the retention policy below. The local demonstration uses synthetic evidence and makes no AI request.
Optional owner LinkedIn sharing
The site owner can connect a personal LinkedIn profile in Admin Sharing. LinkedIn supplies a profile identifier, display name and access token after the owner consents. The token is encrypted on the server; it is not placed in public pages or browser storage. DotDock does not request access to the owner's email address or LinkedIn feed.
Selecting a report or saving a draft does not publish anything. Only an explicit approval sends the reviewed post text, DotDock publication link and selected PDF cover image to LinkedIn for public posting on the connected personal profile. The preview shows the image and text before approval; the cover can be excluded. No PDF is uploaded to LinkedIn and no additional AI request is made. Private draft and posting-status records, including a fingerprint of any approved cover, are retained to show history and prevent duplicate posts. Disconnecting removes the stored connection token, but does not delete existing LinkedIn posts or the posting history; LinkedIn permissions can also be revoked in LinkedIn settings. Restricted backups follow the retention policy below.
Email and contact requests
Publication digests are opt-in and require a verified email address. Delivery queues use account IDs and publication IDs; the current account email is looked up when sending. Turning notifications off stops pending deliveries that have not started.
Contact, correction, removal and deletion requests are visible to the owner for handling. They may include the reply email and message you provide. Do not submit passwords, payment details or sensitive documents.
Service providers and local storage
Cloudflare hosts the site and API. Firebase, Drive and Apps Script provide authentication, private data storage, publication hosting, scheduled processing and email. An external AI provider processes AI requests. These providers may process technical request data under their own terms. Turnstile checks contact submissions for abuse.
The browser stores operational preferences, cached catalog information, sign-in state and drafts. These support the requested features. DotDock does not add advertising trackers.
Retention and deletion
Most popular reports: when a signed-in reader opens a PDF through DotDock, we retain one latest-open date (Japan time) per account and report to deduplicate the ranking. Repeated opens count once per account/report across the last seven calendar days, including today. The public list shows aggregate counts only—not identities or reading histories. An opening is not proof that a report was read. Older dates do not contribute, but the private latest-open record remains while the account is active and is removed through account deletion. No advertising trackers or AI are used for this feature.
Account data is retained while your account is active. You can download your profile and library records from your account and submit a deletion request. The owner reviews requests and removes associated operational data where possible, retaining only records needed to prevent abuse or resolve outstanding requests.
When configured, restricted backup exports remain in the active backup set for 30 days. Deleted data can remain in those backups until retirement; the storage provider’s trash and recovery retention may extend that period. The owner dashboard shows the last completed backup. Restore rehearsals are a separate owner procedure.
Questions and corrections
Use the private contact form for privacy questions, corrections or deletion requests. Public publication files and their distribution rights are separate from your account information.