Privacy policy
Last updated 19 September 2026
This policy explains what we collect when you register for the First Author masterclass and what we do with it. The data controller is Varadaraj Balajivenktesh — who publishes as Balaji Venktesh — of Sholinganallur, Chennai 600119, Tamil Nadu, India.
What we collect
- You give us: name, email address, phone number, college or organisation, study level, research area, comfort with LaTeX, and what you want from the workshop.
- Payments: handled entirely by Razorpay. We receive a confirmation and the last digits of the instrument; we never see or store your full card details.
- Automatically: standard web analytics — pages viewed, rough location, device and browser.
Why we collect it
- To send you joining links, reminders, materials, the recording and your certificate.
- To tune the examples to the research areas actually present in the room.
- To answer your questions on email or WhatsApp.
- To tell you about future cohorts and one-on-one sessions. Every such message has an unsubscribe link.
Who else sees it
Only the services we need to run the workshop: our payment gateway, email and form providers, Zoom, and our analytics provider. We do not sell your data or share it with advertisers.
How long we keep it
Registration records for three years, so we can answer questions about a past cohort and meet tax requirements. Marketing contact details until you unsubscribe.
Your choices
Email hello@firstauthor.in to see, correct or delete what we hold about you, or to be taken off the mailing list. We respond within 30 days.
Session recordings
We record both live sessions. Your camera and microphone stay off by default; if you turn them on or ask a question aloud, you may appear in the recording shared with other participants. Use the chat if you would rather not.