This policy describes the fair information practices that govern the collection, maintenance, use, and disclosure of personal information on the STYLETHREAD website.
1. Collection Practices
Like most other websites, STYLETHREAD maintains web logs that automatically record basic information about visitors. This information consists of:
a. Internet domain from which you access our website (e.g., aol.com, yourschool.edu, yourcompany.com).
b. IP address. An IP address is automatically assigned to your computer when you surf the web. In some cases, these addresses may be individually identifiable. However, even when an IP address is identifiable, it usually takes additional effort to link a particular IP address to a specific individual. For many users, an IP address cannot be linked to a specific individual.
c. Type of browser and operating system used to access our website.
d. Date and time of access.
e. Pages visited.
f. Address of the website (if any) from which you linked to STYLETHREAD.
STYLETHREAD normally only uses web log information in aggregate form to enable us to make the STYLETHREAD website more useful. STYLETHREAD likes to know which features are popular and how visitors locate the site. Web logs may be used to identify visitors who seek to damage the website, use the website in unauthorized ways, or interfere with operations. Information about users who try to engage in any unapproved activities may be shared with law enforcement agencies. STYLETHREAD does not collect any personal information about a routine visitor unless the visitor provides it to STYLETHREAD.
2. Email and Web Forms
If you use the STYLETHREAD website to send STYLETHREAD email, sign a guest book, register for our forums, ask for information, subscribe to our newsletters, or if you provide personal information through STYLETHREAD's website in any other way, STYLETHREAD collects and may maintain the information that you provide. Your information may be shared among STYLETHREAD staff and support services as necessary in order to respond to your request. Once information reaches the correct person, it will be used in the same manner as comparable information collected in other ways.
3. Security and Data Quality
STYLETHREAD maintains its website and its information with technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect against loss, unauthorized access, destruction, misuse, modification, and improper disclosure. STYLETHREAD is committed to maintaining accurate, timely, relevant, and appropriate information about our users. No computer system can ever be fully protected against every possible hazard. STYLETHREAD provides reasonable and appropriate security to protect against foreseeable hazards.
a. STYLETHREAD requires that employees who have access to personally identifiable information from the website acknowledge that they have read this privacy policy and that they are expected to follow it.
b. Routine email sent to STYLETHREAD through this website or otherwise is not necessarily secure against interception. If your communication contains personal information that you consider sensitive, you may not want to use email. Some STYLETHREAD websites that collect and disclose sensitive personal information rely on Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to protect communications. If your browser supports SSL, then you can share personal information with a high degree of confidence that the information cannot be intercepted and read. For example, our STYLETHREAD shop uses SSL for all activities involving the sharing of personal information.
4. Cookies
On the Internet a cookie is a piece of information that a website transfers to a user's computer for record-keeping purposes. The STYLETHREAD website only uses cookies when a member accesses the members-only (forum) part of the website. As a registered user of the forum, you are agreeing to accept any cookies which it uses.
5. Uses and Disclosures
STYLETHREAD uses its website to provide services and information to its forum members and members of the public.
a. Legal disclosure
STYLETHREAD could be required to disclose personal information in response to valid legal process, such as a search warrant, subpoena, or court order. Any record keeper faces this possibility. Disclosures may also be appropriate to protect STYLETHREAD's legal rights or during emergencies if physical safety is believed to be at risk. STYLETHREAD believes that these events are unlikely, but they are possible. STYLETHREAD will take reasonable steps to limit the scope and consequences of any of these disclosures.
b. Use of subscription information
STYLETHREAD does not sell, rent, or otherwise share lists of subscribers to with any outside entities. Information collected when a user subscribes to our newsletter is used solely for demographic information and for the subscription itself.
c. Chat/Forums
STYLETHREAD sponsors chat services which require user registration. Registration provides a layer of security, however, information shared though a chat service may be read by subscribers to the service and others, and may be used or re-disclosed by them. STYLETHREAD cannot control or limit the use or disclosure of any personal information shared through a chat service. Please see the forum guidelines for more information about forum policies.
6. Questions, Access, and Disputes
If you want to see or correct any information that STYLETHREAD has collected about you online, you can make a request to webmistress@stylethread.com
