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By: Gene BradfordI was recently asked about the privacy policy on Photo-Genesis so I felt the need to write this brief description. While it deals primarly with personal information the visitor might enter, it also will touch on the topics of cookies and browser security. Photo-Genesis currently only gathers personal information such as names and email addresses in one section of the site: The Message Forum. Due to the customized nature of the forum, we decided to use the email address as the means of identifying the user to the rest of the world. This is not to say that any email address will ever be published or released in any form however. By using a unique email address, the user is identified with their account on P-G only. Their email address is linked to the "nick" they select at the time of signing in so they can start new threads. (By posting as Anonymous, no one can start a new thread, just reply to existing threads.) The email addresses we now have and any we receive in the future will be for the sole, exclusive use of Photo-Genesis only. They will never be sold, given away, traded or exchanged with any company or individual. I cannot emphasize this enough. I personally value my privacy very much and know others do as well. It would be a betrayal of trust to ever use this personal information for anything other than it's intended purpose. While P-G will require other information in the near future concerning credit card sales on the site, this information will be collected in a secure enviornment and all efforts will be made to maintain the confidentiality of any information gathered. We will abide by industry standards where security is concerned. This will be accomplished by acquiring a secure certificate from one of the companies offering them. (In part, network security is what I do for a living. It is extemely important to me and I certainly won't skimp on any security measures where Photo-Genesis is concerned. My reputation depends on it for that matter.) As for cookies: the only cookies utilized by Photo-Genesis is also in relation to the Message Forum. They are used to make it easier on the return visitors and for that reason only. The cookie contains information pertaining to an existing "nick" in the forum. If the user has cookies disabled in their browser this doesn't prevent them from logging in however. They just have to go through the process each time they visit the forum. (A brief side note on secure browsers. I would highly recommend an alternative browser to Microsoft's® Internet Explorer™. They have not updated it in several years and it is riddled with security holes. The "recent" release of Service Pack 2 attempted to deal with some of these holes but only applies to Windows XP™. Windows 98™ is still in wide use and is left wide open because Microsoft® doesn't see fit to support it any longer. My personal choice for a highly secure brower is Firefox. It's superb. Don't get me started on Microsoft's® feeble attempt to write a secure operating system. Suffice it to say, I am a Linux user.) I hope this has adequately explained our Privacy Policy here on Photo-Genesis. If it has not, feel free to contact me and I will attempt to answer any remaining questions you may have. ***Or by emailing him at the above link.*** Copyright © 2005 - Gene Bradford & Photo-Genesis.net |