Privacy PolicyLast updated July 2002
This document pertains to new or current Website Account Clients (our "clients"), new or current TheWebChoice Resellers (our "resellers"), or Reseller's Website Account Clients ("reseller clients"). Our front end website, the Website Editor that controls the client websites, and the Reseller Administration Center, are the only sources of information gathering and handling that concern this privacy policy.
References to "you" or "your" mean clients who have a Website Account (or soon will), or resellers who have a Reseller Account (or soon will), with TheWebChoice. Some information may not pertain to "you" depending on if you are a reseller or a website client.
Clients and Resellers who have websites hosted from TheWebChoice services may provide their own Privacy Policies to read or conduct their business within. Our Privacy Policy does not cover the practices of our clients or resellers regarding external information they gather from their own visitors or clients.
We at TheWebChoice respect your concern about privacy. We'd like you to know that we value our relationship with you. Our goal is to provide each client and visitor with the best experience possible. We recognize that you place your trust in us, so we take care to safeguard information about you. We hope you will take a few minutes to read about how we collect, use and protect information about online visitors and clients of TheWebChoice.com, as well as your right to choose how certain information we collect about you online may be shared.
What information do we collect?
We collect information you provide when you interactively fill out any provided forms on the website. This could be anywhere from a single name, to full information needed for payment terms. All forms of information gathering are clearly labeled as to what fields pertain to what sort of information.
Also, any information you provide to create your website through the multitude of Website Editor tools, is gathered and stored on the systems and in databases. This information is linked to you (the client), and your website. Other clients or visitors cannot gain access to this provided information in any other fashion outside of being a general public visitor to your website. For example; store orders and payment information are stored for your eyes only within your own Website Editor tools, however anyone visiting your website can browse your published store products to make said orders.
In addition to manual input, we use technology that allows us to identify what type of browser you are using, the website from which you enter TheWebChoice and the pages you view as you tour our website or any of our client's websites. This technology helps us compile aggregate statistics about our online visitors and their use of TheWebChoice, which allows us to make improvements in design and content to better serve you, our visitors, and your own visitors.
What are "Cookies" and how do we use them?
A cookie is a small text file placed on your computer when you visit a website. This file gives your computer a unique identification. TheWebChoice utilizes many types of cookies. One is a session cookie which exists only for as long as your browser remains open. After you exit your browser, these cookies go away. The other type are persistent cookies that remain on your machine for longer periods of time, which are used so the website can 'remember you' when you return. Also, depending on the modules hosted at a client website, these services create persistent cookies that give you a better interaction with the content therein. When you return to a website that uses persistent cookies, the cookie associates your computer with information the website is storing for you from previous visits.
Cookies are not dangerous to your web browser from our servers. They do not execute on your machine, nor contain any vital information about you or your machine that anyone would find useful. They only make meaning to our server and applications, and therefore are only good with TheWebChoice websites, the Website Editor, and services.
Does TheWebChoice share client information it collects with others?
We may share information with business partners which are not part of the TheWebChoice directly (this could be design firms). These companies and organizations may use the information we share with them to provide special opportunities and offers to you in regards to enhanced services here at TheWebChoice.
We may also disclose information you provide to TheWebChoice as required by law or to protect the security or integrity of information collected or submitted on this website.
What we do not do, is sell your information to advertising agencies whose sole purpose is to solicit products and services that you are not interested in. We respect peoples privacy, and do not believe in the blugdening business practices of many internet advertising agencies of the world.
Does TheWebChoice exploit, share, or give out any hidden information supplied through the Website Editor?
Unless otherwise required by law, no information you provide for your websites content and operation, will be shared to outside sources. However, to be specific, some information you give in the Website Editor will and can be used as noted above.
Information which may be shared, falls under the following categories:
Payment information for Billing Statements (this information is required to be shared with our credit card authorization gateway system providers in order to authorize and charge credit cards for payments due, otherwise the information is securely kept secret).
Contact information regarding you as a client of TheWebChoice services.
Domain information that is required to host and maintain your website existence.
We do not tamper with, share, or give out information supplied in the Website Editor that fall under these categories:
Store order information.
Your website's user's profiles.
Feedback information submitted to you.
Forums and associated information collected.
Your internal Website Editor users.
Any information regarded as "public domain content".
Does TheWebChoice exploit, share, or give out any hidden information supplied through the Reseller Administration Center?
Everything written above about the Website Editor, pertains to the Reseller Administration Center as well.
What choices do I have regarding TheWebChoice's use of information about me?
. System generated emails from TheWebChoice:
TheWebChoice has many automated processes that make up the internal structure and network that generates, maintains, and services client websites. Many of these processes send "notices" in email format to the owner of the website, or Website Editor users of the website. Most all notices that are not important, can be turned off in appropriate tools, or redirected to another Website Editor user in the same website. Some system emails however, are required emails that inform about serious or important information, as with Billing Statements, System Outtages, or Serious Issues with a Website Account or Reseller Account.
. Emails from your own website visitors:
Some modules that you can subscribe too for your website, will allow users to send you information. Many of these have administrative tools to let you designate where and what it does. If you respond to your visitors, and do not take precautions of how you respond, you can inadvertantly give your own email to any of your visitors you responded too. Any information they send you afterwards, or what they do with your email from that point onward, is out of our zone of control. If you are conciencious about your email addresses, or personal information, take care in what content and information you provide and use on your own website. A suggested rule of thumb would be to never textually publish your email address on any website, as "spam-bots" crawl through websites and gather up any text typed email address they can find, and add them to unsolicited advertising lists.
If I gather information on my website, does TheWebChoice share that information?
TheWebChoice will not share, disclose, or use that information in any way other than to display the information in the Website Editor to the users of the Website Editor (unless otherwise directed by law). The information your visitors supply is under your own privacy policies. TheWebChoice will not exploit the gathered information.
What about links to and from other websites?
TheWebChoice may offer links to other sites. These websites have their own policies regarding privacy. If you visit one of these sites, you may want to review the privacy policy on that site. In addition, you may have linked to TheWebChoice through another site. In some cases the site you linked from may collect information from people who click on links. You may want to refer to the privacy policies on those sites to see how they collect and use this information.
Application of this Privacy Policy
This privacy policy applies to all information collected or submitted on the TheWebChoice website, the Website Editor, and the Reseller Administration Center with a few exceptions:
1. Any client website that is utilizing the services of TheWebChoice may have their own policy in effect about any information they gather within their own website.
2. Any information collected on client websites where the administration of those websites have direct access to the data collected.
We cannot put our privacy policies against those exceptions as client websites may hold their own privacy policies (or none at all).
Security, Secure Sockets Layering (SSL)
We have appropriate physical, electronic and procedural security safeguards to protect and secure the information we collect. TheWebChoice uses Secure Sockets Layering (SSL) to encrypt your personal credit information, including your credit card number, before it travels over the Internet. SSL technology is the industry standard for secure online transactions. Because we use SSL, paying statements online is just as safe as giving your credit card number over the phone.
Your consent
By using the TheWebChoice website and services, you consent to our use of information as described in this Online Privacy Policy. We may change or add to this privacy policy so we encourage you to review it periodically.
Recap
. Information we gather about you, is only shared by law, or with business partners. Not sold.
. Information you supply to make your website work, is not shared unless by law.
. Information you gather through your website is covered by your own privacy policy.
. Information you gather through your website is not exploited by TheWebChoice.
. Critical payment information submittal is secured with SSL. |
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