Salamanders Young Burn Survivors > Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy deals with the collection, use and disclosure of personal information and other data on the "Salamanders Young Burn Survivors" website. It includes: who is doing the collecting, what data is being collected, how the data will be used, to whom data may be disclosed, and the consequences of refusing to give information. It also addresses the principles of choice, access, security and enforcement.

Who is doing the collecting?

Just one person operates this site: I, Sylvia, do. You can contact me online. If you are looking for my street address or phone number, please read the note at the bottom of this page.

This site is hosted by Virgin Media. One copy of this website is on Virgin Media's hosting computers, one backup copy is kept on disc by me personally.

What data is being collected?

I collect data in the following ways: my Counter, Polls, this site's Guestbook, the information emailed to me for posting on this site's "Find a Friend" page, and anything you disclose in any other Email to me. I don't collect anything else, and I don't use cookies.

• When you enter this site, a Counter will automatically register that "a visitor" has viewed the index page. No other information is collected by this counter. The count is stored as a simple text document (.txt file) on the Virgin Media hosting computer.

• If you vote in any Polls I may run from this site, they will collect only your vote for statistical purposes; they will not collect any other information whatsoever.

• If you sign the Guestbook, the guestbook will show whatever information you choose to post. If you post your email address, it will show your email address. If you post your name, it will show that. If you post the URL of your website, it will show that. In addition, it will show the date and time of your post. This information is stored by Virgin Media, and is visible to anyone viewing the guestbook. All posts are regularly checked by me personally. If any post is, or appears to be, made by a child under 13 years of age, I guarantee to delete anything I consider to be potentially revealing personal information immediately.

• If you email me information for posting on this site's "Find a Friend" page, that information will be uploaded to this website's host, provided that a) I am reasonably sure the information is genuine, and b) you do not appear to be or admit to being under 13 years of age. If you appear to be or admit to being under 13 years of age, I will not upload the information without reasonable certainty that I have parental permission to do so. Once uploaded, the information will be visible to anyone viewing the "Find a Friend" page of this website. All persons wishing to post information on the "Find a Friend" page of this website are given the option of keeping their email address 'secret', in which case their email address will not be uploaded to the website's host but will be kept by me personally (because it really wouldn't make much sense to have them on a contact list if there were no way of contacting them!).

• If you send me any Email, I will have your email address as well as anything else you tell me. Anyone can email me and tell me anything they want. What data I 'collect' from such emails depends upon the content of each individual email. If any email is, or appears to be, from a child under 13 years of age, I will respond to that email and then delete it completely.

How will collected data be used?

• The number registered by the Counter is merely to satisfy my own curiosity. I can't imagine any other use for it beyond that.

• The votes collected by any Polls I may run from this site may be used by me to analyse how people are using this site, thereby assisting me to optimise it. I won't keep it or use it beyond that.

• Any information you choose to post in the Guestbook will be visible to anyone viewing the guestbook. I might copy some or all of the text of your post to another part of this website. If your post includes your URL or email address, I might go look at your website or email you, just as any other viewer of my guestbook might. If relevant, I might include a link to your URL on some other part of this website. I won't keep or use any posted information beyond that.

• Any information posted on this site's "Find a Friend" page will be visible to anyone viewing the page. If the information includes your URL or email address, I might go look at your website or email you, just as any other viewer of the page might. If relevant, I might include a link to your URL on some other part of this website. The email address of anyone requesting that I keep their email address 'secret' will be used by me personally for the sole purpose of forwarding any email addressed to them c/o this website. I won't keep or use any posted information, or any 'secret' email addresses, beyond that.

• If you send me any Email, I will use your email address to write you back. How I 'use' any other data contained in such emails depends upon the content of each individual email.

To whom may data be disclosed?

I don't 'disclose' your data to anyone.

• As all the votes collected by any Polls are completely anonymous, I cannot 'disclose' your data other than as a statistic.

• If you post information in the Guestbook, then you are 'disclosing' your information to the general public.

• If you send me information for the express purpose of having it included on the "Find a Friend" page, then you are 'disclosing' your information to the general public. (In uploading such information, I am merely acting as your intermediary.)

• If you send me information in an Email, you are disclosing that information to me and only me. I will not disclose your information to anyone else unless you specifically request me to do so. (In which case, I am merely acting as your intermediary.)

What are the consequences of refusing to give information?

• If you somehow prevent your visit being registered by the Counter, there will be no consequences whatsoever to you. I do not require that your visit to my site is registered.

• If you don't vote in any Polls, there will be no consequences to you. (I may not be able to optimise this site so efficiently, but that is all.) I do not require disclosure of your data.

• If you sign the Guestbook, the whole world can see whatever information you post: if you don't, they can't. There are no other consequences. I do not require you to sign the guestbook.

• If you send me information to post on this site's "Find a Friend" page, you might receive emails from people wanting to make friends: if you don't, you won't. There are no other consequences. I do not require you to join our friendship group.

• If you send me an Email, I will write you back. If you have some specific request to make of me, I will attempt to comply with that request. If you don't send me any email, I will never even know you exist. There are no other consequences. I do not require you to send me email.

Choice: I give people choice(s). No one needs to disclose personal information if they don't want to. Except for the obvious (like not receiving an email from me if you don't give me your email address) there are no consequences of nondisclosure.

If you change your mind after having posted any information in the Guestbook or this site's "Find a Friend" page, or if I have added a link to your URL on one of my "Links" pages and you want it removed, all you have to do is email me and tell me what information you want me to remove.

If you are a parent, and I have inadvertently posted your child's information, or if you have previously given permission for me to post your child's information and have now changed your mind, you can ask to have it deleted and refuse to allow any further collection or use of your child's information. All you need to do is email me. (I have no fancy procedures for verifying your bona fides: I would rather remove all personal information from my website than chance putting even one child at risk!)

Access: There are only three instances where I may store information which is not publicly accessible via this website. If there is no email address shown against a name on this site's "Find a Friend" page, I will have that person's email address stored on disc. If a parent has vetoed collection or use of their child's data, I will have that child's email address stored on disc as a safeguard against my inadvertently accepting further information from that source. If someone has sent me an email, I will have a copy of that email on my own hard drive until I have responded to it.

Security: Obviously, any information publicly available via the Guestbook or this site's "Find a Friend" page is just that ... publicly available. As detailed in the previous paragraph, the only other information I store consists of emails and email addresses. I have measures in place to ensure that I am the only person with access to these, and I guarantee not to reveal them to anyone else.

Enforcement: I consider this Privacy Policy to be a legally enforceable contract between myself and the public at large.

NOTE: Personal Information is defined as: individually identifiable information that is collected online, such as full name, home address, email address, telephone number or any other information that would allow someone to identify or contact a child. Also other types of information (for example, hobbies, interests and information collected through cookies or other types of tracking mechanisms) when they are tied to individually identifiable information.

NOTE re My Own Personal Information: My apologies, but, with the present dangers of identity theft and harrassment, I am not prepared to disclose my street address or phone number on this or any other non-secure website. If, for any reason, you wish to contact me by ordinary mail or by telephone, please send me your own street address or phone number and I will get in touch with you. If you personally are concerned about privacy and safety on the web, I am sure you will appreciate my position.

NOTE re Children Under 13 Years Of Age: I am an ordinary human being, not a clairvoyant or a superwoman. If a person communicating with me in any way does not admit to being under the age of 13 years, and their communication is presented in such a way that it appears to be from a person over the age of 13 years, then I believe it is reasonable for me to assume that such a person is indeed over the age of 13 years until and unless I am reliably informed otherwise.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this website, please contact me (Sylvia)