Privacy on the Net is a fragile, evanescent thing. Lots of sites have "privacy policies" that don't really protect your privacy. Others have ones that actively violate it. Most have complex mazes of legal jargon that is so incomprehensible that no one actually knows whether or not they violate privacy. It's important to keep an eye out for the good ones and to exorciate the bad ones. But it's also important to offer a solution as well as lament the problem. So, here we go: This is the privacy policy for my site, UBIDUBIUM.NET. I'm not an ecommerce site, and I can't imagine why I'd collect any information (or why you'd give it). But if, hypothetically, I did need personal info from you, or if such a need arises in the future, this would be my policy.

Revision History The Information I Collect With Whom I Share Targeted Demographics Cookies and Such

 

The Information I Collect

I will ever ask only for the minimum information needed. In general, this would probably be a name and a contact point (phone number or email). Obviously, if you (for example) subscribe to the notification email list for Voices in the Wilderness, I'll need an email address for you. Important considerations are

• I will only add an email address to a list once it has been confirmed (by sending a test message to it and receiving your OK).
• Information will be stored off-line on my personal system. I am not a security expert but will make reasonable effort to preserve the integrity of my database.
• At any time you can ask to have your data removed from my database. This will occur only after I confirm your intentions, so that no one can spoof your address.

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With Whom Will I Share Your Information

Short answer: NO ONE.

Long answer: If the processing of a request, order, etc., requires sharing information with a third party, I will do so to the minimum extent consistent with such processing. For example, were I to start offering a product for sale, it would be necessary for me to share your credit card information, your address, etc., with various companies. I would only deal with companies whose policies were compatible with mine.

You don't have to worry about me selling your email address to a spammer or indeed any third party. You don't have to worry that I'll exchange info with other people or compnaies or that somehow my database will become available to someone else.

I will destroy my database (PGP wipe 7 times, minimum) before allowing it to become an asset in any sort of takeover bid, bankruptcy proceeding, or the like.

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Targeted Demographics, or Will I Let You Be Spammed?

Short answer: NO.

Long answer: I am a numbers geek and like to do numerical analyses. Thus it's likely that at various times I'll perform such analyses on my contact database. However, the results of this work will always focus on "aggregate data"; that is, data stripped of any personally-identifying tags. I might say, "54% of people visiting this site are friends of mine from CUA" but I will never say, "User Harry Tuttle visits at least once a day and seems particularly interested in the Quotables section".

Since I intend never to collect personally-tagged info, I have no problem declaring that I will never sell, share, swap, gift, or trade such information. With anyone.

Caveats:

• My Web hoster is currently Omnis and although I believe they don't compile personally-tagged info on visitors, I cannot enjoin them from doing so. (It'd be odd and not particularly easy but maybe it's possible.)
• As part of the respect I hold for the justice system of the United States, I will comply with all duly-constituted requests, subpeonas, and injunctions served to me, if such actions are handled properly through the justice system.

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Cookies, Web Bugs, and Other Devices

UBIDUBIUM.NET does not use cookies. I intend never to use cookies. I believe that cookies are a lazy way to track users, intrinsically insecure and invasive. Besides, if I were to decide that I needed to track you -- say, for a Web shopping cart -- I'd have the decency to store the information on my hard drive, at my expense, rather than demanding it of you.

UBIDUBIUM.NET does not use web bugs (small 1x1 invisiable images through which a person's visits can be tracked). I find such tricks reprehensible. If I feel it necessary to maintain and track information on you, I will let you know... and I will begin such tracking only after you opt in. "Opt out" policies are for wimps and lowlifes.

 

 

 

 

Revision History: Current version: 0.01. Older versions available by email request. Rev Date Effect 0.01 2001 Aug 6 created This policy was created on 2001 August 6 and has not yet been revised.