Draft Privacy Policy

The Western Cave Conservancy (WCC) is committed to protecting your on line privacy while providing you with the most enjoyable and useful web and/or email list experience possible. While you can use many features of our web site anonymously, you may be required to provide personal information to gain access to some of our services. It is the policy of WCC that no personal information you provide to us, including your name, address, telephone number, drivers license number, Social Security Number and email address will be given, sold or rented to any entity or individual, with the exception that WCC may display your name on a web page listing donors and their donation levels. You may request anonymity when you donate, in which case your name will not be shown on donor web page. In all other cases, the release of personal information shall be limited to WCC officers and staff.

 Personal Information 
Personal information is information about an individual that readily identifies an individual. Personal information includes things such as an individual's name, address, phone number, driver's license number, and social security number. A domain name or Internet Protocol (IP) address is not considered personal information. We collect no personal information about you unless you voluntarily participate in an activity that asks for information (e.g., sending e-mail or participating in a survey). If you choose not to participate in these activities, your choice will in no way affect your ability to use any other feature of the WCC web site. If personal information is requested on the web site or volunteered by the user, state law and the federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children on-line or by email will be treated the same as information given by an adult.

 Policies for Individuals Under 13 Years of Age 
WCC is committed to complying fully with the Children's On line Privacy Protection Act. Accordingly, if you are under the age of 13, you are not authorized to provide us with personally identifying information, and we will not use any such information in our database or other data collection activities. We appreciate your cooperation with this federally mandated requirement.

 Web Logs 
WCC may analyze our web site logs to continually improve the value of the materials available on our site. Our web site logs are not personally identifiable, and, except in cases of abusive, disruptive or illegal access, or court-ordered investigations, we make no attempt to link them with the individuals that browse WCC web sites.

 Log Information Collected and How It Is Used 
If you do nothing during your visit to WCC websites but browse or download information, we automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:

1. The IP address and domain name used but not the email address. The IP address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer. We use the IP address to direct Internet traffic to you.
2. The type of browser and operating system you used.
3. The date and time you visited this site.
4. The address of the web page you came from just prior to entering our web site.
5. The country and state you were connecting from.
6. The name of your internet service provider.
7. The web pages or services you accessed at this site.

While none of this information contains your name, it may be possible to locate your name using this information; WCC or its agents will only do so in cases of abusive, disruptive or illegal access, or court-ordered investigations.

 Correspondence 
If, during your visit to the WCC website you participate in a survey or send an email, the following additional information will be collected:

1. E-mail correspondence: The e-mail address and contents of the e-mail.
2. Surveys: Any information you volunteered in response to a survey. The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats that you have provided. We use your email to respond appropriately. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to further improve our web site, or to forward the email to another agency for appropriate action. Survey information is used for the purpose designated, and may become public information.

 Cookies 
Cookies are pieces of information that a web site transfers to your computer's hard disk for record-keeping purposes. Cookies can make a web site more useful by personalizing information for visitors and by storing information about your preferences on a particular site. The use of cookies is an industry standard, and many major web sites use them to provide useful features for their customers. Visitors can also accept or reject cookies. Most browsers are initially set up to accept cookies. If you would prefer, you can set your browser to reject cookies.

 Link Disclaimer 
WCC's website and emails sent to discussion lists have links to other websites. These include links to web sites operated by other agencies, nonprofit organizations and private businesses. When you visit another site, you are subject to the privacy policy of that site.

 Legal Notices 
Access to the WCC website(s) and email discussion list(s) is provided subject to the following terms and conditions. Please read these terms carefully as use of these sites and lists constitutes acceptance of all of the following terms and conditions:

 Disclaimer of Liability 
Neither WCC nor any of its members, volunteers, or agents shall be held liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information described and/or contained herein and assumes no responsibility for anyone's use of the information. In no event shall the WCC web site or its employees be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages (including, but not limited to, procurement or substitute goods or services; loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption) however caused and on any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of the use of this system, even if advised of the possibility of such damage. This disclaimer of liability applies to any damages or injury, including but not limited to those caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communication line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, alteration of, or use of record, whether for breach of contract, tortious behavior, negligence or under any other cause of action.

 Disclaimer of Warranties and Accuracy of Data 
Although the data found using WCC's access systems have been produced and processed from sources believed to be reliable, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of the information. WCC provides this information on an "as is" basis. All warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, freedom from contamination by computer viruses and non-infringement of proprietary rights are disclaimed. Changes may be periodically made to the information herein; these changes may or may not be incorporated in any new version of the publication. If you have obtained information from any of WCC's web pages from a source other than WCC pages, be aware that electronic data can be altered subsequent to original distribution. Data can also quickly become out of date. It is recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of any data associated with a file, and that the originator of the data or information be contacted with any questions regarding appropriate use. If you find any errors or omissions, we encourage you to report them to us via email.

 Disclaimer of Endorsement 
WCC is a distributor of content sometimes supplied by third parties and users. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, users, or others, are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and do not necessarily state or reflect those of WCC and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by WCC.

 Disclaimer for External Links 
WCC is not responsible for the contents of any off-site pages referenced. The user specifically acknowledges that WCC is not liable for the defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of other users, links, or third parties and that the risk of injury from the foregoing rests entirely with the user. Links from WCC's web pages on the World Wide Web to other sites do not constitute an endorsement from WCC. These links are provided as an information service only. It is the responsibility of the user to evaluate the content and usefulness of information obtained from other sites. WCC's web site(s) and email list(s) contain links to other related World Wide Web Internet sites and resources. For the availability of these outside resources or their contents, you should direct any concerns regarding any external link to its site administrator or webmaster.

 Disclaimer of Duty to Continue Provision of Data 
Due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, the location of items may change as menus, homepages, and files are reorganized. The user expressly agrees that use of WCC's web site and email list(s) are at the user's sole risk. WCC does not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted or error free. The documents and related graphics published on this server could contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically added to the information herein. WCC may make improvements and/or changes in the information and/or programs described herein at any time.

 Choice of Law 
The laws of the State of California, U.S.A., thereof govern construction of the disclaimers above and resolution of disputes. The laws of the State of California shall apply to all uses of this data and this system. By use of this system and any data contained therein, the user agrees that use shall conform to all applicable laws and regulations and user shall not violate the rights of any third parties.

 Tell us what you think 
WCC welcomes your questions and comments about our privacy statement. Please send e-mail to mail@westerncaves.org