Patricia McLinn (“Patricia“) operates PatriciaMcLinn.com and may operate other websites. It is Patricia’s policy to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect while operating our websites.

Website Visitors

Like most website operators, Patricia collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. Patricia’s purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how Patricia’s visitors use this website. Also so that if Patricia finds herself in the land of website statistics, she can say, “Oh, look, someone from Apollo Bay, Australia visited my site. How cool.”

From time to time, Patricia may release non-personally-identifying information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website. Although this is not likely because first Patricia would have to figure out how to do so and then have the time to follow through.

Patricia also collects potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for logged in users and for users leaving comments on patriciamclinn.com blogs/sites. Patricia only discloses logged in user and commenter IP addresses under the same circumstances that it uses and discloses personally-identifying information as described below, except that commenter IP addresses and email addresses are visible and disclosed to the administrators of the blog/site where the comment was left.

Gathering of Personally-Identifying Information

Certain visitors to Patricia’s websites choose to interact with Patricia in ways that require Patricia to gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that Patricia gathers depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, we ask visitors who sign up at patriciamclinn.com to provide a username and email address. Those who engage in transactions with Patricia are asked to provide additional information, including as necessary the personal and financial information required to process those transactions. In each case, Patricia collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor’s interaction with Patricia. Patricia does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related activities.

Okay, that’s the formal language. What happens is if you comment on her blog, your IP goes flying past as either Patricia or her assistant approve the comment. The reason the comments have to be approved is the usual 10% of zanies acting up. If you are a zany and mess up the website, Patricia will become very cranky, hold a grudge, report you to everyone possible in the harshest language her mother would allow.

Aggregated Statistics

Patricia may collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to its websites. Patricia may display this information publicly or provide it to others. Again, not likely, see above about figuring out how and having the time to do. However, Patricia does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below.

Protection of Certain Personally-Identifying Information

Patricia discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on Patricia’s behalf or to provide services available at Patricia’s websites, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others. Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organizations may be located outside of your home country; by using Patricia’s websites, you consent to the transfer of such information to them. Patricia will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone. Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above, Patricia discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request, or when Patricia believes in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of Patricia, third parties or the public at large. If you are a registered user of an Patricia website and have supplied your email address, Patricia may occasionally send you an email to tell you about new features, solicit your feedback, or just keep you up to date with what’s going on with Patricia and our products. If you send us a request (for example via email or via one of our feedback mechanisms), we reserve the right to publish it in order to help us clarify or respond to your request or to help us support other users. Patricia takes all measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorized access, use, alteration or destruction of potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information.

Okay, here’s what happens. You send your email address to join my Readers’ List. It goes into a database that only Patricia and two of her assistants have access to. It is used to send Patricia’s email notices and newsletters. She does not sell, rent, or trade these addresses. Pretty much, she tries her best to avoid doing things to you that would annoy her if done to her.

When winners of drawings and such are announced, she uses reasonable means to be sure individuals are not easily identifiable by strangers. No emails listed, usually first name and last initial, sometimes first name and hometown.

Cookies

A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. Patricia uses cookies to help Patricia identify and track visitors, their usage of Patricia website, and their website access preferences. Patricia visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using Patricia’s websites, with the drawback that certain features of Patricia’s websites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.

If “identify and track” visitors means Patricia could see what Susie or Hildegarde specifically did, that’s news to her. (See above about figuring out how and having the time to do.)

Business Transfers

If Patricia, or substantially all of its assets, were acquired, or in the unlikely event that Patricia goes out of business or enters bankruptcy, user information would be one of the assets that is transferred or acquired by a third party. You acknowledge that such transfers may occur, and that any acquirer of Patricia may continue to use your personal information as set forth in this policy.

Patricia isn’t entering bankruptcy. If Patricia goes out of business she will employ her best-faith effort to delete all subscriber information. If Patricia is still in business when she dies, her heirs are instructed to treat all subscriber information as she would.

Ads

Ads appearing on any of our websites may be delivered to users by advertising partners, who may set cookies. These cookies allow the ad server to recognize your computer each time they send you an online advertisement to compile information about you or others who use your computer. This information allows ad networks to, among other things, deliver targeted advertisements that they believe will be of most interest to you. This Privacy Policy covers the use of cookies by Patricia and does not cover the use of cookies by any advertisers.

Privacy Policy Changes

Although most changes are likely to be minor, Patricia may change its Privacy Policy from time to time, and in Patricia’s sole discretion. Patricia encourages visitors to frequently check this page for any changes to its Privacy Policy. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.

Patricia bets you can tell the legal stuff from what she wrote.