They don’t collect any info that could really affect you though, unless you give it to them. The statistical (general) info doesn’t really have any personal info, and the other stuff you can fake. I mean, in the “Name” field I always put “OpalCat” not my real name. You could put “SDMB Member” for all I care ;). You can put a bogus email address if you want. Since I’m the one who manages the ring, if you put no@thank.you as your email address I’ll go ahead and add you to the ring anyway.
MANY sites collect info like IP, OS, browser, etc. I’m sure this site does it too. No one goes in and picks out individuals though. If you want to see the typical kind of use of this kind of information, see a report on my own site, which describes accesses to my homepage for the last two weeks: http://fathom.org/opalcat/reports/log_agents.html
As you can see it isn’t threatening at all. (It is totally your choice, I’m just giving info.)
Here is what webring says about the whole issue:
A. WEBRING’S COLLECTION AND USE OF GENERAL INFORMATION
FROM MEMBERS AND VISITORS
WebRing collects information from all Visitors to our site, including IP
address, operating system, and browser software. Using your IP address,
we can determine your Internet Service Provider and your geographic
location. This information reflects the population as a whole rather than
focusing on individuals, and we use it to identify the most popular Rings,
portals and other areas on our Web site and evaluate the effectiveness of
our promotional activities.
We also use this information to perform statistical analyses of collective
characteristics and behavior, so we can measure overall Visitor
demographics and interests regarding the Site. For example, we disclose
the aggregate data to advertisers to inform them of the number (and
characteristics) of people who have seen and clicked on their
advertisements.
WebRing does not collect the e-mail addresses of people who
communicate with us via e-mail; we use the addresses only to respond to
them.
B. WEBRING'S COLLECTION AND USE OF PERSONAL IDENTIFYING
INFORMATION FROM ITS MEMBERS AND VISITORS
Personal identifying information includes:
Home or other physical address
Phone number
Any other information that identifies a specific individual
Any information which, when tied to the above listed specific
information, can identify a specific individual.
The only personal identifying information we currently collect is the first
and last name and e-mail address of RingMasters and Ring Members. We
collect this information at various locations throughout the site, including
Create a New Ring and Join an Existing Ring processes. We give notice at
each location that asks for personal identifying information, and such
information will be used only for the purposes stated at the location of the
collection, and/or within this Privacy Statement. When we collect personal
identifying information, you will always have the choice of whether or not to
provide it. However, you may not be able to receive certain of WebRing?s
services without providing the information requested.
We use this information for administrative and other purposes that we
believe are necessary to maintain, improve and enhance our services.
Such uses include data transmission, surveys of our Members conducted
by third parties, sending e-mail messages to all of our Members. We may
use third parties to provide these services.
WebRing fully cooperates with law enforcement agencies in identifying
those persons who use our services for illegal activities, and we reserve
the right to release personal identifying information about Members when
we believe our services are being used unlawfully even without a subpoena,
warrant or court order.
We do not control the actions of our Members or Visitors. If you disclose
personal information on your Ring or to others, it may be collected and
used by others. WebRing does not assume any responsibility for actions
of those other parties.
When you join a Ring, personal identifying information is also collected by
the RingMaster. RingMasters are independent of WebRing, and are only
permitted to use the information collected in order to administer the Ring,
and to send messages to Ring Members. If you believe that any
RingMaster is misusing personal identifying information please contact us
at: privacy@webring.org.
–
From an actual catalog: “Disco balls create an enchanting, dazzling effect of light shafts, adding movement and glamour to any occasion”
the Abrams’ bris was certainly memorable
O p a l C a t
www.opalcat.com
