Alumbo is committed to safeguarding your privacy online. Please read the following policy to understand how your personal information will be treated as you make use of this website. (Last updated December 6, 2001).

What information is collected?

Alumbo! collects information in several places -- when you sign up for membership or make changes to your membership profile, when you ask to be added to the distribution list for our email newsletters, when you submit content, etc. The more accurate information you provide, the better and more relevant you'll find your online experience.

If you purchase a product or service from Alumbo (including advertising or sponsorship) we may request your credit card information. Any time we use a credit card number we transmit that information in an encrypted format. We use the industry-standard SSL (secure socket layer) encryption.

The majority of products and services shown on our website are in fact not offered by Alumbo, but by independant merchants. For your convenience, we provide a link to that vendor's website so you can learn more about the offering, and perhaps make a purchase. In that case, Alumbo does not see your credit card information -- you are dealing solely with that independant merchant. Please note that any websites you visit (for information or to purchase products or services) are independent organizations and are not endorsed or monitored by Alumbo They may have different operating policies and practices. You are encouraged to check each site individually.

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What are cookies?

To allow us to offer you a customizable and personalized online experience, Alumbo uses "cookies" to store information. A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from our web server and stored on your computer's hard drive (we do not collect any information from your hard drive). The cookie file is created automatically when you connect to the Alumbo website.

For example, we use a cookie to track the last time you visited the site. This allows us to show you which items are new since that time. Note: if you modify your browser settings to not accept cookies, you may find you are unable to use many Alumbo website features.

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How does Alumbo use my information?

The Alumbo website is primarily about community. It is a place for like-minded people to meet and exchange ideas and opinions in a variety of areas. When we collect personal information our goal is to tailor the website so it best suits your interests and desires. We regularly collect and categorize a tremendous amount of information about resources, products, services and discussions that might interest you. Knowing your preferences helps us sift through this information to deliver what is most relevant and important for you.

Virtually all the information on the Alumbo site is made available at no charge to our visitors. Membership is also free. To support this service, we display advertisements and paid listings on the site. By knowing a little about you, Alumbo is able to deliver more relevant ads and content, and hence make the website more meaningful and useful to you. It also satisfies advertisers who wish to reach a specific audience.

To allow us to improve our service and evolve this website, we analyze our users' demographics, interests, and behavior based on the information they provide as well as from our server log files. This research is compiled and analyzed on an aggregated basis (ie, we don't focus on the details of a particular member). Alumbo may share this aggregated data with advertisers or other business partners.

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With whom does Alumbo share my information?

In general, Alumbo will not disclose any of your personal information with any third party without your permission. Alumbo does not sell or rent user information to anyone. The only exceptions to this are with aggregated or summarized data, as described above (in which case information is not personally identifiable) or if Alumbo.com were to merge with or have its assets acquired by another company.

We may disclose personal information in cases where we believe in good faith that the law requires it or in circumstances when we have reason to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be violating our Terms of Service or who may (either intentionally or unintentionally) be causing injury to or interference with Alumbo's rights or property, other Alumbo users, or anyone else that could be harmed by such activities.

Also, Alumbo may access account information for administrative and other purposes that we deem necessary to maintain and enhance our products and services.

Please note that this site maintains and also links to various discussion groups, including chat rooms, forums, message boards, and internet newsgroups. Remember that any information you disclose in these areas becomes public information. You should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information.

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Can I update or delete my personal information?

All of your personal information is under your control. Using your unique Email Address and Password, you can update any of your membership data as well as personal preferences at any time. You can subscribe and unsubscribe to email newsletters and other services at any time. We recommend that you do not give your password to anyone. Alumbo will never ask you for your password in an unsolicited phone call or email. If you are using a computer in a public place like a library or Internet cafe, remember to log out of your Alumbo account and close your browser window when you have finished your visit.

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How is my anonymity protected if I submit content?

We encourage all members to submit content to the Alumbo site. This is what makes Alumbo a truly interactive forum. When you submit content to the site, you specify the anonymity level you desire for that item. For example, you may ask to remain completely anonymous, show your online nickname only, or show your real name with a link to your bio and photo. You may choose different anonymity levels for different submissions. For example, you may want to show only your nickname when submitting a book review, but use your full name and bio when you submit a feature article.

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Is Alumbo a child-friendly site?

The safety and privacy of children online is of utmost importance to us. Alumbo recommends that parents or other responsible adults accompany children online at all times, and this site is no exception. The Alumbo website certainly includes a wealth of valuable information that may be very helpful for children and teens, but by its very nature the website also contains material that may not be suitable, or that may be confusing, for children. Alumbo will not accept membership requests from minors (children under the age of 18). Instead, we suggest they ask their parents to sign up and use the website with them.

This is also an egalitarian site, encouraging input and discussion on a variety of topics from varying points of view. For the most part, Alumbo lets its member community determine what subject matter is considered appropriate. You should expect that some of this subject matter will not be appropriate for children.

The previous point notwithstanding, Alumbo does not condone, and will not publish or link to, any material that is pornographic, deals in hatred or intolerance for any group, exploits or demeans children (or any person for that matter), or is in any way unlawful, abusive, libelous, infringes intellectual property rights, or is similarly objectionable. If you see something on our website, or on a site to which we link, that you feel contravenes this policy, please let us know.

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Please also read our Terms of Service. If you have any questions about our Privacy Pledge, our business practices, or your dealings with the Alumbo web site, please contact us.