topbanner_forum
  *

avatar image

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
  • Thursday March 28, 2024, 7:52 pm
  • Proudly celebrating 15+ years online.
  • Donate now to become a lifetime supporting member of the site and get a non-expiring license key for all of our programs.
  • donate

Author Topic: Privacy Page for DonationCoder.com Posted -- Suggestions Wanted  (Read 21343 times)

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
So I finally got around to adding a "Privacy Policy" page to the help section on the DonationCoder.com site.

Basically it's meant to say that we will do nothing bad at all with user email and info and reassure people that we aren't trying to build a mailing list to sell or share or spam.

I'd love to have suggestions on how it could be improved, or anything i should mention and don't, or anything that's not clear, or any concerns anyone might have.

https://www.donation...r.com/Help/entry/75/

-mouser

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Privacy Page for DonationCoder.com Posted -- Suggestions Wanted
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2008, 06:28 AM »
We do strongly try to encourage people on this site to sign up at the forum in order to download free license keys, and I can completely understand that people might be concerned and suspicious about why we want them to sign up.

So of the things I was hoping to do on that page is allay people's fears that we are trying to collect emails for some nefarious spam-related purpose, and make clear why we ask them to sign up.

Personally i think the entire internet is out of control with spam and we should make spamming a serious crime.

wanderer

  • Charter Member
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 14
  • I never knew what real happiness was until I got m
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Privacy Page for DonationCoder.com Posted -- Suggestions Wanted
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2008, 07:22 AM »
I've been a member since the early days.I can confirm that I have had not spam from any members on this site.

Spammers should be taken outside and shot........................with rusty bullets. Then hung out for the crows.
I never knew what real happiness was until I got married,......... by then, it was too late.

f0dder

  • Charter Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 9,153
  • [Well, THAT escalated quickly!]
    • View Profile
    • f0dder's place
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Privacy Page for DonationCoder.com Posted -- Suggestions Wanted
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2008, 10:17 AM »
The only thing I get "spammed" with from DC is the topic reply notification emails - and that's by choice :Thmbsup: :-*
- carpe noctem

app103

  • That scary taskbar girl
  • Global Moderator
  • Joined in 2006
  • *****
  • Posts: 5,884
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Privacy Page for DonationCoder.com Posted -- Suggestions Wanted
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2008, 03:18 AM »
That page is fine for a brief intro to a privacy policy, but it is lacking in some areas.

You do collect more than email addresses,for example

  • member kits, and some prizes like cody mugs require a name & shipping address (explain what you do with that info and how long it is kept)
  • software giveaways (winner may have his email address & name revealed to a 3rd party in order to get the license for the software they won)
  • visitors will have their IP in your server logs (explain what you do with that data)
  • you offer paypal as an option for donating to the site (should have link to paypal's privacy policy)
  • other donating options (link to each 3rd party privacy policy)
  • you have google analytics installed on the site that collects data (explain what you do with that data, that google has access to it, and should include link to google's privacy policy)
  • cookies on the forum (should state purpose, how to get rid of them, how to avoid them, and what happens if you don't accept them)

You should also explain how a visitor can view, correct, and/or have removed, any personal information you may have about them.

Plus the usual part about if the US government or a court of law demands the info, and you are legally required to supply it, they will get it.

That's just off the top of my head, for starters.

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Privacy Page for DonationCoder.com Posted -- Suggestions Wanted
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2008, 04:01 AM »
Great suggestions app!
I've updated the page now, can you have a look and see what you think now?

app103

  • That scary taskbar girl
  • Global Moderator
  • Joined in 2006
  • *****
  • Posts: 5,884
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Privacy Page for DonationCoder.com Posted -- Suggestions Wanted
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2008, 04:38 AM »
Looks good now...if I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Privacy Page for DonationCoder.com Posted -- Suggestions Wanted
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2008, 04:47 AM »
I've now linked to the privacy page from donation, about, forum signup, and other pages.

f0dder

  • Charter Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 9,153
  • [Well, THAT escalated quickly!]
    • View Profile
    • f0dder's place
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Privacy Page for DonationCoder.com Posted -- Suggestions Wanted
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2008, 09:28 AM »
s/dissapear/disappear - and perhaps "we will be happy to do so" from that section should be changed to "we will do it with no questions asked" or similar, because we're never really happy about losing a member, are we? :)

I really like how the page is split into sections, makes it a lot easier to read than those massive blurbs you usually just click "I accept" without reading the crap. And it's kept in human-understandable language (boy do I hope you'll never need it translated to legalese).

Oh, as a final thing: once the privacy page is stable, if you need to make changes later on, it would be very nice if you keep a public diff/changelog (and perhaps also archived old-versions), imho that would be a real sign that DC is serious & friendly and doesn't try to sneak things in through the back door.
- carpe noctem

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Privacy Page for DonationCoder.com Posted -- Suggestions Wanted
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2008, 09:31 AM »
thanks for comments f0dder.

Oh, as a final thing: once the privacy page is stable, if you need to make changes later on, it would be very nice if you keep a public diff/changelog (and perhaps also archived old-versions), imho that would be a real sign that DC is serious & friendly and doesn't try to sneak things in through the back door.

good point, i will start a section on that page for change revision list.

housetier

  • Charter Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 1,321
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Privacy Page for DonationCoder.com Posted -- Suggestions Wanted
« Reply #10 on: August 15, 2008, 03:43 AM »
Before we can shoot or hang spammers we have to find them first.  That is where the problem lies, not with the punishment, but with "catching 'em".

justice

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • **
  • Posts: 1,898
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Privacy Page for DonationCoder.com Posted -- Suggestions Wanted
« Reply #11 on: August 15, 2008, 04:35 AM »
I'd take out the capitals in the headings, because it looks rude/yelling. Anything that shows how friendly DC is the better in my opinion. Also the font seems to be larger than other pages. Maybe add a link to this thread to show you're always willing to listen to ways to improve it (might not be apparent for a new visitor).  Also should a privacy page list how long they keep the information for? I'm not sure how complete you want it to be :)

Great work!
« Last Edit: August 15, 2008, 04:38 AM by justice »