We employ the use of cookie technology and web beacons throughout our site, to allow you to move more quickly and securely through our pages. Along with a registration process that uses data encryption, we offer consistently secure, efficient online sessions that allow you to validate your subscription, access your account and retain some personal settings so you can read what you want, the way that you want it. And this is all made possible by cookie technology. Below you'll find information describing our specific use of cookies, which are an inherent part of our production process and have enabled us to better serve you.
What's a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file that's sent to your computer or other device by a site's server. A cookie can be a record of your visit to a site, including information such as your User Name, time of last visit, pages viewed, etc. Contrary to what you might read elsewhere, cookies cannot get information from your hard drive against your will, destroy files, send you viruses, etc. An important point: Cookies can only contain as much information as you disclose to the site that sent it to you! In our case, that means any information included in your subscription form or that you input during the customization of our site.
Why do you use cookies?
We use cookies for basic reasons: To allow you to move more quickly and securely through our site. We accomplish this in many ways, using several different cookies. When you first enter our site, for example, we use a test cookie to confirm your browser's ability to retain cookies, check our database to verify your subscription and log the Internet protocol (IP) that your session originates from. A cookie is then temporarily "set" within your browser to allow you to proceed -- without having to ask you for your User Name and Password with each subsequent page you request. Without cookie technology, we wouldn't be able to offer you convenient features such as the ability to store your User Name and Password and save settings for your customized experience.So what's in it for me?
Here's a quick rundown of what we see as the biggest advantages of cookies:
•Faster, more secure access: So we don't have to ask you to identify yourself with each new page requested. We can also deliver you customized information and store your settings more efficiently.
•Better information: We want to give you features and services that you're interested in. By monitoring popular -- and not-so-popular -- features in an aggregate manner, we can better serve your needs.
So do you track my usage patterns using cookies?
We track the usage of various features within our sites on an aggregate basis and report this to advertisers. However, we do not track your usage or other personal information in any individually identified way.
Some web browsers may transmit “Do Not Track” signals to websites visited by the user. Our information collection and disclosure practices will continue to apply as described in this policy, regardless of any “Do Not Track” signals that are sent by certain browsers.
Will the cookies you send me go away?
Some of the cookies we use are automatically deleted from your hard drive after the end of the browser session (“session cookies”). We also use cookies that remain on your hard drive for a certain period of time (between one day and years, depending on the cookie) after the browser session. “Persistent cookies" are stored on your hard drive and will be deleted by the browser after the given time. You are, of course, free to clear any and all cookies from your hard drive any time you wish. Just search your system for any files named cookie.txt or similar and delete them at your discretion.
So should I surf your site with my browser's cookie-alert feature activated?
We'd recommend that you turn that feature off, perhaps after using the site for a day with it on so you can see our cookies firsthand if you wish. Our use of cookies ultimately helps you have a better experience here. And because we rely on cookies throughout our site, you might find it cumbersome to be alerted to each cookie you'll encounter. Many of our cookies last only for 12 hours, so you'll see them every day.
How can I amend my cookie preferences?
You can configure your browser settings to accept or reject all cookies, notify you when a cookie is set, or delete cookies that have already been set. Every browser is different, so check the "Help" menu of your browser to learn about and to change your cookie preferences. You are always free to decline our cookies if your browser permits, although you may not be able to use certain features on our site. In addition, a number of companies offer utilities designed to help you visit web sites anonymously. The site www.allaboutcookies.org includes instructions for managing cookies on many commonly used browses.
Do you use third party advertising cookies?
When you visit our site, you may receive cookies that are set by third parties. We use third party retargeting and remarketing features on our website. These technologies allow us to address internet users who previously visited the site by personalized advertising on our partners' websites. For this purpose, the retargeting or remarketing provider will store a cookie on your hard drive.
Because cookies do not contain or access any personal information, we also allow third parties, like ad networks and servers, to serve customized ads to you. As a result, third parties may access their own cookies or other tracking technologies on your computer or mobile phone. We do not have access to information collected by these third parties, nor does this Cookie Disclosure Statement or our Privacy Policy govern the use of third party cookies or similar technology.
If you do not wish to receive these tailored advertisements, you may visit the following pages to opt-out:
Do plug-ins on our site store cookies?
When you access our site, the plug-in provider may store a cookie in your browser. We have no control over the scope of the data collected by the provider by means of the plug-in.
The plug-ins may provide their hosts with information such as the date and time of your visit to our websites, your IP address, or the type of browser you use. If you are logged on to your account with the plug-in provider while visiting our websites and you interact with the plug-ins (such as by clicking the corresponding button on our website), the provider may match this information and any data you enter. Your recommendations or comments may be displayed as information, together with your profile name and photograph, in the relevant provider’s service, for instance in search results or in your user profile, or at other places on web sites and in advertisements on the internet.
If you are not a member of the relevant provider’s service, the provider may under certain circumstances nevertheless obtain and store your IP address.
For the purpose and scope of the data collection, data processing, and use of your data by the provider, as well as your related rights and opt-out possibilities, please see the privacy policies of Twitter and Google.
If you are a member of the relevant service and do not wish the service provider to collect data on you via our websites and connect them with the member data stored by the provider, you have to log off from your account with the provider before visiting our internet sites.