We automatically collect the name of the domain and host from which you access the Internet, the Internet Protocol or IP address of your computer, the browser software and operating system you are using, your geographic location, the time and date you accessed our site and the Internet address you visited just prior to visiting our Web site. It is gathered through server log files.

Personal information is also gathered when you enter a contest or promotion, request vacation delivery stop, or when you post an online ad. During these instances, our paper asks for information such as your name, e-mail address, street address, zip code, phone number, subscriber status, and credit card number. We may also ask you for other information at other times.

How is my information used?

Our paper uses information collected from server log files, such as IP addresses, to help diagnose problems with our services, to administer our Web site, and to report and gather aggregate information about site usage and user demographics. The aggregated data may be shared with advertisers or business partners. Cookies are used to store and sometimes track information about you. A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a Web service and stored on your computer's hard drive. Cookies are used to deliver targeted advertising based on your behavior or demographics and to track your number of entries in some of our promotions and contests. You can set your browser to refuse to accept cookies, but if you do we will not be able to customize the Web site's features according to your preferences. Advertising networks that serve ads into our site, such as Real Media or DoubleClick, may also use their own cookies. For more information about Real Media's use of cookies, visit http://www.realmedia.com/privacy.html. For more information about DoubleClick's use of cookies, visit http://www.privacychoices.org.

With whom is my information shared?

When you are on an area of the Web site and are asked for personal information, you are sharing that information with the newspaper and its related companiesIf you do not want your data to be shared, you can choose not to allow the transfer by not using that particular service.

Promotions and contests that run on the newspaper Web site may be sponsored by companies other than the newspaper Web site or may be co-sponsored by the newspaper Web site and another company. Some or all data collected during a promotion or contest may be shared with the sponsor. You can decide not to participate in the promotion or contest if you don't want your data to be shared.

The newspaper may make chat rooms, forums, message boards, and/or news groups available to our Web site users. Some of these forums require registration. Please remember that any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes public information and you should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information. Aggregate information compiled by the newspaper Web site may be shared with advertisers and business partners as well as used by the newspaper and its related companies. Aggregate information will not be linked to personally identifiable information.

Security of Information

When collecting credit card information for online purchases, we offer secured-server transactions that encrypt your information in transit to thwart someone from intercepting it and misusing it. When we collect other information from our users, it is stored in an area where the general public does not have access to it.

Linked Sites

Please be aware that the newspaper Web site's promotional partners, advertisers, sponsors, third-party Internet sites, and content providers accessible through our paper may have their own privacy and data collection policies and practices. The newspaper and Web site are not responsible for any actions or policies of such third party parties. Users should check the applicable privacy policies of those third parties when providing personally identifiable information through co-sponsored, affiliated or linked sites.

Children's Guidelines

The Newspaper in Education program is a free service the newspaper may offer for teachers which promotes the use of newspapers in the classroom. The information requested on these pages is used solely for participation in the particular activity, and is not stored or sold to third parties. If a question, comment, story, joke, idea or opinion is published, only the student's first name, grade and state/country appear on the site. Students are advised to consult with their parents before giving personal information online. See the Children's Privacy Policy.



PRIVACY COORDINATOR:

Martin Langeveld
Director of Interactive Media
New England Newspapers Inc.
124 American Legion Dr.
North Adams, MA 01247
(413) 663-3741, ext. 270
Email: mlangeveld@thetranscript.com