Thank you for your interest in this website’s services and privacy information. This privacy policy applies to all websites within the High Gear Media Network. Because the network sites share a common platform and registration system, the information that you provide on one site may be used when you visit any other site within the network.

This privacy policy does not apply to information that you choose to publicly post to or display on the site. Please note that you grant us a license to all publicly-posted content and it can be syndicated to other sites and content partners.

What may this site collect?
You can visit the site and use many of its features without having to identify yourself or reveal any personal information.

If you register with the site, participate or participate in various other features of the site (such as post a comment or enroll in a contest), you may be asked to provide personally identifiable information such as your name, email address, or address (“Personal Information”). In addition, you may be asked to provide non-personally identifiable information such as location, personal or professional interests, demographic information (such as age and gender), or to comment on your experience with our site and/or services. We may also get data about users from third parties.

If you register with the site through Facebook Connect, we will receive information from your Facebook profile from Facebook.

We may also collect data based on users’ usage of the site and its various features, but it is not personally identifiable except as described below under the IP Addresses section (“Aggregate Data”). In addition, we may take your personal information and create anonymized information by excluding information that makes it personally identifiable to you (“Anonymized Data”).

What about IP addresses?
We compile logs of IP addresses of site users for administrative and analytical purposes. We do not routinely collect any personally identifiable information through our compilation of IP addresses. However, in cases of suspected abuse or service problems, we may use an IP address in conjunction with other personally identifiable information to enforce our terms of use and/or to protect or troubleshoot the site, its users or others who may be affected. Except as provided in “How does this site use the data it collects?” we will not share personally identifiable information associated with IP addresses with third parties.

How does this site use and share the data it collects?
We use the data we collect from our users in the following manner:

a) to help us improve our content and services
b) to allow readers to participate in site-related activities and events
c) to show advertising and content that we think may be of interest to a particular user
d) to enforce our terms of service
e) to send mailings, as described under “How do you communicate with me?”

We may share Aggregated Data and Anonymized Data with third parties.

We will not provide your Personal Information to a third party in the absence of your express approval, except as follows:

a) With trusted third party service providers who help us in the operation of our business and who have agreed to maintain the confidentiality of the data
b) In cases of abusive behavior or suspected violations of our terms of use in order to investigate the violation and to take appropriate action
c) Where we have a good faith belief that it is required in order to respond to subpoenas, court orders, or other legal process, to prevent fraud or imminent harm, or to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims
d) If this site is sold or transferred to another company, your Personal Information will also be transferred. We will notify you if your information will be subject to a different privacy policy.

How may you communicate with me?
We may send you administrative announcements communicating information about the site, your account or content that you have posted to the account. You may not opt out of these messages. If we are required by law to provide you with any notice, such as in the event of a security breach, you consent to receiving notice to the email address you have provided us. If you sign up to receive any newsletters, you will be able to opt-out of those newsletters by following the procedures described in the newsletter.

What are our policies regarding third parties?
This privacy policy does not apply to information collected by advertisers, vendors or other third parties whose content, ads or promotions appear on our website but who operate independently of this site. It is advised that readers first check the individual privacy policies of such third parties before providing personal information.

Links to third party sites are provided solely as a convenience to our readers. If you use these links, you will leave this site. It is not possible to review all such sites and we have no control over, nor do we take responsibility for, their individual content or privacy policies.

Advertisers, survey groups and other sites linked to or from this site may seek to obtain additional information from users. For example, they may serve “cookies,” conduct surveys, request personal information or take actions not covered by our privacy policy. This information will not be gathered by or on behalf of this site unless clearly authorized and stated in such solicitations. If you choose to do business with vendors on this site, you may be asked to provide personal information, including credit and credit card data. Any information you share will be covered only by that party’s own privacy policy.

If you decide to provide any of these outside parties with credit information and other personal information, you do so entirely at your own risk.

What About “Cookies”?
“Cookies” are small pieces of information that may be served to you while visiting a Web site, and which are then stored on your computer’s hard drive.

It is possible you will be served cookies by us, by our advertisers or by the companies that help us deliver advertising on this site. Cookies help us and advertisers identify users on our site and on other sites. Please see below under “What are your advertising practices” to see how these cookies are used.

Web browsers, including Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator, automatically accept cookies. But they also offer a user the ability to block them, as well. Doing so will prevent you from using few, if any of the features of this site. Instructions for blocking cookies can be found in your browser help tab.