Due to the subject matter of The Growery, many visitors are concerned about maintaining their privacy and anonymity while browsing the site. This document explains when and why we might store information about you without your explicit consent, and how you can prevent such information from being recorded.
IP Logging:
Your IP address is like your telephone number on the internet. It may change from time to time, but while you have it, it's unique to your computer. IP addresses can be used to determine the identity of your ISP (internet service provider), and to discover its general geographic location. Your ISP keeps log files which can be used to match your IP address with your account information.
Like most websites, the Growery maintains an access log which includes IP address information. This is done for our security and yours. These logs are deleted from the server periodically, but we make no specific guarantees about their longevity. Your IP is also stored indefinitely when you file a support ticket, register a new account, or post on our message board, and we reserve the right to log IPs at any time and for any duration. To prevent your personal IP address from being logged you can use TOR, a VPN, a proxy server, etc. The site's functionality may be impaired when you anonymize your connection.
Technical Information:
Our access logs also contain technical information about our users' computers, including (but not limited to) their browsers, operating systems, and what sites referred them to the Growery. Technical information is retained and used by the Growery to improve site compatibility and guide development. It may be shared in aggregate with third parties, but no personally identifiable information will be made available. To prevent technical information about your computer from being logged you must access the site using a proxy server or a third party web anonymizer. The site's functionality may be impaired when technical information about your computer is not available.
Cookies:
Cookies are small pieces of data which the Growery stores on your hard drive. The cookies we set can only be read by the Growery - your web browser will not allow any other site to access the data. Cookies have an expiration date, so that they don't stay on your hard drive forever. Your browser automatically deletes cookies which have expired.
The Growery sets several cookies to enhance the browsing experience. They are used to store user preferences, technical data, and for statistical tracking. You can prevent the Growery from setting cookies on your hard drive by configuring your web browser to reject cookies, to prompt you before accepting them, or by installing a third party cookie utility. The site's functionality may be impaired when cookies are disabled.
Third Parties:
The Growery uses Cloudflare to help improve performance and protect against online threats. As part of this service, Cloudflare intercepts and analyzes traffic from this site. However, they have their own privacy policy and have established a good record of protecting their clients. You cannot bypass Cloudflare when visiting the Growery, but if you are concerned about your anonymity you can obscure your identity using TOR, a VPN, a proxy server, etc. The site's functionality may be impaired when you anonymize your connection.
Usage:
The Growery will never sell, give, share or transfer any information we collect about our users, except as outlined below:
- The Growery is incorporated and hosted in the United States. In the event that we are served with a legal subpoena, we may provide the information as required by law.
- If a user is engaged in activities which may cause harm to our servers or community, such as spamming, fraud, or hacking, we reserve the right to file reports with relevant blacklists, service providers, and authorities.
- If we have reason to believe that a user may be in imminent danger of harming him or herself, or others, we reserve the right to share any identifying information with police, emergency services, and anyone else in a position to render assistance.
- We may provide aggregate user information to third parties such as advertisers, but no personally identifiable information will be made available.
The Growery is concerned with maintaining our users' privacy and we are constantly striving to create a secure and anonymous environment. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.
As of this date, Mind Media, Inc. has never been the recipient of a gag order. We would expect to challenge such an order if served on us.
Last Updated: October 19, 2023 by Ythan
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