Your privacy on the Internet is important to us. As part of the operations of The Internet Connection, we do not routinely gather information about our users for distribution outside of the Internet Connection. The Internet Connection's Privacy Policy explains that information about our users is held in the strictest confidence and will not be sold, given away, traded, parlayed or exchanged with any third party except as stated in this document.

The Internet Connection collects information about users the time of account setup for contact and billing purposes. This information is closely guarded and can only be obtained by that user upon the receipt of positive identification. We use the concept of a secret word that is established at the time of account activation. The secret word is a combination of letters, numbers and/or characters unique to only that user / account that the user has designated.

Personal information is collected when users voluntarily register for membership services. These services include receiving electronic mail (an e-mail address) This information enables The Internet Connection to improve its sites to make your online visits more productive and enjoyable through the use of electronic messaging. Your Email address is never given to others.

One method of collecting information about you is by tracking your Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. An IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you connect to the Internet. The computers that deliver information to you automatically identify your computer by its IP address.

As a measure of user interest, we track search terms that are entered into our sites' search features. Search data and user-provided information help to improve the relevancy of search results by learning user preferences and prioritizing search results accordingly. The intended result is a more efficient search feature for visitors to Internet sites through the use of web content caching.

Some Internet Connection sites use cookies. Cookies are used for the purpose of your security only. We at The Internet Connection believe that your information you send over the Internet should be viewed by only two parties, yourself and your intended recipient, whether that being a single individual, as in e-mail or an audience, ie: a newsgroup.

A cookie is a small data file that Web sites store in your computer when you visit their site. Cookies permit the site to identify you, and possibly track your activity. They also allow you to visit various members-only parts of our sites without re-registering. Cookies allow web site operators to determine which areas and features of their sites are most popular by measuring user activity. This information allows them to make improvements and updates to improve your Internet experience.

Most browsers are set to accept cookies. If you prefer, you may set your browser to refuse cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. However, some parts of our sites, such as the members-only areas (i.e. web based e-mail) will not function properly if you choose not to accept cookies.

You may occasionally get cookies from advertisers. The Internet Connection does not control these cookies, and they are not subject to The Internet Connection's Privacy Policy.

The Internet Connection uses your personal information for billing and technical support purposes only.

The Internet Connection does not share information with third parties for advertising, promotional or any other purpose. The Internet Connection may share personal information with law enforcement agencies if such information is lawfully requested, or if The Internet Connection believes that our service has been used in a manner that is prohibited by our Terms and Conditions of Service.

Some, if not most Internet shopping sites allow you to make online purchases. These purchases may require credit card and personal contact information. The Internet Connection does not store your information and thus will not send it to any 3^rd parties. Only the merchant will receive your information when you make your purchase, using encryption technology to protect your information during this transfer, as long as the merchant uses Secure Server Software, also known as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology.

SSL encrypts all of your personal information transmitted over the Internet, such as your credit card number and name and address. This technology is designed to protect your information by rendering it useless, should it ever be intercepted in transit. We will continue to provide the highest level of security by implementing improved technologies as they become available.

Note that online merchants follow separate privacy policies. When you visit a web site, you should read their privacy policy if it is available. The Internet Connection is not responsible for policies other than our own. For more information about a merchant's policy, visit the merchant's home page and read carefully its privacy policy.

Since the Internet is generally considered to be an adult venue, The Internet Connection encourages parents and guardians to spend time with their children online, and to be familiar with the sites their children visit. The Internet Connection will not knowingly provide an Internet access account to anyone under the age of 18 without parental approval.

We do not offer any Internet sites that cater primarily to children.

Information posted to message boards, chat areas, clubs and home pages is available to the general public. Please use caution when posting any such information. Users under the age of 18 should be particularly careful not to provide any personally identifying information while using chat rooms or message boards. Users of chat areas and message boards must follow acceptable standards of behavior when posting messages online. The Internet Connection reserves the right to, but is not obligated to, refuse or delete any content that in our sole discretion is considered inappropriate.

The Internet Connection sites contain links to sites other than our own. Those sites may not follow the same privacy policies as The Internet Connection. Such links may be to advertisers, content providers or partners who may use our logo and/or style as a result of a co-branding agreement. These sites may send their own cookies to you, and may collect information and use it in a way inconsistent with The Internet Connection's privacy policy. The Internet Connection does not control the content that appears on these sites. Such sites may contain information that content providers independent of The Internet Connection have created, maintained, published, posted or otherwise made available.

The use of any information or materials that you may access at these external sites is purely voluntary. You should not rely on the contents without independent and thorough review of the accuracy, completeness, effectiveness, and correct sequencing. These external sites may also refer to specific commercial products, processes, or services by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer or otherwise. Unless The Internet Connection has provided explicit authority, such references in no way indicate our endorsement, recommendation or preference.

No transmission of data over the Internet is guaranteed to be completely secure. It may be possible for third parties not under the control of The Internet Connection to intercept or access transmissions or private communications unlawfully. While we strive to protect your personal information, The Internet Connection cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us. Any such transmission is done at your own risk.

Under no circumstances, including but not limited to negligence, shall The Internet Connection be liable for any special, incidental or consequential damages that result from the use of the information or materials on sites other than The Internet Connection.

The Internet Connection reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time. Any such changes will be posted online.

Questions should be directed to support@intcon.net.

Copyright © 2000 by: Cottage Software Inc, Tulsa, OK USA