Traffic data
Each time a visitor comes to a Grade-Maker™ Web site, our servers -- like most on the Web -- collect some basic technical information, including, for example, the visitor's domain name (e.g., whether the user is logged on from aol.com or whitehouse.gov), referral data (e.g., we record the address of the last URL a user visited prior to clicking through to a Grade-Maker™ Web site) and browser and platform type (e.g., a Netscape browser on a Macintosh platform).

We also count, track and aggregate the visitor's activity into our analysis of general traffic flows at our sites (e.g. tracking where traffic comes from, how traffic flows within the Grade-Maker™ sites, etc.). To these ends, we may merge information about visitors and visits into group data, which may then be shared on an aggregated basis with our advertisers; but we will not disclose your individual identity or personally identifiable data without your permission. When we do present aggregated information to outside companies, no one will be able to identify you or contact you.

Use of Grade-Maker™ cookies
A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a Web server and stored on your computer's hard drive. We use cookies in a limited way to help deliver advertisements, to identify unique browsers that visit us and to track usage throughout our site. We also use cookies on our Salon Shopping site to make the ordering process more convenient for users.

Other companies which place advertising on our site also have the ability to assign their cookies to you in a process that Grade-Maker™ does not control. However, cookies cannot be used to identify individuals, only machines, so these advertisers will not know who you are.

E-mail newsletters
Grade-Maker™ sends a variety of e-mail newsletters to registrants in the Grade-Maker™ Membership program who have requested them. The URLs (Web links) in these newsletters contain unique codes that allow Grade-Maker™ to gauge the effectiveness of the newsletters and determine how they are being used. This information is valuable to us in the aggregate, but Grade-Maker™ makes no use of it to track any individual user's clicks.

Letters to the editor
Grade-Maker™ asks senders of letters to the editor to include a phone number so we can make an effort to verify their identity should we need to in connection with publication of a letter. We do not retain this information for any other purpose, nor do we sell, trade or otherwise disclose it to third parties.

"Send This Page to a Friend" feature
Grade-Maker™ offers an "Send This page to a Friend" feature, allowing site visitors to send e-mail to friends to inform them about an article or other content they might be interested in reading. In order for this feature to function, we ask for e-mail addresses for the recipient (so we know who to mail the message to) and from the sender (so we can tell the recipient who sent the e-mail). We do not store or save these addresses and you will not receive e-mail or other communications from Grade-Maker™ or its partners as a result of having used this feature.

"Send This page to a Friend" is a mail service that individual visitors to Grade-Maker™ make use of to send individual e-mails. While this tool cannot be used to send mass "spam" mailings, Grade-Maker™ has no control over how our visitors use it, and any e-mail sent through it originates with, and is the responsibility of, the sender, not Grade-Maker™.

Promotion
From time to time, Grade-Maker™ may sponsor sweepstakes, contests or other events which require the collection, processing and storage of individual contact and demographic information (e.g., your age and state of residence) to be used for the event. Grade-Maker™ may also co-sponsor these events along with other companies, in which case the user's individual contact and demographic information is likely to be shared with other participating sponsors, who may use this information as they wish. A registrant's personal contact and demographic information will not be released to any third-party organization other than named sponsors without the user's consent, and Grade-Maker™ will request that such named sponsors uphold the privacy of the registrants' information by not distributing or sharing such information with any other businesses or organizations.

Surveys
Grade-Maker™ will from time to time conduct voluntary surveys of visitors to the site to obtain aggregate demographic information about them. Such information may be compiled and shared in the aggregate with advertisers and other third parties, but no personal details will be traceable or associated with specific individuals.

Our commitment to children's privacy
Protecting the privacy of the very young is important to us. For that reason, we do not collect or maintain information at our Web sites from those we actually know are under 13, and no part of our Web site is structured to attract anyone under 13.

Other disclosure of personal information
Grade-Maker™ will not otherwise use or disclose your personal information without your consent except (i) as described in this privacy policy, or (ii) as required by law, court order or as requested by other government or law enforcement authority. This policy does not protect information you post to any on-line bulletin board, chat room, newsgroup or other public forum within our Web sites.

Unsubscribe and data removal policies
Any member may request removal at any time simply by emailing: Grade-Maker™ and referencing your member email address at time of sign up, username and zip code. For confirmation purposes we will send you an email which you simply reply to, to confirm your removal request.

Other sites
Grade-Maker™ contains many links to other sites on the Web. We cannot control and are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such other Web sites.

Who can I ask if I have any additional questions?
If you have any further questions or concerns about the Grade-Maker™ privacy policies and use of personal information, please send them to Grade-Maker™ .

Read Our Legal Policy