USER INFORMATION

During your visit to this site, PebblePlace.com does not collect and store any user-identifiable information about you that you do not specifically volunteer. This information may be volunteered when you create a account in the PebblePlacePhotography.com user forums. PebblePlace.com and / or PebblePlacePhotography.com only uses that stored information to allow you to log in and post messages.

Email messages submitted to PebblePlace.com are read, replied to and deleted. Email addresses are not collected, stored, redistributed or used for any other purpose other than the reason for which they were submitted. PebblePlace.com does not have a mailing list, subscription or newsletter.

While browsing the site, PebblePlace.com may automatically collect certain non-user-identifiable information about you, such as the type of browser you use. This is standard practice for web sites and the information collected is not used for any purpose other than to evaluate whether this site is properly designed for those who are visiting it. The statistical data is used to track number of clicks per page, number of unique users per month, screen resolution, browser type, etc. For example, only 33% of our traffic is from the United States and 20% of the visitors spend 1 hour or more viewing pages.

COOKIES

PebblePlace.com may use cookies to make it easier for repeat visitors to access this site. Cookies are used in the forums to keep track of which messages have been posted since your last visit, easing the navigation of the forums. Cookies can also store your forum user name and password so that you do not have to log in each time you want to post a message (this applies to PebblePlacePhotography.com).

Cookies may also be used by advertisers and third party ad brokers running advertisements on PebblePlace.com. Cookies are used so that PebblePlace.com receives credit if the reader clicks an advertisement and makes a subsequent purchase. This is common practice on the internet and any site that advertises will use a similar mechanism.

GOOGLE ANALYTICS

PebblePlace.com Google Analytics to track the traffic statistics - such as what pages were viewed, what site referred the reader to PebblePlace.com and so forth. Technically they gather and compile the traffic data, NOT PebblePlace.com. The traffic data helps us determine which topics readers prefer. Google Analytics is a FREE service from Google. Google Analytics can be used to track all your website traffic - up to 5 million hits per month.

GOOGLE ADSENSE, COMMISSION JUNCTION AND DOUBLECLICK.COM

PebblePlace.com participates in Google’s AdSense programs to help offset the expenses of running PebblePlace.com and PebblePlacePhotography.com. Adding AdSense has been pretty easy thus far, and once the HTML snippets are in place, AdSense more or less runs itself. I do not know what information Google  captures when a reader visits our site. To minimize click-fraud, Google is secretive about AdSense.

In 2007 Google purchased DoubleClick.com. As of 2008 the purchase has been completed and Google has begun to integrate the DoubleClick program into their AdSense offering. We are not tech-heads here, so if you want to read more about the DoubleClick.com acquisition - here is Google’s press release.

When clicking on an ad in the Affiliates box, an advertiser number is passed along from PebblePlace.com to the advertising company’s site (ie - say SmugMug for example). This way if you sign up for SmugMug’s photo hosting service, PebblePlace.com gets credit for the sale. Once at the advertiser company’s website, they may collect info - there simply is know what for us (PebblePlace.com) to know. More information about Commission Junction can be found at their website.

PebblePlace.com and PebblePlacePhotography.com may add or terminate affiliate relationships at anytime. PebblePlace.com and PebblePlacePhotography.com make no representations or warranties with respect to this website, its content or the manuscript, are provided for use “as is” and is without warranty of any kind. PebblePlace.com and PebblePlacePhotography.com are not liable for any losses or injury arising from inaccurate information.

PebblePlace.com and PebblePlacePhotography.com are not liable for any price changes or price errors at B&H Photo or other companies advertising on PebblePlace.com or PebblePlacePhotography.com. PebblePlace.com makes a best effort to ensure the ads presented on PebblePlace.com are relevant and from reputable companies. With Google’s AdSense program we have very little control over this.