Privacy

Making Links Privacy Policy

The organisers of the Making Links Conference (MLC) recognise the importance of protecting the privacy of all individual users of the Making Links website and protecting the security of information held on clients
Security of communications and transactions over the Internet is of prime concern for MLC and strenuous efforts are made to protect the privacy of all information provided by users this web site.

MLC does not collect any personal information from a visitor to its site unless that visitor explicitly and intentionally provides it. Personally identifiable information is not shared with other companies or organisations.

Collection of information

Conference Registration and abstract submissions
During registration and abstract submission, users are required to give their contact information (such as name, e-mail address, mailing address and phone number) and other information such as job title and organisation. This information is used for conference administrative purposes. Information about presenters such as name, job title and organisation will be included on the conference web page displaying their abstract or presentation.

Online registration payment is managed through Paymate, an independent payment gateway, which collects credit card information. This is used for billing purposes only and is not otherwise shared.

Email list
Conference registrants are advised to subscribe to the website e-mail list. The e-mail address they are asked to provide is used for sending information about the conference and related events. This is an automated process.

Recipients of MLC emails can unsubscribe using the instructions listed at the end of the e-mail newsletter.

Online Forms
From time to time MLC may invite users to provide information via online forms. Participation in these surveys is completely voluntary and the user therefore has a choice whether to disclose requested information (such as name and mailing address) and demographic information (such as postcode or job title).

Communications

Communications with MLC
Email requests relating to conference business may be forwarded as needed to best respond to a specific request. MLC may retain any e-mails and other information sent to it for its internal administrative purposes and to help it improve its services. This information is not provided to any outside organisation.

Communications from MLC
In order to best serve conference delegates and presenters, MLC may send updates that contain important information about the conference. MLC may also communicate with a site user to provide requested services and for conference-related issues via e-mail, phone,fax or regular mail.

Statistics & security

Statistical Information
The MLC website is hosted by InfoXchange Australia (IXA). IXA computers automatically collect statistics about visits to its site. This information does not include personal information but only information about the visit.

IXA may collect statistics such as how many people visit its site, users' IP addresses, which pages people visit, from which domains visitors come and which browsers people use.
These statistics are used for aggregation purposes only and to help improve the performance of IXA services.

IXA uses "cookies," a piece of data stored on the user's hard drive containing information about the user. Cookies benefit the user by requiring login only once, thereby saving time while on the site. If users reject the cookies, they may be limited in the use of some areas of the site.

Microsoft Internet Explorer® users can find more information about "cookies" on the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/info/cookies.htm?RLD=291.

Netscape Navigator® users can go to the Netscape Web site at http://home.netscape.com/security/basics/privacy.html#cookies.

For infomration about Firefox go to http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/options#privacy.

Security
MLC host IXA supports secure online transactions using secure server technology or Secure Socket Layer (SSL). The secure server technology used in IXA applications that require information to be provided about clients encrypts personal information before it is transmitted over the Internet. That means information such as name and address is protected in a secret code during transmission. This technology works best when the store site is viewed using a browser that supports secure server technology.

In addition, access to all of users' information, not just the sensitive information mentioned above, is restricted. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, an account officer or a User Support Officer) are granted access to personally identifiable information.

Finally, the servers on which IXA stores personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment and are monitored twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Infoxchange Australia is a trusted Thawte ISP partner.

Notification and changes

If the MLC privacy policy is changed, those changes will be posted on this page so that users are aware of what information is collected, how it is used and under what circumstances, if any, it is disclosed. Users should check this policy frequently to keep abreast of any changes.

Contact web@afao.org.au for questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site or any related dealings with MLC.