W-D Blog (“we”, “our”, or “us”) respects and is committed to protecting your privacy. That is why we have adopted this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy lets you know how and for what purposes we are collecting, processing, and using your information, including your Personal Information (as defined herein) and under what circumstances we may disclose that information to others. We pledge that we will take reasonable steps to ensure that your Personal Information will only be used in ways that are in compliance with this Privacy Policy.
This Privacy Policy is in effect for any web page, mobile application, intranet, email list, onsite electronic data collection, generic information, and Personal Information collected and/or owned by us, including but not limited to Synthesis, our social intranet for architects and engineers, and Synthesis Mobile, our mobile intranet application for architects and engineers, no matter the method of collection (e.g., mail, facsimile, sign-up/sign-in page), including collection through Synthesis Mobile, and any online features, services, and/or programs we offer (collectively, the “Web Properties”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Privacy Policy is not applicable to any other web page, mobile application, social media site, generic information, or Personal Information collected and/or owned by any entity other than W-D Blog.
This Privacy Policy also applies to information collected by or for us through a means other than the Web Properties. If the same information is collected through the Web Properties and through a means other than the Web Properties, the terms of this Privacy Policy shall apply.
Types of Information Collected
W-D Blog may collect information from you when you visit the Web Properties, or information that is provided on your behalf on Synthesis and Synthesis Mobile.
Personal Information: The types of personal information we collect may include, among other things (collectively, “Personal Information”): (1) contact information (e.g., name, address, phone number, email address); (2) demographic information (e.g., date of birth, gender); (3) your physical location; and (4) information or content from your mobile phonebook, microphone and camera sensor data, or your photographs. We do not collect your financial data, payment information, or government identification numbers.
Usage Information: The types of usage information we collect may include, among other things (collectively, “Usage Information”): (i) Internet Protocol (or IP) address, protocol and sequence information; browser language; browser type; domain name system requests; browsing history; number of clicks; hypertext transfer protocol headers; application client and server banners; and operating system fingerprinting data; and (ii) MAC address, device ID/UDID, or similar device-specific code used for tracking purposes and/or marketing/advertising purposes.
How Information Is Collected
We may collect Personal Information and Usage Information about you from the following sources:
information we receive from you, or on your behalf, through forms you complete, or if you contact us, for example to raise a query;
information we receive when you download and register for Synthesis Mobile, or when an account is created on your behalf on the Web Properties;
information we receive from your computer or mobile device;
information we receive from other sources, as permitted by applicable laws, rules and regulations; and
information we receive from you, even if we have not requested such information and the information is not information that we normally collect.
The Web Properties may now or in the future permit the submission of various forms of content submitted by you and other users, such as materials, statements, reviews, ratings, opinions, documents, images, graphics, logos, designs, videos, text files, audio files, and comments (collectively, “User Content”) and the hosting, sharing, downloading, publishing and/or republishing of such User Content. We allow you and your employees and personnel to electronically submit User Content using our Web Properties, and we allow you to create user accounts for use in connection with the Web Properties on behalf of your employees and personnel (each, a “User Account”).
You can use our Web Properties to restrict access to certain User Content and to certain specific users within your organization or company (“Specified Users”). These Specified Users shall have the same obligations as you with respect to the User Content and complying with this Privacy Policy. Typically, we serve as a data processor who provides a service and collects information pursuant to your direction, and we have no direct relationship with the individuals whose Personal Information is uploaded. Each company may determine its company’s policies regarding the storage, access, modification, sharing, deletion and retention of information in a User Account on behalf of its Specified Users. If you are a Specified User or any individual who has created a User Account and would no longer like to participate in the Web Properties or have your information included as part of Synthesis or Synthesis Mobile, please contact the individual at your organization or company with whom you interact with directly (the “Controller”). An individual who seeks access, or who seeks to correct, amend, or delete inaccurate data should direct queries to the Controller, and we will work with that Controller to correct or address any issues. The Controller shall be responsible for informing its Specified Users about its own privacy policy with respect to information uploaded and shared on the Web Properties and for compliance therewith.
Additional Ways that Information is Collected Through the Web Properties
Browser Log Files: Our servers may automatically log each visitor to the Web Properties and collect and record certain Usage Information about each visitor. The Usage Information reveals nothing personal about the user and includes only the generic information described in the definition of “Usage Information.” We may use this information to examine our traffic in the aggregate, but we do not collect and evaluate this information for individuals or use such information for marketing purposes.
Use of Cookies and Analytics Tools to Collect Information: We may use “cookies” to keep track of your visit and use of the Web Properties. A cookie is a small piece of data that your browser stores on your computer’s hard drive and is used to collect information, such as identifying those areas of the Web Properties that you have visited in the past in order to enhance your next visit to the Web Properties. If you would prefer not to receive cookies, you may be able to alter your browser’s configuration to refuse cookies.
We may now or in the future use analytics tools and other third party technologies, such as Google Analytics, to collect non-personal information in the form of various usage and user metrics when you use our Web Properties and/or services. These tools and technologies may collect and analyze certain types of information, including cookies, IP addresses, device and software identifiers, onsite behavior and usage information, feature use metrics and statistics, usage and purchase history, MAC Address, mobile unique device ID, and other similar information. You may opt out of Google Analytics by visiting the Google Analytics opt-out page.
Web Beacons: Some of our web pages and electronic communications may contain images, which may or may not be visible to you, known as Web Beacons (sometimes referred to as ‘clear gifs’). Web Beacons collect only limited information that includes a cookie number, time and date of a page view, and a description of the page on which the Web Beacon resides.
iBeacons and Geolocation: While using certain features of one or more of the Web Properties, we may now or in the future choose to track the physical location of your mobile device or web browser to send you information that is relevant to you, if you grant us permission at the time we seek to collect such information. WiFi and IP addresses received from your browser or device may be used to determine your approximate location. Precise GPS location from mobile devices is collected only with your permission.
Use of Collected Information
The Personal Information and Usage Information that we collect may be used for three main purposes:
To enable the features of the Web Properties, including, but not limited to setting up and managing your User Account, our processing your requests for information, and/or providing support services and other services to you;
To improve the Web Properties and to enable us to provide services to you and develop new features, functionality and services, and otherwise for our internal business purposes; and
To communicate with you and to inform you about our products, services, and features. We may send you and keep you updated with information about existing and new services, products, features and educational events by email, telephone, mail, or by means of any other contact details you provide to us. We may use your contact information or other Personal Information for our own marketing or advertising purposes. Information shared through Synthesis and Synthesis Mobile is not collected for third party marketing or advertising purposes.
This Privacy Policy is not intended to place any limits on what we can do with information that is aggregated or de-identified so it is no longer associated with an identifiable user of the Web Properties.
When Information Is Disclosed
In addition to the other times or occasions on which we might disclose Personal Information about you, we might also disclose Personal Information and/or Usage Information when required by law or in the good-faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to: (1) comply with legal processes and applicable law; (2) enforce this Privacy Policy; (3) take precautions against liability and to respond to any claim that any material, document, image, graphic, logo, design, audio, video, and any other information provided to, from or on the Web Properties by you violates the rights of third parties; (4) assist government enforcement agencies; or (5) protect our rights, property, or safety or the rights, property, or safety of our customers and the public.
We use reasonable precautions to keep the information that is disclosed to us secure. We may provide Personal Information and Usage Information to other businesses or persons for the purposes of processing such information on our behalf. We require that these parties agree to process such information in compliance with our Privacy Policy or in a similar, industry-standard manner, and we use reasonable efforts to limit their use of such information and to use other appropriate confidentiality and security measures. The use of your information by one of our trusted business partners may be subject to that party’s own privacy policy.
We reserve the right to transfer your Personal Information, as well as any information about or from you, in connection with the merger, sale or other disposition of all or part of our business and/or assets. We cannot make any representations regarding the use or transfer of your Personal Information or other information that we may have in the event of our bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, receivership, or an assignment for the benefit of creditors, and you expressly agree and consent to the use and/or transfer of your Personal Information or other information in connection with a sale or transfer of some or all of our assets in any of the above described proceedings. Furthermore, we cannot and will not be responsible for any breach of security by any third parties or for any actions of any third parties that receive any of the information that is disclosed to us.
We always have the right to disclose information about Specified Users collected using Synthesis and Synthesis Mobile to the Controller or other specifically authorized representative of the company, who is our customer, or as specifically directed by you in an agreement or other instructions. We may now or in the future disclose information, including Personal Information and/or Usage Information, about Specified Users to the Controller, or other specifically authorized representatives of the company that operates the company’s Synthesis intranet and Synthesis Mobile, in order that such company may evaluate which users are accessing Synthesis and Synthesis Mobile and to analyze searches, other usage patterns, and for the company’s other business purposes.
We may also disclose your Personal Information with your permission or as directed by you.
User Account, Password and Security
For certain features available through the Web Properties, specifically use of Synthesis and Synthesis Mobile, we may require that you create a User Account for each Specified User you wish to have access to the Web Properties. You may grant your Specified Users access to a User Account to stay connected with your company’s news, updates, and ideas, and you may, or may allow Specified Users to, post, comment, and share links and photos with other members of the company who have access to the Web Properties.
We may require the use of encryption technologies provided for your protection and/or the User Accounts. We use reasonable precautions to protect the privacy of usernames, passwords, and User Account information. We also take reasonable efforts to ensure that information collected through the Web Properties is not lost, misused or altered inappropriately by administering security measures. While we may provide certain encryption technologies and use other reasonable precautions to protect your confidential information and provide suitable security, we do not and cannot guarantee or warrant that any information transmitted through the Internet is secure, or that such transmissions are free from delay, interruption, interception, or error.
You are ultimately responsible for protecting the usernames, passwords, and User Account information from disclosure to third parties, and you are responsible for the content you post using the Web Properties. You are not permitted to circumvent the use of required encryption technologies. You agree to: (a) immediately notify us of any unauthorized use of your username, password and/or User Account and/or any other breach of security; and (b) ensure that you log out of your User Account at the end of each session.
Information from Children
We do not collect Personal Information from any person that we know to be under the age of thirteen (13). Specifically, the Web Properties are not intended or designed to attract children under the age of thirteen (13). You affirm that you are more than eighteen (18) years of age, or an emancipated minor, or possess legal parental or guardian consent, and are fully able and competent to enter into the terms, conditions, obligations, affirmations, representations, and warranties set forth in this Privacy Policy, and to abide by and comply with this Privacy Policy. In any case, you affirm that you are over the age of thirteen (13), as THE WEB PROPERTIES ARE NOT INTENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THIRTEEN (13) WHO ARE UNACCOMPANIED BY THEIR PARENT(S) OR LEGAL GUARDIAN(S).
Privacy Outside the Web Properties
The Web Properties may now or in the future contain links to other websites. We are not and cannot be responsible for the privacy practices or the content of any website that is not owned or controlled by us. Other than under agreements with certain reputable organizations and companies, and except for third party service providers (as described in this Privacy Notice), we do not share any of the Personal Information that you provide to us with any of the websites to which the Web Properties links, although we may share aggregate, non-personally identifiable information with those other third parties. Please check with those websites in order to determine their privacy policies and your rights under them.
We may use the services of third party service providers to store information collected through the Web Properties as part of your use of the Web Properties (for example, Microsoft Azure). By using our Web Properties you grant us all necessary rights and consents under applicable laws to disclose to our third party service providers – or allow such third party service providers to collect, use, retain, and disclose – any Personal Information or Usage Information for purposes of providing services to you, including data that we may collect directly from our customers using cookies or other similar means.
European Union Users
If you are visiting us from the European Union, please note that we may collect, transfer, and continue to use your Personal Information outside the European Union for any of the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. By using the Web Properties and providing us with your Personal Information, you consent to our collection, transfer, and continued use of your Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Choices with Your Personal Information
Whether you submit any Personal Information to us is entirely up to you. You are under no obligation to provide Personal Information. However, this information is essential for the provision and quality of some of the services we offer to you, including services through Synthesis and Synthesis Mobile, so we cannot provide you with certain services if you choose to withhold requested information.
You may choose to prevent us from disclosing or using your Personal Information under certain circumstances (“opt out”). You may opt out of any disclosure or use of your Personal Information for purposes that are incompatible with the purpose(s) for which it was originally collected or for which you subsequently gave authorization by notifying us by one of the methods at the end of this Privacy Policy, or by following the procedures set forth in an electronic communication from us, if applicable. Furthermore, even where your Personal Information is to be disclosed and used in accordance with the stated purposes in this Privacy Policy, you may elect to opt out of such disclosure to and use by a third party that is not acting as our agent. There are some uses from which you cannot opt out, such as to provide products or services that you have requested from us. In some instances, Specified Users will not be able to opt out of sharing on Synthesis and Synthesis Mobile and must contact the Controller to determine any procedure and policy related to opting out. We will follow instructions regarding opting out that are received from the Controller or other authorized representatives of the company that operates the company’s Synthesis intranet and Synthesis Mobile.
When you download Synthesis Mobile, you may be able to manage how your mobile device shares certain information with us by adjusting your mobile device’s privacy or security settings. In particular, you may elect whether to share location information with our mobile application to access the mobile application’s location based services.
Access and Correction
Please contact us in the manner specified at the end of this Privacy Policy to access your Personal Information in our possession and correct inaccuracies of that information in our records. We ask individuals to identify themselves and the information requested to be accessed and amended before processing such requests, and we may decline to process requests in limited circumstances, as permitted by applicable privacy legislation.
Do Not Track Requests
Additionally, because we may collect your Personal Information from time to time, California’s Online Privacy Protection Act requires us to disclose how we respond to “do not track” requests and other similar mechanisms. Currently, our policy is that we do not recognize “do not track” requests from Internet browsers and similar devices.
Your Consent to This Privacy Policy
By using the Web Properties, you consent to the collection and use of your information (including Personal Information) by us as specified above or as we otherwise see fit, in compliance with this Privacy Policy, unless you inform us otherwise by means of the procedure identified below. If we decide to change this Privacy Policy or some part of it, we will make an effort to post those changes on our Web Properties so that you will always be able to understand what information we collect, how we use that information and under what circumstances we may disclose that information to others. Your use of the Web Properties following such publication of any amendment of this Privacy Policy will signify your assent to and acceptance of its revised terms for all previously collected information and information collected from you in the future. We may use comments, information or feedback that you submit in any manner that we may choose without notice or compensation to you.
If you have additional questions or comments of any kind, or if you see anything on the Web Properties that you think is inappropriate or incorrect, please let us know by email or by sending your comments or requests to:
W-D Blog
35376 Giovanna Street Suite 442 East Julieton, WA 09608
Phone: 284-697-1351
[email protected]