Privacy Policy for Helpdesk Services

Your privacy is critically important to us. At Helpdesk we have a few fundamental principles:

Below is our privacy policy which incorporates these goals:

If you have questions about accessing or correcting your personal data please contact our support team.

Alexander Brausewetter ("Helpdesk") operates several websites including helpdeskhq.com. It is Helpdesk's policy to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect while operating our websites.

Website Visitors

Like most website operators, Helpdesk collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. Helpdesk's purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how Helpdesk's visitors use its website. From time to time, Helpdesk may release non-personally-identifying information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website.

Helpdesk also collects potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for logged in users and for users leaving comments on Helpdesk websites. Helpdesk only discloses logged in user and commenter IP addresses under the same circumstances that it uses and discloses personally-identifying information as described below, except that site commenter IP addresses are visible and disclosed to the administrators of the site where the comment was left.

Gathering of Personally-Identifying Information

Certain visitors to Helpdesk's websites choose to interact with Helpdesk in ways that require Helpdesk to gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that Helpdesk gathers depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, we ask visitors who sign up for a blog at helpdeskhq.com to provide company name and email address. Those who engage in transactions with Helpdesk – by purchasing access to paid services – are asked to provide additional information, including as necessary the personal and financial information required to process those transactions. In each case, Helpdesk collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor's interaction with Helpdesk. Helpdesk does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related activities.

Aggregated Statistics

Helpdesk may collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to its websites. For instance, Helpdesk may monitor the most popular sites on helpdeskhq.com or use spam screening results to help identify new spam. Helpdesk may display this information publicly or provide it to others. However, Helpdesk does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below.

Protection of Certain Personally-Identifying Information

Helpdesk discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on Helpdesk's behalf or to provide services available at Helpdesk's websites, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others. Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organizations may be located outside of your home country; by using Helpdesk's websites, you consent to the transfer of such information to them. Helpdesk will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone. Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above, Helpdesk discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request, or when Helpdesk believes in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of Helpdesk, third parties or the public at large. If you are a registered user of an Helpdesk website and have supplied your email address, Helpdesk may occasionally send you an email to tell you about new features, solicit your feedback, or just keep you up to date with what's going on with Helpdesk and our products. We primarily use our various blogs to communicate this type of information, so we expect to keep this type of email to a minimum. If you send us a request (for example via a support email or via one of our feedback mechanisms), we reserve the right to publish it in order to help us clarify or respond to your request or to help us support other users. Helpdesk takes all measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorized access, use, alteration or destruction of potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information.

Cookies

A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor's computer, and that the visitor's browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. Helpdesk uses cookies to help Helpdesk identify and track visitors, their usage of Helpdesk website, and their website access preferences. Helpdesk visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using Helpdesk's websites, with the drawback that certain features of Helpdesk's websites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.

Business Transfers

If Helpdesk, or substantially all of its assets were acquired, or in the unlikely event that Helpdesk goes out of business or enters bankruptcy, user information would be one of the assets that is transferred or acquired by a third party. You acknowledge that such transfers may occur, and that any acquiror of Helpdesk may continue to use your personal information as set forth in this policy.

Privacy Policy Changes

Although most changes are likely to be minor, Helpdesk may change its Privacy Policy from time to time, and in Helpdesk's sole discretion. Helpdesk encourages visitors to frequently check this page for any changes to its Privacy Policy. If you have a Helpdesk account, you should also check your blog's dashboard for alerts to these changes. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.

12. February 2011