Our policy on Internet privacy
User privacy
The website stores only the personal information that you supply upon joining BOTA (name and email address), plus any additional information which you may optionally enter in your user profile. The information in your user profile is visible to any other user of the site.
The IP (internet protocol) addresses of all users are automatically logged by the Web server.
We use cookies (small text files, stored on your computer) to remember login details. You can choose to remove these cookies through a setting in your web browser, and doing so will not affect your ability to use the site.
We use members' data to:
- Remember login details
- Determine which features and services are important to our members, so that we know where to direct ongoing development.
- Occasionally alert users to important information
The BOTA Website does not:
- Provide or release names, website addresses or e-mail addresses of users to any third party without the fellow or users explicit permission.
Patient Privacy
The UK Data Protection Act 1998 introduces the term "sensitive data". No such data relating to a patient will be published in the website. Postings in the forums and other third party postings may require clinical details for discussion. These will not contain any personal data. The responsibility of the patients' privacy in these postings will be with the author who will always be identified. We advise all users to take explicit consent from patients if posting potentially personal data.
Definition of Terms
- Browser
Application used to locate and display Web pages
- Cookie
Message given to a browser by a web server, which is stored by the browser in a text file called cookie.txt. Each time the browser requests a page from the server, this message is sent back. A cookie's main objective is to identify users and personalise their visit by customising web pages for them for example by welcoming them by name next time they visit the same site. A site using cookies will usually invite you to provide personal information such as your name, e-mail address and interests. An HTTP cookie cannot be used to get data from your hard drive, get your email address or steal sensitive information about your person.
- IP and TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
A technical standard that allows data to be transmitted between two devices.
- IP address
A number which identfies devices which are connected to the Internet, in the format: 123.456.789.1
- Web Server
A computer which delivers (serves) web pages to your device.