Bogleheads:Privacy policy

Last major update: 05/20/2008

Summary
If you only read The Bogleheads wiki, no more information is collected than is typically collected in server logs by web sites in general.

If you contribute to the Bogleheads wiki, you are publishing every word you post publicly. If you write something, assume that it will be retained forever. This includes articles, user pages and talk pages. Some limited exceptions are described below.

Publishing on the Bogleheads wiki
Simply visiting the web site does not expose your identity publicly (but see Private logging] below).

When you edit any page in the wiki, you are publishing a document. This is a public act, and you are identified publicly with that edit as its author.

Identification of an author
When you publish a page in the wiki, you have to be logged in with your user name. This may be your real name if you so choose, or you may choose to publish under a pseudonym, whatever user name you selected when you created your account in the Bogleheads Forum.

If you have not logged in, you will be identified by your network IP address. This is a series of four numbers which identifies the Internet address from which you are contacting the wiki. Depending on your connection, this number may be traceable only to a large Internet service provider, or specifically to your school, place of business, or home. It may be possible that the origin of this IP address could be used in conjunction with any interests you express implicitly or explicitly by editing articles to identify you even by private individuals.

It may be either difficult or easy for a motivated individual to connect your network IP address with your real-life identity. Therefore if you are very concerned about privacy, you may wish to log in and publish under a pseudonym.

When using a pseudonym, your IP address will not be available to the public except in cases of abuse, including vandalism of a wiki page by you or by another user with the same IP address. In all cases, your IP address will be stored on the wiki servers and can be seen by Bogleheads wiki server administrators. Your IP address, and its connection to any usernames that share it may be released under certain circumstances (see below).

If you use a company mail server from home or telecommute and use a DSL or cable Internet connection, it is likely to be very easy for your employer to identify your IP address and find all of your IP based Bogleheads wiki project contributions. Using a user name is a better way of preserving your privacy in this situation. However, remember to log out or disconnect yourself after each session using a pseudonym on a shared computer, to avoid allowing others to use your identity.

Cookies
The wiki will set a temporary session cookie (PHPSESSID) whenever you visit the site. If you do not intend to ever log in, you may deny this cookie, but you cannot log in without it. It will be deleted when you close your browser session.

More cookies may be set when you log in, to avoid typing in your user name (or optionally password) on your next visit. These last up to 30 days. You may clear these cookies after use if you are using a public machine and don't wish to expose your username to future users of the machine. (If so, clear the browser cache as well.)

Passwords
Many aspects of the Bogleheads wiki projects' community interactions depend on the reputation and respect that is built up through a history of valued contributions. User passwords are the only guarantee of the integrity of a user's edit history. All users are encouraged to select strong passwords and to never share them. No one shall knowingly expose the password of another user to public release either directly or indirectly.

Private logging
Every time you visit a web page, you send a lot of information to the web server. Most web servers routinely maintain access logs with a portion of this information, which can be used to get an overall picture of what pages are popular, what other sites link to this one, and what web browsers people are using. It is not the intention of the Bogleheads wiki to use this information to keep track of legitimate users.

These logs are used to produce the site statistics pages; the raw log data is not made public.

Log data may be examined by server administrator in the course of solving technical problems and in tracking down badly-behaved web spiders that overwhelm the site. IP addresses of users, derived either from those logs or from records in the database may be used to correlate usernames and network addresses of edits in investigating abuse of the wiki, including the suspected use of malicious "sockpuppets" (duplicate accounts), vandalism, harassment of other users, or disruption of the wiki.

Policy on release of data derived from page logs
It is the policy of the Bogleheads wiki that personally identifiable data collected in the server logs, may be released by the system administrators, in the following situations:


 * 1) In response to a valid subpoena or other compulsory request from law enforcement
 * 2) With permission of the affected user
 * 3) Where the information pertains to page views generated by a spider or bot and its dissemination is necessary to illustrate or resolve technical issues.
 * 4) Where the user has been vandalising articles or persistently behaving in a disruptive way, data may be released to assist in the targeting of IP blocks, or to assist in the formulation of a complaint to relevant Internet Service Providers
 * 5) Where it is reasonably necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of the Bogleheads wiki, its users or the public.

The Bogleheads Wiki policy does not permit public distribution of such information under any circumstances, except as described above.

Sharing information with third parties
Except where otherwise specified, all text added to the Bogleheads Wiki is available for reuse under the terms of the GFDL.

The Bogleheads Wiki will not sell or share private information, such as email addresses, with third parties, unless you agree to release this information, or it is required by law to release the information.

Security of information
The Bogleheads Wiki makes no guarantee against unauthorized access to any information you provide. This information may be available to anyone with access to the servers.

E-mail
You may provide your e-mail address in your Preferences and enable other logged-in users to send email to you through the wiki. Your address will not be revealed to them unless you respond, or possibly if the email bounces.

If you do not provide an email address, you will not be able to reset your password if you forget it. However, you may contact one of the Wiki administrators to enter a new mail address in your preferences.

You can remove your email address from your preferences at any time to prevent it being used.

Removal of user accounts
Once created, accounts will be removed upon user request or as a result of administrative action prompted by vandalism, egregiously unsubstantiated contributions, etc.

Deletion of content
Removing text from the Bogleheads Wiki does not permanently delete it. Only a user with sysop permissions on the wiki can delete an article, and even then it can generally be "undeleted." Information can be permanently deleted by those people with access to the servers, but there is no guarantee this will happen except in response to legal action.