Privacy Policy

Protecting individual privacy is important to Florida Tropical Weavers Guild, Inc. (“FTWG”, “us”, “our”, or “we”).  This Privacy Policy (the “Privacy Policy”) describes how we collect, use, and disclose the information from you gathered through the website located at www.ftwg.org (the “website”).  This Privacy Policy applies only to FTWG’s online information-gathering and sharing practices occurring on the Website, and does not apply to any data collected through any products and services that we may provide, nor to information collected offline.  

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it.  By accessing the Website, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.  If you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not visit or use any of the links on this Website.

Table of Contents

1. Definitions

Cookies
Clear GIFs, pixel tags, and other technologies
Log files
Third party analytics

2. The Information We Obtain

Information Collected Directly
Information Collected Automatically
Information We Do Not Collect

3. How We Use the Information We Obtain

Providing support and services
Responding to your requests
Personalization
Newsletters, mailing lists, and direct marketing
Analytics and improvement
Protect our legal rights and prevent misuse
Comply with legal obligations
General business operations
Anonymous and de-identified information

4. Information We Share

5. How We Protect Your Information

6. Data Retention

7. Correcting Your Personally Identifiable Information

8. Third Party Websites and Links

9. Children’s Privacy

10. How to Contact FTWG

11. Terms of Use Provisions

12. Revisions to Our Privacy Policy

Appendix A: Third Party Service Providers List

Automattic
Clean Talk
ConvertKit
EventSquid
GeneratePress
Google
InMotion Hosting
MemberPress
PayPal
RankMath
SG Custom Web Solutions
Updraft
WordFence
WP Manage Ninja
Zoom

Appendix B: Policy History

1. Definitions

We and our service providers may use cookies, pixels, log files, and other mechanisms to gather information about your use of our website.

Cookies

Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that we transfer to your computer’s hard drive through your web browser for record-keeping purposes. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but if you prefer, you can edit your browser options to block them in the future. The Help portion of the toolbar on most browsers will tell you how to prevent your computer from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether.

Clear GIFs, pixel tags and other technologies

Clear GIFs are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies. In contrast to cookies, which are stored on your computer’s hard drive, clear GIFs are embedded invisibly on web pages. We may use clear GIFs (also referred to as web beacons, web bugs or pixel tags), in connection with our website to, among other things, track the activities of users of our website, help FTWG manage content, and compile statistics about usage of our website. 

Log files

Most browsers collect certain information, such as your IP address, device type, screen resolution, operating system version, and internet browser type and version. This information is gathered automatically and stored in log files.

Third party analytics

We also use automated devices and applications to evaluate the use of our services. We use these tools to gather non-personal data about users to help FTWG improve our services and user experiences. These analytics providers may use cookies and other technologies to perform their services, and may combine the information they collect about you on our website with other information they have collected for their own purposes. This Policy does not cover such uses of data by third parties.

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2. The Information We Obtain

Information Collected Directly

You provide personal information to us when you complete forms on this website.  The membership form collects your name, address, phone number, email address, and, optionally, your summer address and phone number, if different from your permanent address and information.  The forms for contacting FTWG collect your name and email address.

If you upload images to our website, like a picture for your membership profile, those images may include embedded location data.   This information can be scrubbed by you prior to uploading.  However, if you do not scrub the embedded location data and upload an image that contains it, anyone who sees that image may be able to download and extract location data from it.

Information Collected Automatically

FTWG may use cookies which save information in order to improve your ease of use and help with spam detection.  This may include your login credentials, IP address, or browser user string.

FTWG uses Google Analytics as a traffic monitoring service to provide us with insights into how visitors use our site.  In addition, our hosting provider monitors traffic and maintains logs including IP addresses for performance and security reasons.  Please see Appendix A for links to the privacy policies of these companies.

Posts and pages on this site may include embedded content, like videos, images, or articles.  Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.  These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracing your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Information We Do Not Collect

When you pay for your membership dues or conference registration fees through the PayPal payment gateway, we do not receive any of your credit card account information.  If you pay us with a check or we manually process a credit card payment for you, you provide us with your account information.  We only retain that information for the time necessary to process the payment.  We do not record account numbers in any fashion, but we may record the check number or payment confirmation number for future reference.

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3. How We Use the Information We Obtain

We use the collected information in order to respond to your request or inquiry and in the ordinary course of conducting our business, as follows: 

Providing support and services

To provide and operate our website, communicate with you about your use of the website, provide troubleshooting and technical support, respond to your inquiries, fulfill your orders and requests, process your payments, communicate with you, and for similar service and support purposes;

Responding to your requests

To respond to your inquiries, provide requested services, and to provide information to you regarding your ongoing requests or purchases, such as Annual Conference registration;

Personalization

To tailor content we may send or display on the website, including to offer location customization and personalized help and instructions, and to otherwise personalize your experiences;

Newsletters, mailing lists, and direct marketing

For direct marketing purposes, including to send you newsletters, Annual Conference information, or information that we think may interest you;

Analytics and improvement

To better understand how users access and use the website, and our other products and offerings, and for other research and analytical purposes, such as to evaluate and improve our services and business operations and to develop services and features;

Protect our legal rights and prevent misuse

To protect the website and our business operations; to prevent and detect fraud, unauthorized activities and access, and other misuse; where we believe necessary to investigate, prevent or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the safety or legal rights of any person or third party, or violations of our Terms of Use or this Privacy Policy;

Comply with legal obligations

To comply with the law or legal proceedings.  For example, we may disclose information in response to subpoenas, court orders, and/or other lawful requests by regulators and/or law enforcement, including responding to national security or law enforcement disclosure requirements;

General business operations

Where necessary, for the administration of our general business, accounting, recordkeeping, and legal functions;

Anonymous and de-identified information

We create and use anonymous and de-identified information to assess, improve, and develop our business, processes and services, and for similar research and analytics purposes.

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4. Information We Share

FTWG will not rent or sell your personal information, nor will we share it with third parties for their marketing purposes.  

When you pay your membership dues, the membership form asks if you would like to be included in the online membership directory.  If you answer yes, your information is available to all other FTWG members who are logged into the website.  These other users may copy and retain your information.


We may share personal information with the following categories of third parties:

  • Third-party service providers that provide services to FTWG or to whom we outsource certain services, such as data hosting or software or technology services (See Appendix A);
  • Our professional advisers, such as lawyers and accountants;
  • Government and/or regulatory authorities;
  • Workshop Instructors, so that they may provide class information and instructions, like drafts for warping your loom before the Conference begins;

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5. How We Protect Your Information

The security of your Personal Information is important to us and we take reasonable precautions to protect it.  Our website is hosted by a reputable host and protected by a variety of firewalls, spam protection, and security measures both by the host and by us.

Your personal information can be accessed by designated members of the FTWG Board, even if you opt out of displaying your information in the online Membership Directory.  The designated Board Members includes at a minimum the Membership Chair, Technology Chair, and members of the Executive Board (President, Vice-President Conference Coordinator, Vice-President Conference Coordinator Elect, Vice-President Programs, Treasurer and Secretary). 

Please understand that whenever you voluntarily disclose Personal Information online, this information cannot be made one-hundred percent secure and, in some cases, that information can be intercepted, collected, and used by others.  We work hard to protect your information at all times.

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6. Data Retention

If you leave a comment on a post, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely.  This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

When you register as a member, we also store the personal information you provide in your user profile.  This information is retained on the website for as long as you are a member and may be retained on the website for at least two years after your membership becomes inactive.  In addition, if FTWG Board Members print a copy of your information, for example as part of a printed membership list, then that printed copy may be retained indefinitely.

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7. Correcting Your Personally Identifiable Information

Each Member can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time.  Login to your Account profile to do so.  Website administrators can also see and edit that information.  

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8. Third Party Websites and Links

The FTWG website may contain links to other sites whose information practices may be different than ours.  Visitors should consult the other sites’ privacy notices as we have no control over information that is submitted to or collected by these third parties.

Third-party service providers may have information practices that are different than FTWG’s.  We have no control over information that is submitted to or collected by our third-party service providers.  See Appendix A for a list of service providers, the services they provide to us, and links to their privacy policies.

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9. Children’s Privacy

FTWG does not knowingly or intentionally collect, use, or disclose personally identifiable information about visitors to our Website that are less than 16 years of age.  If a child under the age of 16 submits information to us through any part of the Website and FTWG becomes aware that the user submitting the information is under the age of 16, the information provided will be deleted as soon as it is discovered and not used for any purpose.  If you are the parent of guardian of a child under 16 years of age and believe that they have disclosed personally identifiable information to us, please contact us at the address below and be sure to include in your message the same user name and password and/or email address that you believe your child submitted, if applicable: technology@ftwg.org.

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10. How to Contact FTWG

If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, or if you would like us to update information we have about you or your preferences, please contact us by email using the contact form.

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11. Terms of Use Provisions

This Privacy Policy is incorporated by reference in the FTWG Terms of Use.  The Terms of Use provisions therefore apply to this Privacy Policy, including but not limited to the provisions labeled Assignment, Survivorship, and Non-Transferability; Disclaimer of Warranties; Limitation of Liability; Indemnification; Compliance with Law; Governing Law, Disputes, and Jurisdiction; Written Document; Waiver and Severability of Terms; Headings; and Complete Agreement

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12. Revisions to Our Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to revise this Policy or any part of it from time to time and without prior notice to you to reflect changes in our personal information practices.  Please review the Policy periodically for changes.

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Appendix A: Third Party Service Providers

Automattic

This is the parent company for several other companies, each providing a different piece of software that can be used for building the website. The two we use are WordPress.org, which is a content management system that provides the primary structure for our website, and Gravatar, which you will only use if you upload your photo to your member profile. Click here for their privacy policy.

Clean Talk

This company provides antispam software. It checks the content and URL of comments as part of its analysis. Click here for their privacy policy.

ConvertKit

We use this software to manage our email list and send emails to our members. The only information shared by FTWG with ConvertKit is your first name and your email address. ConvertKit provides us with data on the emails we send, including how many people opened and read them. These are consolidated reports for an overall open ad read rate, but we can also look at your individual record and see if you opened a particular email or not. Click here for their privacy policy.

EventSquid

This company provides the software we use to manage registration for the Annual Conference. Click here for their privacy policy.

GeneratePress

This software provides the structure for visual and design elements on the FTWG website. To the best of our knowledge, the only data shared with the company is FTWG’s URL and any other organizational information needed in order to maintain the software license. To the best of our knowledge, no personal user data is shared with them. Click here for their privacy policy.

Google

FTWG uses several different Google Services. Google Analytics, Search Console, and Page Speed and Experience collectively provide FTWG with information on how users get to and interact with our website. G Suite bundles together several services including Gmail and Drive, which the FTWG uses for administrative purposes. Videos posted on this site may be embedded from YouTube, which is also owned by Google. Click here for their privacy policy.

InMotion Hosting

The Host for our website. All of our website files reside on their servers. Click here for their privacy policy.

MemberPress

This software provides the structure for managing member information on the website and for protecting content so that it is only available for members to view. Click here for their privacy policy.

PayPal

PayPal processes credit card payments for FTWG, including membership fees and Annual Conference fees. Click here for their privacy policy.

RankMath

This software helps us analyze our content to see if it matches the needs of those visiting our website. It interacts with Google Analytics as part of this analysis. Click here for their privacy policy.

SG Custom Web Solutions

This company provides the software we use to create and manage the member directory on the FTWG website. To the best of our knowledge, this software does not communicate with the parent company and none of the directory information is transmitted to them. This company does not have a posted privacy policy, but you can visit their site by clicking this link.

Updraft

This software creates regular backups of the website, as part of our security measures. The backups are not stored the Updraft servers, but rather in FTWG’s Google Drive or another cloud-based storage system. Click here for their privacy policy.

WordFence

WordFence provides a firewall, spam protection, and threat detection services on the FTWG website. Click here for their privacy policy.

WP Compress

This software reduces the file size of photos on the site and provides a Content Delivery Network (CDN) which helps to reduce the load time on the site. Photos loaded on FTWG.org are uploaded to WP Compress’ servers for processing. A smaller file is returned to our website and the original, larger image may be destroyed or saved on their servers for restoration if required. A CDN checks to see where you are located when you access the site and uses a server that is close to you to deliver the website to you. Click here for their privacy policy.

WP Manage Ninja

We use this company’s software, WP Fluent Forms, to create the contact forms on this website. Click here for their privacy policy.

Zoom

We use Zoom for live, interactive video Board Meetings and may, in the future, offer live classes or lectures using the Zoom platform. Click here for their privacy policy.

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Appendix B: Policy History

7/30/2020: Policy first posted to ftwg.org
2/1/2023: Added Workshop Instructors as a third party we may share information with.