PRIVACY POLICY

Website Visitors

Except as described below, GraphTech Computer Systems and Hoot Software (collectively "Hoot") do not collect or require visitors to its Web sites to furnish personally-identifying information such as names, email addresses and phone numbers. Like most Web site operators, Hoot does collect 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 date and time of each visitor request. Hoot also collects potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, which are non-personally-identifying in and of themselves but could be used in conjunction with other information to personally identify users.

Hoot's purpose in collecting this information is to better understand how Hoot's visitors use its Web sites. To that end, Hoot may share potentially personally-identifying information with its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations. Hoot may also release non-personally-identifying information about visitors, e.g. by publishing a report on Web site usage trends. Otherwise, Hoot will not publicly release potentially personally-identifying information except under the same circumstances as Hoot releases personally-identifying information. Those circumstances are explained in detail below.

Community Members

Certain members of the Hoot community (contributors, customers, etc.) choose to interact with Hoot in ways that require Hoot and others to know more about them. The amount and type of information that Hoot gathers from those members depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, members who wish to post content to certain portions of Hoot's Web sites are asked to provide usernames that identify that content as having been posted by a particular member. Customers of Hoot are asked to provide even more information, potentially including billing and shipping addresses and credit card or similar information. In each case, Hoot collects personally-identifying information only insofar as is necessary to fulfill the purpose of the community member's interaction with Hoot.

Hoot is an open organization that believes in sharing as much information as possible about its products, its operations and its associations. Accordingly, community members should assume - as should most folks who interact with Hoot - that any personally-identifying information provided to Hoot will be made available to the public. There are three broad exceptions to that rule:

1. Hoot does not publicly release information gathered in connection with commercial transactions (i.e., transactions involving money).
2. Hoot does not make publicly available information that is used to authenticate users the publication of which would compromise the security of Hoot's Web sites (e.g., passwords).
3. Hoot does not make publicly available information that it specifically promises at the time of collection to maintain in confidence.

Outside those three contexts, users should assume that personally-identifying information provided through Hoot's Web sites will be made available to the public.

Interactive Product Features

Certain Hoot products contain features that report, or that permit users to report, the user's usage patterns and problems - whether caused by Hoot's software, third party software, or third-party Web sites - to Hoot. The reports generated by these features typically include non-personally-identifying information such as the configuration of the user's computer and the code running at the time the problem occurred. Some of these features give users the option of providing personally-identifying information, though none of these features require it. Hoot analyzes the information provided by these interactive product features to develop a better understanding of how its products are performing and being used. It does not use the information to track the usage of its products by identifiable individuals.

Cookies

A cookie is a string of information that a Web site stores on a visitor's computer, and that the visitor's browser provides to the Web site each time the visitor returns. Hoot's Web sites use cookies to help Hoot identify and track visitors, their usage of Hoot Web sites, and their Web site access preferences across multiple requests and visits to Hoot's Web sites. It is possible to link cookies to personally-identifying information, thereby permitting Web site operators to track the online movements of particular individuals. Hoot, however, does not do so. Instead, it uses the information provided by cookies to develop a better understanding of how Hoot's visitors use, and to facilitate those visitors' interactions with, Hoot's Web sites. Hoot visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers by Hoot or its contractors should set their browsers to refuse cookies before linking to Hoot's Web sites. Certain features of Hoot's Web sites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.

Protection of Certain Personally-Identifying Information

Where Hoot has collected personally-identifying information subject to one of the three exceptions described in the Contributors and Customers section, above, it discloses that information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that need to know that information in order to process it on Hoot's behalf and 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 Hoot's Web sites, you consent to the transfer of your information to them. Hoot does not rent or sell such information to anyone. Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above, Hoot discloses such information only when required to do so by law, or when Hoot believes in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of Hoot, members of the Hoot community, or the public at large. Hoot takes all measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorized access, use, alteration or destruction of such information

Updating of Personally-Identifying Information

Hoot permits users to freely update and correct their personally-identifying information as maintained by Hoot. To do so, users need only look for the links and other tools available on Hoot's Web sites or contact Hoot by email.

Privacy Policy Changes

Although changes are likely to be minor, Hoot may change its Privacy Policy from time to time. Any and all changes will be reflected on this page. Substantive changes will also be announced through the standard mechanisms through which Hoot communicates with the Hoot community.