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On the web, as in the real world, perfect privacy is nearly impossible to achieve, unless you like sitting in a cave. Let's look at some of the facets of privacy and how we deal with them.
When you visit many sites, like YAHOO!, as example, their computer writes a little bit of code on the hard drive of your computer. This bit of code is called a "cookie" and is used to identify you and your preferences and, perhaps, buying habits. Personally, I like cookies very much. The more my suppliers know about me, the better are they able to customize their offerings to me. You may have the finest sewing machines in the world, but don't try to sell one to me. I'm just not a buyer and you'll waste your time and mine. If you have a tennis racquet that will help me best other codgers, however, I want to know all about it. Cookies give my vendors that sort of information and I love it.
I don't put any cookies on your computer and it is not due to any lofty ethical ideals. I don't know how to put a cookie on your computer and wouldn't know what to do with it if I could. Your computer is free from cookies on this site.
If you buy something, we'll ask for name, address, phones, e-mail, credit card numbers and expiration dates. If you just want us to respond to you, a name and e-mail address will be adequate. That's all we ask for and therefore all we get. If you don't ask for something, I'll never know who you are.
If you mean do we encrypt our data so the bad guys can't read it, the answer is a resounding "NO." The most expensive item I sell is $55. I don't think the bad guys are concentrating their efforts on folks like us. If people really understood how very difficult it is to cage credit card numbers off the internet, they'd realize that time is better spent dumpster diving, behind a good restaurant, for carbon slips. Your getting your credit card lifted on the way from this site to me is about as likely as your getting a letter bomb. I not only have never gotten one, I don't know anyone who has, and I'll bet you don't, either.
Having said all that, I still realize that there are many very savvy and intelligent people who won't send their credit card data in e-mail. If you find yourself in that camp, please call me, toll free at 1-800-448-4416. You can whisper your number in my ear and no one else will get it. If I'm not here, you can tell it to Vernon Voicemail (my answering machine) and he'll tell it only to me. SECURITY ABOUNDS.
All the sites in my "Resources" section are linked to this site and each one of them has their own privacy policy. In short, once you leave this site, you're on your own.
The bottom line is that you are a lot safer in and around this site than you are going to the 7-11 for a half-gallon of milk at midnight. Let's all be happy and try to get along.
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