TCOYF Privacy Policy & Recommendations for Protecting Yourself

TCOYF Privacy Policy

TCOYF does NOT share your e-mail address or personal information with any third parties without your consent. Nor do we "spam" our members with unsolicited e-mail.

Recommendations for Protecting Your Privacy on the TCOYF Message Boards

Following the recommendations here will help ensure that your online experience remains enjoyable, informative, and private.

Choosing a Login Name:
Choosing a login name can be difficult, as many of the "easy ones" are already taken. However frustrating it may be to come up with a unique name, the number one suggestion for choosing a login name is this: do NOT make it your first name and last name. If you participate in a number of communities and wish to remain anonymous, you may also want to make it something different on each one, unless you don't mind people making the connection between the various communities you participate in.

Choosing a Password:
When choosing a password, never make it the same as your username. Additionally, you should make it hard for others to guess. This is best accomplished by making it a combination of letters and numbers that is at least 6 characters long. If you have trouble coming up with something you can remember, try a child or pet's name interspersed with numbers which are meaningful to you (such as a birth date, graduation date, etc.).

Example: fi7do3 (combination of "fido" and birth year of 1973 shortened to "73")

E-mail Address:
This message board requires that you provide a valid e-mail address to register. This is done in order to protect our members. Again, we do not spam our members, nor do we share your e-mail address with anyone else without your consent. While you are required to provide a valid e-mail address, your address will not be seen by anyone else unless you explicitly specify in your profile settings that you want others to see it. If you hide your e-mail address from others, you can still communicate in a less-public manner with members of the community by utilizing our Conversation feature.

Name & Signature:
These are optional fields under Profile Options and whether or not you decide to use them is up to you. If you use your real name, then you are revealing your identity to the world at large. The signature text is optionally appended to every message you post, so any information entered here will be viewable to anyone who visits here.

Conversations:
Conversations is a feature of these message boards that lets community members send each other messages that are stored in a local "mailbox". Think of it as an e-mail system that only works with members of the community -- you can send and receive messages to anyone who participates here, provided the other user permits it. You have the ability to turn this feature off and not receive messages from anyone, or you can block specific users from sending you messages while permitting everyone else. These preferences are specified in your Profile Options.

Your Member Profile:
Your Member Profile provides a place for you to include a picture of yourself, list your location, select an "avatar" (an image which you use to represent yourself in this community), include a biography, create a "signature" (text which is optionally appended to every message your post), and customize your community experience. The more personal information you share in your Profile, the greater the chance that you will reveal your identity. Generally, there is no problem with including this information, however, don't make it so specific that people can figure out who you really are.

Posting Messages:
When posting messages, keep in mind that most of our forums are open to the public for viewing purposes. Anything you include in a post can probably be read by anyone in the world. Be prudent and don't include anything that reveals your true identity.

General Privacy Concerns / Recommendations

If you have concerns regarding the privacy of your personal information online, you're not alone. Savvy internet users know that taking a few simple steps can keep them from becoming an easy target for online scammers. Some of the most important things to keep in mind online:

• Refrain from using names, especially your last name, in member names, profiles or posts. Do not use the same login or password for multiple websites.
• Use caution when sharing information regarding addresses and telephone numbers, posting photos of your homes, vehicles, or divulging other other personally identifiable information.

Visit Working to Halt Online Abuse (WHOA) for more information about staying safe online.