Your privacy on the Internet is of the utmost importance to us. Because we gather certain types of information about the users of Online Cities's network of sites, we feel you should fully understand the terms and conditions surrounding the capture and use of that information. This privacy statement discloses what information we gather, how we use it, and how to correct or change it.

Questions regarding this statement should be directed to Online Cities (webmaster@OnlineCities.Net) for clarification. To return to the page you came from, please use the Back button on your browser.

1. Information Online Cities gathers and tracks

Online Cities gathers two types of information about users: data that users provide through optional, voluntary registration on several of our sites and through optional, voluntary participation in certain contests and sweepstakes; and aggregated tracking information derived mainly by tallying page views throughout our sites. Such information enables us to better tailor our content to readers' needs and to help our advertisers better understand the demographics of our audience. Because Online Cities derives its revenue mainly from advertising, providing such aggregated demographic data is essential to keeping our service free to users. The only situation in which Online Cities will divulge information about an individual user to a third party is with certain contests and sweepstakes--and then, only with the user's express consent.

Online Cities gathers user information in the following processes:

• Optional registration

Several Online Cities sites offer free, voluntary registration to users. By registering, users can place free classifieds, community events, business listings and other community related information into various sections of our network.

During registration as described above, the user is required to supply some or all of the following: name, address, telephone number and email address. In addition, the user can opt to have his or her name, address, telephone number, email address and/or URL appear in postings.

• Contests and sweepstakes

Online Cities may offer contests and sweepstakes in which we request certain personal information. At a minimum, the required information includes name and email address; in some cases, the user must answer mandatory survey questions about a range of other personal data. The information gathered in the entry form is used to verify the entrant's identity, to send the entrant an email notification that their entry has been received, and to contact winners and/or prize recipients. There are two situations in which Online Cities will divulge this information to a third party--provided the user gives express consent:

(1) A user may expressly choose to receive additional information from the contest sponsor, in which case the user's personally identifiable information is divulged to the advertiser.

(2) Some of the contests may be hosted on the Online Cities site but administered by the sponsor; in such cases, the information a user provides is passed on to the third party as long as that user gives express consent.

Because the rules and terms of each contest can vary, all information about each contest is clearly posted during the event. All contests and sweepstakes are conducted in full accordance with United States federal and state laws.

• Usage tracking

Online Cities tracks user traffic patterns throughout all of our sites. However, we do not correlate this information with data about individual users. Online Cities does break down overall usage statistics according to a user's domain name, browser type, and MIME type by reading this information from the browser string (information contained in every user's browser).

Online Cities sometimes tracks and catalogs the search terms that users enter in Search.com, but this tracking is never associated with individual users.

• Cookies

A cookie is a small data file that certain Web sites write to your hard drive when you visit them. A cookie file can contain information such as a user ID that the site uses to track the pages you've visited. But the only personal information a cookie can contain is information you supply yourself. A cookie can't read data off your hard disk or read cookie files created by other sites. Online Cities may use cookies to track user traffic patterns (as described above), when you view or click an ad:

Ads: Online Cities's advertising system may deliver a one-time cookie to better track ad impressions and click rates.

If you've set your browser to warn you before accepting cookies, you will receive the warning message with each cookie.

You can refuse cookies by turning them off in your browser. You do not need to have cookies turned on to use any Online Cities site.