Privacy Policy

This policy is in effect as of May 25, 2018. If you continue to use TolkienGuide after this date, you agree to abide by these terms. Please contact TolkienGuide if you have any questions or feedback.

Who TolkienGuide Is

TolkienGuide is a privately owned website (the "Service") managed by the owner and a small number of volunteers. This website provides a forum and tools for discussing and collecting the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and related materials, and is based in California.

What TolkienGuide Collects and Receives

In order to use certain functions on the website, TolkienGuide may need to collect and process certain information. Depending on your use of the Service, that may include:

Information you provide by completing forms on TolkienGuide - your email address, your chosen account name and display name, and password details. This information will be asked for if you register as a user on the website in order to upload or submit content;

Information about the ways you visit and interact with the Service such as your IP address, the type of device or browser you use, and your actions on the Service;

Information about the ways people visit and interact with the Service in the form of traffic analytics. You can opt out of being included in Google Analytics here. For more information about our use of data analytics to protect and improve the service, see our Cookie Policy;

Communications you send to us (for example, when you ask for support, send questions or comments, or report a problem); and

Information you submit to TolkienGuide in the form of comments, contributions to discussions, or messages to other users;

You may decline to provide TolkienGuide with any personal information, but will not be able to submit anything if so. You may review, change or remove your information through your account settings.

How TolkienGuide Uses This Information

The information collected is used for the following purposes:

To create and administer your account, contact you for opt-in notifications, and customize your experience on TolkienGuide;

To track and analyze use of TolkienGuide so we can improve how it is performing and provide users with the best experience possible.

European Union Users

Data protection law in Europe requires a "lawful basis" for collecting and retaining personal information from citizens or residents of the European Economic Area. Our lawful bases include:

Performing the contract we have with you: for certain functions of the site, we need your personal data, for example your email address in order to send notifications that have been requested by you.

Legitimate interests: We have a good and fair reason to use your data and do so in ways which do not hurt your interests and rights. For example, TolkienGuide uses IP address, device and location information to prevent fraud and abuse and to keep the site secure. We analyze how users interact with TolkienGuide so we can better understand what elements of the design are working well and which are not working so well. This allows us to improve and develop the quality of the online experience we offer to all users.

How This Information Is Shared

Information that's shared publicly

When you create an account, TolkienGuide creates a basic profile page for you

Your display name

Your Avatar (profile picture) - optional

Your Signature - optional

Any additional personal information you decide to provide for public display - optional

links to any public posts you have made on the site

Your username and avatar appear with any posts you make, along with any signature you create to append to your posts.

You can modify your displayed username, avatar and public personal information at any time.

Information that isn't shared publicly

Your IP address

Your password details

Your email address

Private messages or communications sent to us privately through the "Contact Us" form or via email

Information that's shared with trusted third-party services

None

Information that's shared to protect TolkienGuide and comply with the law

We do reserve the right to disclose the above mentioned personal information when required to comply with the law or law enforcement or to protect TolkienGuide's legal rights, property or the safety of the staff, volunteers or users.

Retention

TolkienGuide will retain your information as long as your account is active, as necessary to provide you with the services of the site. We also collect and maintain aggregated, anonymized information which may be retained indefinitely to protect the safety and security of the site, improve the site or comply with legal obligations.

Data Transfers

Because TolkienGuide is based in the United States, your information will be collected and processed in the United States. The United States has its own laws governing data protection and government access to information. The rules that protect your personal information under United States law may be different than in your home country. If you choose to use TolkienGuide, you need to agree to our Terms of Use which set out the contract between TolkienGuide and its users.

Your Rights

Users residing in certain countries, including the EU, are afforded certain rights regarding their personal information. Except where an exception or exemption applies, these rights include the ability to access, correct, and request deletion of your personal information. All TolkienGuide users can manage their personal information, as further described below, in their account settings.

You can request a downloadable copy of your personal data from TolkienGuide by contacting us through contact@tolkienguide.com or the site contact form. To modify or delete your personal information you've provided, please log in and update your profile. You may also request to delete your account by contacting us as well. We may retain certain information as required by law or as necessary for legitimate business purposes.

Email and Mobile Notifications

TolkienGuide will only communicate with you if you have requested it. No marketing emails are sent. You will receive emails relating to account maintenance (password reset messages, for example). Also, email notifications are sent if you have elected to get them when new messages are posted to the forums. These new message notifications can be turned off at any time through the notifications management page. You may receive service-related announcements when it's necessary to do so.

Security

We take security seriously, and the security of your personal data is important to us. We follow industry-standard practices to protect the data we collect and maintain, including using Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt information as it travels over the Internet. No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure, so TolkienGuide cannot guarantee its absolute security. Your account information is protected by a password, which you should choose carefully and keep secure. Your password is not stored as clear text by TolkienGuide but rather hashed in an industry approved fashion to protect it as much as is possible.

Children

People under 18 (or the legal age in your jurisdiction) are not permitted to use TolkienGuide on their own. TolkienGuide does not knowingly collect any personal information from children under the age of 13 and children under 13 are not permitted to register for an account or use our Services.

If you believe that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at contact@tolkienguide.com. If we become aware that a child under age 13 has provided us with personally identifiable information, we'll delete it.