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Privacy Policy

Notification of Changes

This privacy policy was put in effect on July 10, 2015. If we change our Privacy Policy, those changes will be reflected here.

  • This privacy policy was amended on August 29, 2021 to reflect that Maker Faire Orlando no longer requires the creation of an online account.
  • This privacy policy was amended on August 29, 2021 to remove references to ticketing services no longer provided by Make: Community.
  • This privacy policy was amended on August 29, 2021 to remove references to ticketing services no longer provided by Orlando Science Center.
  • This privacy policy was amended on August 29, 2021 to remove references to TMEF research programs that are no longer administered.

Purpose and Scope

We believe in the positive effects that Makers have within their communities, and we want to help Makers maximize these effects. To make this happen, we collect some information from our users. The Maker Effect Foundation, Inc. understands that privacy is important to those we interact with, and this privacy policy exists to explain what information we collect, how we use it, and what we’re doing to keep it safe. If you have any questions regarding this privacy policy, you can contact us by emailing web@themakereffect.org.

Information gathered and tracked by The Maker Effect Foundation

The Maker Effect Foundation collects two kids of information about users: 1) data provided by users when they sign up to receive news and program information, register for events, complete surveys, or buy products from us; and 2) aggregated tracking data we collect when users interact with us.

Personal Information

We never sell or rent your email address or other personally identifiable information. We use the personal information you provide voluntarily to send you information you’ve requested and to fulfill orders. The specific use of your personal information varies, depending on how you contact us:

  • When you sign up online to receive Maker Effect Foundation newsletters, we use your email address to distribute the newsletter and administer your account.
  • When you register for a Maker Effect Foundation event, we will send you email announcements and updates about Maker Effect events and programs.
  • When you order directly from us, we add you to our newsletters list, and we’ll send you update emails and other marketing pieces.
  • When you enter a contest or giveaway, we may ask for your name, address, and email address so we can administer the contest and communicate with entrants about the results.
  • When you donate to us, we will ask for your name, address, and email address so that we can administer your donation and provide you with proper records for your donation.
  • Third parties we retain to perform functions on our behalf, such as fulfilling orders, processing credit card payments, managing mailing lists, and delivering packages are restricted from using your information for any other purpose.
  • Third parties we partner with for event licensing and production are restricted from using your information for any other purpose.
  • We release personal information when we believe that release is appropriate to comply with the law, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of The Maker Effect Foundation, our users, or others. This may include exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection and credit risk reduction.

Aggregated tracking information

We analyze visitors’ use of our sites by tracking information such as pageviews, traffic flow, search terms, and click through. We use this information to improve our sites. We also share this anonymous traffic and demographic information in aggregate form with advertisers and other business partners. We do not share any information with advertisers that can identify an individual user.

Cookies

A cookie is a small data file that we transfer to your computer’s hard drive through your web browser when you visit our sites. Cookies enable our systems to recognize your computer, so that we can provide you with personalized information and features. We also use cookies to track user traffic patterns and to target user research surveys.

You can set your browser to warn you before accepting cookies or to block cookies. If you block cookies, you may not be able to use certain site features or functions.

Third Party Services

We may disclose certain of the information we collect to third-party service providers that help us manage communications to and from the Maker Effect websites and improve website performance. We are satisfied that these service providers have privacy policies that restrict them from further disclosing any of your information.

Maker Faire Orlando
When you register for a Maker Faire Orlando event using the Maker Faire Orlando website - (makerfaireorlando.com), we collect information based on your role within the event (Maker, Maker Helper, Volunteer, etc.) and we will send you email related to transactional changes to your information, or related to the event.

The personal information and related data may be used in a number of ways, including the following:

  • To improve the content of the Maker Faire Orlando website.
  • To communicate with users about registration and other customer service issues.
  • To promote our events and programs.
  • To promote the products and services of our Hosting Partners, Community Partners, Sponsors, or Makers.
  • To conduct research surveys.

What information does The Maker Effect Foundation collect about me?

  • Participant Information: To register as a Maker, Maker Helper, Volunteer, etc. for a Maker Faire event, we collect contact information as well as exhibit information to produce the event.
  • User-generated Content: All of your Maker Faire Orlando content including Maker descriptions, exhibit descriptions, and uploaded photos are stored on The Maker Effect Foundation’s servers, or the servers of a third-party service provider. Other users can see your Maker Profile, your Exhibit Profile, along with the contact information that you have provided for public viewing. Because the Maker Faire Orlando team is responsible for moderation, we have access to all content stored on the Maker Faire Orlando website and third-party provider websites and tools.
  • Usage Information: When you use a Maker Effect Foundation website, our servers will automatically store a limited amount of information about how you use the website. This information includes a number that identifies your computer (the IP address), which pages you visited, and what browser you are using.
  • Analytics: We also collect some data on where you click and which parts of the site you visit using third party analytics tools. This helps us figure out ways to improve the website. Information collected and processed includes the user’s IP address, network location, and geographic location. The analytics acquire all information directly from the user, by installing a cookie (see the section on Cookies, above) on your computer, if you have enabled JavaScript. The Maker Effect Foundation does not share any personal information it collects with any analytics tool provider and those providers do not collect any personal identifying information about you.

How does the Maker Faire Orlando team use my information?

  • We will use your email address to respond to messages you send us or to communicate with you about the Maker Faire Orlando event or your account.
  • If we detect repeated abusive behavior from your account or IP address, we may share your account name, IP address, and the time and content of the abusive behavior with the IP address owner (such as a school or internet service provider).
  • Other than as described above, we will never share personally identifiable information about you with any other person, company, or organization, except:
    • As required to comply with our obligations under the law.
    • For technical reasons, if we are required to transfer the data on our servers to another location or organization.

How can I update my personal information?

  • If you want to update any information related to your participation with Maker Faire Orlando, send an email to makers@makerfaireorlando.com and include your name and the email address associated with the account as well as the information that should be changed. You will receive a confirmation email at that same address.

How does the Maker Effect Foundation protect my information?
The Maker Effect Foundation has in place physical and electronic procedures to protect the information we collect on our websites. We strictly limit individual access to our servers and the data we store on them. However, as effective as these measures are, no security system is impenetrable. We cannot completely guarantee the security of our database, nor can we guarantee that the information you supply will not be intercepted while being transmitted to us over the Internet.