How cookies are used on the StuffAlert website?
Most websites you visit will use cookies. We use cookies and similar tools across our website to improve the performance and enhance your user experience. This policy explains how we do that.
Here we will explain the following :
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files which a website may put on your computer or mobile device when you first visit a site or page. Only that website is able to retrieve or read the contents of the cookie. The cookie will help the website, or another website, to recognise your device the next time you visit. Web beacons or other similar files can also do the same thing. We use the term “cookies” in this policy to refer to all files that collect information in this way.
There are many functions cookies serve. For example, they can help us to remember your username and preferences, analyse how well our website is performing, or even allow us to recommend content we believe will be most relevant to you.
Certain cookies contain personal information for example, if you click to 'remember me' when logging in, a cookie will store your username. Most cookies won’t collect information that identifies you, and will instead collect more general information such as how users arrive at and use our websites, or a user’s general location.
Types of Cookies?
1. Session cookies
These cookies are stored temporarily during a browser session and are deleted when a browsing session and are deleted when your browser is closed from you computer.
2. Persistent cookies
These cookies are saved on your computer for a fixed period of time and are not deleted when your browser is closed. These cookies are used when the website needs to know who you are for your next browsing session. Websites use persistent cookies to store your preferences so that you are remembered next time you visit the site.
3. First Party cookies
These cookies are set by the website you are visiting and can only be read by that website.
4. Third Party cookies
These cookies are set by a different website to the one you are visiting. For example a third party analytics company which is monitoring the website on behalf of the owner. A website may also use a third party adverting network to deliver targeted advertising on their website. These cookies may have the capability to track your browsing across different websites. Please note that if you use one of the sharing tools to share content using social networks these social networks may install a cookie on your device. StuffAlert does not control these cookies and you should check the Privacy Policy of the relevant websites for more information.
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What sort of cookies does the StuffAlert use?
Cookies enable us to identify your device when you are logged in. Generally, our cookies perform up to four different functions:
1. Essential cookies
Some cookies are essential to enable you to move around the website or to provide certain features that you have requested. For example, some cookies allow us to identify registered users and ensure they can access the service and account related pages. If a registered user opts to disable these cookies, the user will not be able to access all of the content that a registered user is entitled to.
2. Performance Cookies
We utilise other cookies to analyse how our visitors use our website and to monitor website performance. This allows us to provide a high quality experience by customising our service and quickly identifying and fixing any issues that arise. For example, we might use performance cookies to keep track of which pages are most popular, which method of linking between pages is most effective, and to determine why some pages are receiving error messages. We might also use these cookies to highlight articles or site services that we think will be of interest to you based on your usage of the website.
3. Functionality Cookies
We use functionality cookies to allow us to remember your preferences. For example, cookies save you the trouble of typing in your username every time you access the site. Also we may use functionality cookies to provide you with enhanced services such as allowing you to watch a video online or comment on a blog.
4. Behaviourally Targeted Advertising Cookies
StuffAlert and our advertisers use cookies to serve you with advertisements
that we believe are relevant to you and your interests. For example, if
you read articles on camera on StuffAlert.com or on other sites, a
camera manufacturer might infer you are interested in this topic and serve
you with its camera advertisements. You might see these advertisements on StuffAlert.com and on other sites that you visit. However, we do not tell our
advertisers who you are.
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Does anyone else use cookies on the StuffAlert website?
Advertisers sometimes use their own cookies to provide you with targeted advertising. For example, advertisers may use a profile they have built using other websites that you have previously visited to present you with more relevant advertisements during your visit to StuffAlert.com. We believe that it is useful to our users to see advertisements that are more relevant to their interests. If you are based in the European Union and would like to learn more about how advertisers use these types of cookies or to choose not to receive them, please visit www.youronlinechoices.eu. If you are based in the United States and would like to learn more, please visit www.aboutads.info/choices/.
We
also use or allow third parties to serve cookies that fall into the
four categories above. For example, like many companies, we use Google
Analytics to help us monitor our website traffic. We may also use third
party cookies to help us with market research,
improving site functionality and monitoring compliance with our terms
and conditions and copyright policy.
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Can a website user block cookies?
Yes but you should be aware that as explained above, cookies help you to get the most out of our website and service.
The first time you accessed our website after 23rd July 2012, you will have been asked to accept an update to our Terms and Conditions which explained that by continuing to access our website you are consenting to our use of cookies.
However, if you do wish to disable our cookies then please follow the instructions given on our 'How to manage cookies' page.
Please remember that if you do choose to disable cookies, you may find that certain sections of our website do not work properly.
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Do we track whether users open our emails?
Our
emails may contain a single, campaign-unique 'web beacon pixel' to tell
us whether our emails are opened and verify any clicks through to links
or advertisements within the email. To find out more about what a 'web beacon pixel' is, click here. We may use this information for
purposes including determining which of our emails are more interesting
to users, to query whether users who do not open our emails wish to
continue receiving them and to inform our advertisers in aggregate how
many users have clicked on their advertisements. The pixel will be
deleted when you delete the email. If you do not wish the pixel to be
downloaded to your device, you should select to receive emails from us
in plain text rather than HTML.
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More Information
More detail on how businesses use cookies is available at www.allaboutcookies.org. If you have any queries regarding our Cookie Policy please click here to use the Contact Us form with your questions.