Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting the Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory (SMML) website and reviewing our privacy policy. Our policy is simple: We collect no personal information about you unless you choose to provide that information to us. We do not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party. Some of our web pages let you voluntarily submit personal information. If you want to know more about how we record non-personal information about your visit or how we use information that you voluntarily submit, read on.

Otherwise, enjoy your visit!

If you do nothing during your visit but browse through the website, read pages, or download information, our website's operating system will automatically record some general information about your visit.

During your visit, our web operating system will record:

1. The Internet domain for your Internet service, such as "xcompany.com" or "xcompany.net" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.edu" if you connect from a college or university domain.
2. The type of browser (such as "Netscape version X" or "Internet Explorer version X") that you are using.
3. The type of operating system that you use (such as Macintosh, Unix, or Windows).
4. The date and time you visit our site, and the web pages that you visit on our site.
5. The address of the previous website you were visiting, if you linked to us from another site.
6. The page currently being accessed.

We use this information for statistical analysis, to help us make our site more useful to visitors. This tracking system does not record information about individuals.

On certain SMML web pages, we use "cookies" to help you use our website interactively. A cookie is a small file that a website might transfer to your computer's hard disk, usually to keep track of you while you are connected to that site. The cookies on SMML web pages do not collect information about you, but only about your browser "session." The cookie makes it easier for you to use the dynamic features of these web pages, without having to provide the same information again as you move from one page to another. An example of the use of a cookie is to monitor the type of browser you use, which then permits us to format output specifically for your browser. On this website the cookie is simply a link to information stored in the volatile memory of the server. Once you close your browser the information on the server is lost. To protect your privacy, be sure to close your browser completely after you have finished conducting business with a website that uses cookies. If you are concerned about the potential use of information gathered from your computer by cookies, you can set your browser to prompt you before it accepts a cookie. Most Internet browsers have settings that let you identify and/or reject cookies.

If you decide to send us an electronic mail message (e-mail), the message will usually contain your return e-mail address. If you include personally-identifying information in your e-mail because you want us to address issues specific to your situation, we may use that information in responding to your request. In other limited circumstances, including requests from Congress or limited other parties, we may be required by law to disclose information that you submit. Also, e-mail is not necessarily secure against interception. Please send only information necessary to help us process your request.

On some of our web pages we offer interactive forms that let you voluntarily submit personal information (such as your e-mail address, name, or organization). Currently this occurs only when submitting a loan request within the specimen database on the SMML website. In this case, all submitted information is used only for the expressed purposes for which it is intended and is not made available to any third party.

Our policy discloses the privacy practices for the SMML website. But SMML provides links to other websites. When you leave the SMML website (nt.ars-grin.gov and www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=12-75-39-00), you will be going to sites that are beyond our control. We try to ensure that links that leave our site are clearly labeled. These other sites may send their own cookies to users, collect data, or solicit personal information. The privacy policies and procedures described here for SMML do not apply to any external links. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any site you link to from ours, especially if you share any personal information. Be informed. You are the person best qualified to protect your own privacy.