WEB POLICY
SHEBOYGAN COUNTY WEB POLICY Sheboygan County adheres to the highest of Internet standards, protecting users' privacy, observing and encouraging Net etiquette, linking externally without endorsements, and aiming for factual information throughout. To that end, here's a look at what we expect from users of our site. Terms of use By visiting the Sheboygan County web site, users agree that they will not use the site for any unlawful activity or use it in any way that would violate the following terms and conditions. The information on this web site is provided as a service. Every effort has been made to provide accurate information. However, Sheboygan County provides no warranties ensuring the accuracy of the information contained on this web site. This web site is governed and construed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin. Any use of the web site shall comply with all Sheboygan County, State of Wisconsin, and federal laws and regulations. Any lawsuit or claim arising from this web site in which Sheboygan County or any of its departments, agencies, officials, employees, or agents is named as a party shall be brought in the Sheboygan County Circuit Court, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, or in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin if federal jurisdiction exists. Linkage Sheboygan County links to external web sites in the hope that users will find reference material on related subjects. Because Sheboygan County cannot control those sites, it cannot be held responsible for content included in them. Moreover, in no way should an external link be considered any form of endorsement by Sheboygan County. No links shall be made except as expressly approved by the Executive Committee of the Sheboygan County Board of Supervisors. Use of communication forums The Sheboygan County web site may contain threaded discussions and other communication forums. By participating in any of these, users agree to send and receive messages that are both proper and related to the forum topic. The following actions are prohibited: Defaming, harassing, threatening, or otherwise violating the legal rights of others, including their privacy (see below); Misrepresenting one's person, background, or character; Posting any defamatory, infringing, obscene, false, or unlawful material; Selling, advertising, or exchanging any goods or services unless expressly allowed; Posting any copyrighted material owned by a third party. You agree to use any Sheboygan County forum at your own risk. Sheboygan County cannot guarantee that violations of the above code will not occur. Privacy Q&A What type of information does Sheboygan County collect, and what's done with that information? Like most web sites, the Sheboygan County web site collects two types of information: anonymous information, and personally identifiable information. By "anonymous information," we mean data that can't be linked to specific individuals. We log user hits, visits, and sessions, but only capture information about the visiting user's service provider. This information helps us create a better overall experience for web site users. The statistics are complied into web site traffic reports, which help us understand, anticipate, and respond to user behavior. If we learn, for example, of heightened interest in domestic-violence resources, we're likely to highlight that information on the Sheboygan County home page. "Cookies" are another type of anonymous information. A web site cookie is a small text file that a web server (such as Sheboygan County's) places on a user's computer. When accessing a cookie, a web server reads a number associated with a browser, but is unable to determine any data about a user (nor, for that matter, can the server do anything else with a cookie, malicious or otherwise). With that number, a web server can tailor its information to the needs of the specific browser. We use cookies rarely. By "personally identifiable information," we're referring to data on specific individuals who have volunteered the information on certain Sheboygan County web pages. Data could include name, physical address, e-mail address, and so forth. Providing that information to us is purely voluntary and is used to serve you better. For example, if you contact us and give us your e-mail address, we're able to respond to you personally. Personally identifiable information will be used by Sheboygan County only on a need-to-know basis and will not be made accessible to unauthorized employees at any time. Who is collecting the information? Sheboygan County collects anonymous and personal information, and occasionally contracts with partners to collect information on behalf of Sheboygan County as well. Sheboygan County and its partners adhere to the privacy policy you're reading now. How is the information protected? Sheboygan County and partner web servers contain state-of-the-industry security precautions that prevent personal information from being stolen or tampered with. Does Sheboygan County share the information with anyone? Sheboygan County will not sell or lease personally identifiable information to anyone. However, the Wisconsin Public Records Law may require us to provide certain information upon request. The Public Records Law places a special burden on governmental bodies such as Sheboygan County to assure the public's right to access public records and information. The Public Records Law is complex because of the number of exceptions. For example, the fact that Jane Smith ordered by e-mail a copy of a County publication is public information; but if she supplied a credit card number, that number is not public information. If you have privacy questions about any of the information that you provide to us, please reference text area below. For the text of the Wisconsin Public Records Law, see Wis. Stat. §§ 19.21 through 19.39. Sheboygan County retains the right to release private information in rare cases we believe to be emergencies. For example, if we received information from somebody contemplating suicide in a neighboring county, we might contact officials from that jurisdiction to come to the person's aid. Except for legal requirements and extreme emergencies, information on the Sheboygan County web site will not be released to anyone without the consent of the user. For Home Page: DISCLAIMER: The information on this web site is provided as a service. Every effort has been made to provide accurate information; however, the County of Sheboygan disclaims any responsibility for any inaccuracies.