Statement and Authority
By constitution, the LASTSFA Board of Directors has the authority to set and revise policy for the operations
of LASTSFA, its committees, and events.
It is the intent of LASTSFA to follow the privacy policies established by governing entities as well as those
listed below. Policies from governing entities shall include Federal, State, and Local policies. Additional
policies may be reviewed by the LASTSFA Board of Directors for inclusion in whole or in part. In cases where
the policies below may conflict with accepted governing policies, the governing policy applies and this
Privacy Policy document will be updated to reflect it as soon as is feasible. The term “feasible” shall include
a reasonable amount of time after LASTSFA has been notified of the conflict to allow for approvals and
technical updates. Questions and/or possible violations can be forwarded to the LASTSFA Board of Directors
or its designee.
Introduction
The Latham-Albany-Schenectady-Troy Science Fiction Association, Inc. (LASTSFA) recognizes that it is
necessary for individuals to be confident that their privacy is protected when they do business with LASTSFA
and/or visit LASTSFA’s online services.
Covered activities include, but may not be limited to:
- LASTSFA Online Services
- Albacon Science Fiction Convention
- Scheduled Events (readings, signings, gatherings, etc.)
Consistent with commonly accepted practices, this policy describes LASTSFA’s privacy practices regarding
information collected from members, event attendees, and service users. This policy describes what
information is collected and how that information is used. Because this privacy policy only applies to
LASTSFA activities, you should examine the privacy policy of any other participating organization or venue
experienced in relation to LASTSFA events.
For purposes of this policy, “personal information” means any information concerning a natural person
which, because of name, number, symbol, mark, or other identifier, can be used to identify that natural
person. LASTSFA may collect personal information about you through email, logging in, registering for an
event, responding to a survey, or completing an on-line transaction.
Exclusions
For privacy policies relating to LASTSFA Online Services, see the LASTSFA Online Services Privacy Policy.
When participating in a third-party activity, the policies of that entity may supersede those of this policy. For
example, maintaining a LASTSFA event registration table at a larger convention or entity event. Questions
regarding any conflicts may be directed to the LASTSFA Board of Directors or its designee.
Definitions
The following terms, acronyms, and definitions are used in this document.
HTTP and HTTPS: Hypertext Transfer Protocol – This is a format for communicating over the internet. This is
used by online services and sites. HTTPS is the Secure version.
LASTSFA: Latham-Albany-Schenectady-Troy Science Fiction Association, Inc. Incorporated on December
23, 1981, LASTSFA serves the greater Albany Capital District and surrounding communities providing literacy
and educational programs related to Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Mythology.
Albacon: The name of a regular Science Fiction convention sponsored and conducted by LASTSFA.
Online Services: The following domains, all subdomains, and services are included in the collectively
referred to “LASTSFA Online Services”.
- lastsfa.club
- albacon.org
- Albacon Discord server
- Zoom
- other social media channels
- Personal Information: For purposes of this policy, “personal information” means any information
- concerning a natural person which, because of name, number, symbol, mark, or other identifier, can be used
- to identify that natural person. (See also the section on Information Collected Automatically When You Visit
- LASTSFA Online Services.)
Online Links
LASTSFA provides links to websites of government agencies, organizations, and companies. When you click
on these external links, you will, in effect, leave the LASTSFA online service. A link does not constitute an
endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services, usability, or
accessibility of that website.
Other websites operate under the auspices and at the direction of their respective owners. Once you follow
a link to another website, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that website, including, but not
limited to, its privacy policy. Therefore, if you have a question or comment about any of these sites, please
contact the site owner directly.
Information Collected Automatically When You Visit LASTSFA Online Services
When visiting LASTSFA Online Services, the service may automatically collect and store information about
your visit. This may include:
- i. The Internet Protocol (IP) Address and domain name used. The Internet Protocol Address is a
- numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer.
- ii. The type of browser and operating system you used.
- iii. The date and time you visited the service.
- iv. The web pages or services that you accessed through the service.
- v. The web site you visited prior to coming to a LASTSFA online service.
- vi. Any information you may have entered in a form on the service/site
- vii. Additional information that your browser may pass to the site via HTTP headers and data.
These are not controlled by LASTSFA. This information is dependent on the browser, operating system, and
configuration in use.
The information that is collected automatically is used to improve this service’s content and to help LASTSFA
understand how users are interacting with the website or service. This information may be used for
statistical analysis, to determine what information is of most and least interest to our users, and to improve
the utility of the material available on the website.
Cookies
Cookies are simple text files stored on your computer to provide a means of distinguishing between users of
LASTSFA Online Services. The use of cookies is a standard practice among Internet websites and online
services. In order to better serve you, we may use “temporary” cookies to enhance, customize or enable your
visit to a web site. Temporary cookies may or may not contain personal information, but should not
compromise your privacy or security and may be erased during the operation of your browser or when your
browser is closed.
The software that you use to access the website/service allows you to refuse new cookies or delete existing
cookies. Refusing or deleting these cookies may limit your ability to take advantage of some of the features
of a website.
Information Collected When You Email LASTSFA or Complete a Transaction
While using a LASTSFA online service you may send an e-mail to LASTSFA. Your e-mail address and the
contents of your message will be collected. Your e-mail address and the information included in your
message will be used to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to improve this service, or to forward
your message to another agent for appropriate action.
During your visit to a LASTSFA online service you may complete a transaction such as a survey, registration
form, or order form. The information, including personal information, volunteered by you in completing the
transaction is used by LASTSFA to operate various programs, which may include the provision of goods,
services, and information. The information collected by LASTSFA may be disclosed by LASTSFA for those
purposes that are reasonably related to the nature and terms of the transaction in which the information was
submitted.
Information and Choice
LASTSFA may collect personal information about you through an online service when you provide that
information voluntarily by sending an e-mail, responding to a survey, registering for an account on the online
service, or completing an on-line form.
You may choose not to send us an e-mail, respond to a survey, or complete an on-line form, and always have
the option to respond through use of regular mail. While your choice not to participate in these activities may
limit your ability to receive specific services or products through the website, it will not normally have an
impact on your ability to take advantage of other features of the website, including browsing or downloading
most of the available information.
LASTSFA may collect information about you automatically as stated in the sections Information Collected
Automatically When You Visit LASTSFA Online Services and Disclosure of Information Collected Through a
LASTSFA Online Service.
You may update/correct/change your information on file with LASTSFA by contacting the Privacy Policy
Contact listed in this document or the registrar for the relevant LASTSFA event. You may request the removal
of your information through the same method.
Disclosure of Information Collected Through a LASTSFA Online Service
The collection of information through a LASTSFA website and the disclosure of that information are subject to
the provisions of the governing entities mentioned above. LASTSFA will only collect personal information
through this website or disclose personal information collected through this website if the user has
consented to the collection or disclosure of such personal information. Participation in an online transaction
resulting in the disclosure of personal information to LASTSFA by the user, whether or not the user submits
the information in response to a survey or form on the website, constitutes consent to the collection and
disclosure of the information by LASTSFA for the purposes reasonably ascertainable from the nature and
terms of the transaction.
However, LASTSFA may collect or disclose personal information without consent if the collection or
disclosure is:
- (1) necessary to perform the statutory duties of LASTSFA, or necessary for LASTSFA to operate a
- program authorized by law, or authorized by state, federal, or international statute or regulation; or
- (2) made pursuant to a court order or by law; or
- (3) for the purpose of validating the identity of the user; or
- (4) of information to be used solely for statistical purposes that is in a form that cannot be used to
- identify any particular person.
LASTSFA may disclose personal information to federal, state, or international law enforcement authorities to
enforce its rights against unauthorized access or attempted unauthorized access to LASTSFA’s information
technology assets.
Retention of Information Collected Through a LASTSFA Online Service
The information collected through this website is retained by LASTSFA indefinitely unless a retention or
disposition schedule has been specifically assigned. Information concerning these records retention and
disposition schedules may be obtained through the privacy policy contact listed in this policy.
Confidentiality and Integrity of Personal Information Collected Through a LASTSFA Online Service
LASTSFA is committed to protecting personal information collected through a LASTSFA website against
unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Consequently, LASTSFA limits access to personal information
collected through a website to only those members or vendors who need access to the information in the
performance of their official duties. Members who have access to this information are required to follow
appropriate procedures in connection with any disclosures of personal information.
In addition, LASTSFA implements procedures to safeguard the integrity of its information technology assets.
These security procedures are integrated into the design, implementation, and day-to-day operations of an online service as part of our continuing commitment to the security of electronic content as well as the electronic transmission of information.
For website security purposes and to maintain the availability of the website for all users, LASTSFA may use
software to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise
damage an online service.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)
Compliance Level Notice
The GDPR recognizes 8 rights of online users. LASTSFA acknowledges these rights, and to the extent
permitted by governing U.S. laws and policies, is committed to meet the requirements of both the GDPR and
CalOPPA.
- The Right to Information
- The Right of Access
- The Right to Rectification
- The Right to Erasure
- The Right to Restriction of Processing
- The Right to Data Portability
- The Right to Object
- The Right to Avoid Automated Decision-Making
Notes: - Membership data is not shared with other organizations without the approval of the member.
- LASTSFA online services do not currently honor “Do Not Track” requests. The technology used for
this restriction is not universally available and cannot be guaranteed. - Payment processors may have access to the information that you provide during online
transactions.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this privacy policy should not be construed as giving business, legal, or other
advice, or warranting as fail proof, the security of information provided through a website.
Contact Information
For questions regarding this privacy policy, please contact info@albacon.org