1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information when you register on our site and when you participate in our forums by reading, posting, or interacting with content.

When you register, we may ask for your name and email address. You may also browse the site without registering. To verify your email address, we will send a confirmation email containing a unique link. Visiting this link confirms that you control the email address provided.

When you post content, we record the IP address from which the post originated. We may also retain server logs that include the IP address of all requests to our servers.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • Personalization: To tailor your experience and respond to your individual needs.

  • Site Improvement: To enhance our offerings based on your feedback and usage patterns.

  • Customer Support: To respond effectively to your inquiries and support requests.

  • Communication: To send notifications you request, respond to inquiries, and provide updates related to your account or activity.

3. How We Protect Your Information

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

4. Data Retention

We retain data only for as long as necessary:

  • Server logs (including IP addresses): Retained for no more than 90 days.

  • IP addresses linked to registered users and posts: Retained for no more than 5 years.

5. Use of Cookies

Our site uses cookies to:

  • Recognize your browser and, if applicable, associate it with your registered account.

  • Store preferences for future visits.

  • Compile aggregate data about site traffic and interactions to improve user experience.

We may engage trusted third-party service providers to assist with analytics. These providers are prohibited from using your information for any purpose other than supporting our services.

6. Disclosure of Information

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personally identifiable information to outside parties, except:

  • Trusted partners who assist in operating our site or providing services, under strict confidentiality agreements.

  • When required to comply with legal obligations, enforce site policies, or protect rights, property, or safety.

Non-personally identifiable information may be shared for marketing or analytics purposes.

7. Third-Party Links

Our site may include links to third-party products or services. These sites have independent privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their content or practices. However, we welcome feedback regarding these sites.

8. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies only to information collected through our website and not to offline data collection.

9. Your Consent

By using our site, you consent to this Privacy Notice. Please note that BCS also maintains its own Privacy Notice governing the use of the Computing at School (CAS) website.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page.