Complexity Explorer Santa Few Institute

At Complexity Explorer ("Complexity Explorer", "we", "us", "our") we respect your privacy rights. We have created this privacy policy ("Privacy Policy") to explain how we treat the information collected and received from your use of our website. This Privacy Policy applies only to the Website, and we are not responsible for the practices of persons, companies, or websites that Complexity Explorer and Santa Fe Institute do not control, manage, or employ. Except as set forth in this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use Agreement ("Terms of Use") and other published guidelines, we do not release personal information about our users without their permission.

The Complexity Explorer website (the “Website”), http://www.complexityexplorer.org is owned and operated by the Santa Fe Institute (“SFI”).


What Information this Privacy Policy Covers

Some of our Website's functionality can be used without revealing any personal information, though for some features or services, personal information is required. If you do not use these specific features or services on the Website, then the only information we collect will be "NonPersonal Information" (i.e., information that cannot be used to identify you). Non-Personal Information includes information such as the web pages that you have viewed on our site. In order to access certain features and benefits on our Website, you may need to submit "Personally Identifiable Information" (i.e., information that can be used to identify you). Personally Identifiable Information can include information such as your name and email address, among other things. You are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the Personally Identifiable Information you submit to Complexity Explorer. Inaccurate information may affect your ability to use the Website, the information you receive when using the Website, and our ability to contact you. For example, your email address should be kept current because that is one of the primary manners in which we communicate with you.


What You Consent to by Using Our Website

Please understand that by submitting any Personally Identifiable Information to us, you consent and agree that we may collect, use and disclose such Personally Identifiable Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use, and as permitted or required by law. If you do not agree with these terms, then please do not provide any Personally Identifiable Information to us. If you refuse or withdraw your consent, or if you choose not to provide us with any required Personally Identifiable Information, we may not be able to provide you with the services that can be offered on our Website. We can delete user accounts with user permission.


What Information We Collect

We gather two types of information about users through the Website:

  • Non-Personal Information

    When users come to our Website, we may track, collect and aggregate Non-Personal Information indicating, among other things, which pages of our Website were visited, the order in which they were visited, when they were visited, and which hyperlinks were "clicked." We also collect information from the URLs from which you linked to our Website. Collecting such information may involve logging the IP address, operating system and browser software used by each user of the Website. Although such information is not Personally Identifiable Information, we may be able to determine from an IP address a user's Internet Service Provider and the geographic location of his or her point of connectivity.

    We also may use cookies and/or web beacons to help us determine and identify repeat visitors, the type of content and sites to which a user of our Website links, the length of time each user spends at any particular area of our Website, and the specific functionalities that users choose to use. Essentially, cookies are a user's identification card for the Complexity Explorer servers. Web beacons are small graphic files linked to our servers that allow us to track your use of our Website and related functionalities. Cookies and web beacons allow Complexity Explorer to serve you better and more efficiently, and to personalize your experience at our Website. Cookies and web beacons are not used to retain Personally Identifiable Information.

    You should be able to control how and whether cookies will be accepted by your web browser. Most browsers offer instructions on how to reset the browser to reject cookies in the "Help" section of the toolbar. If you reject our cookies, many functions and conveniences of this Website may not work properly.

  • Personally Identifiable Information

    We collect Personally Identifiable Information that you provide to us when you Register for a User Account or enroll in online courses, participate in our public forums, send us email messages, and/or participate in online courses or services on our Website. We may use the Personally Identifiable Information that you provide to respond to your questions, provide you the specific course and/or services you select, send you updates about services offered through the Website, and send you email messages about Website maintenance or updates.

  • Updates

    Complexity Explorer may offer you the ability to receive updates either via email or by posting on portions of the Website only accessible to Registered Users. In order to subscribe to these services, you may be required to provide us with Personally Identifiable Information such as your name and email address.

  • Forums

    Complexity Explorer may offer public forums from time to time (the "Forums") where you can share comments and thoughts. In order to participate in the Forums, you may be required to register with us and/or provide us with Personally Identifiable Information such as your name and email address.

  • Participation in Online Courses

    From time to time, Complexity Explorer may offer you the opportunity to participate in an online course on or through the Website. If you desire to participate in a course, you will be asked to provide us with certain information necessary to conduct such a course. This information may include, your name and email address.

  • Communications with Complexity Explorer

    We may receive Personally Identifiable Information when you send us an email message or otherwise contact us.


How We Use the Information

Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the different ways Complexity Explorer and SFI use the information that we gather.

  • Non-Personal Information

    We use Non-Personal Information in aggregate form to build higher quality, more useful services by performing statistical analyses of the collective characteristics and behavior of our users, and by measuring demographics and interests regarding specific areas of our Website.

  • Personally Identifiable Information

    This Privacy Policy serves as notice that we collect Personally Identifiable Information in the manners described herein. Except as set forth in this Privacy Policy or as specifically agreed to by you, Complexity Explorer and SFI will not disclose any Personally Identifiable Information we gather from you. In addition to the other uses set forth in this Privacy Policy, we may disclose and otherwise use Personally Identifiable Information as described below.

  • Updates

    We use Personally Identifiable Information collected when you sign up for our various email or update services to send you the messages in connection with the Website or an online course. We may also archive this information and/or use it for future communications with you.

  • Forums

    We use Personally Identifiable Information collected during your use of the Forums to facilitate your use of the Forums. In addition we may publish this information either on the Website and/or in other publications. We may also archive this information and/or use it for future communications with you and/or your designee(s).

  • Participation in Online Courses

    We use the Personally Identifiable Information that we collect from you when you participate in an online course through the Website for processing purposes, including but not limited to tracking attendance, progress and completion of an online course. Also, we may archive this information and/or use it for future communications with you.

  • Communications with Complexity Explorer

    When you send us an email message or otherwise contact us, we may use the information provided by you to respond to your communication and/or as described in this Privacy Policy. We may also archive this information and/or use it for future communications with you.

  • Disclosure to SFI Operations and Maintenance Contractors

    Our operations and maintenance contractors may have limited access to your Personally Identifiable Information in the course of providing products or services to us. These operators and maintenance contractors are required to treat all Identifiable Information appropriately. These contractors may include vendors and suppliers that provide us with technology, services, and/or content related to the operation and maintenance of the Website or the online course. Access to your Personally Identifiable Information by these contractors is limited to the information reasonably necessary for the contractor to perform its limited function for us.

  • Government Authorities, Legal Rights and Actions

    SFI may share your Personally Identifiable Information with various government authorities in response to subpoenas, court orders, or other legal process; to establish or exercise our legal rights or to protect our property; to defend against legal claims; or as otherwise required by law. In such cases we reserve the right to raise or waive any legal objection or right available to us. We also may share your Personally Identifiable Information when we believe it is appropriate to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal or suspected illegal activities; to protect and defend the rights, property, or safety of SFI, the Website, our Users, or others; and in connection with our Terms of Use and other agreements.


Confidentiality & Security of Personally Identifiable Information

We consider the confidentiality and security of your information to be of the utmost importance. We will use commercially reasonable efforts to keep your Personally Identifiable Information private and will not share it with third parties, except as otherwise provided in this Privacy Policy, or unless we have good faith belief that such disclosure is necessary in special cases, such as a physical threat to you or others. SFI takes reasonable measures to protect your Personally Identifiable Information from disclosure to or access by third parties. Please note that we do not guarantee the security of Personally Identifiable Information, and there is some risk that an unauthorized third party may find a way to circumvent our security systems or that transmission of your information over the Internet will be intercepted.


Updating or Deleting Your Personally Identifiable Information

We maintain a procedure in order to help you confirm that your Personally Identifiable Information remains correct and up-to-date.

You may update your Personally Identifiable Information by logging into the Website and visiting your user account page. You may also email us at complexityexplorer@santafe.edu in order to delete or update your Personally Identifiable Information on our systems. We try to answer every email promptly, but may not always be able to do so. Keep in mind, however, that there will be residual information that will remain within our databases, access logs and other records, which may or may not contain your Personally Identifiable Information.

If you have any privacy-related questions or unresolved problems, you may contact us using the information provided below.


Changing Our Privacy Policy

Please note that we review our privacy practices from time to time, and that these practices are subject to change. Any change, update, or modification will be effective immediately upon posting on our Website. We will notify you of any material change to this Privacy Policy by posting a notice on our Website's homepage for a reasonable period of time following such update, and by changing the effective date (located at the bottom of this page). Be sure to return to this page periodically to ensure familiarity with the most current version of this Privacy Policy.


Protecting Children's Privacy

SFI strongly believes in protecting the privacy of children. In line with this belief, we do not knowingly collect or maintain Personally Identifiable Information on our Website from persons under 13 years of age, and no part of our Website is directed to persons under 13 years of age. If you are under 13 years of age, then please do not use or access this Website at any time or in any manner. We will take appropriate steps to delete any Personally Identifiable Information of persons less than 13 years of age that has been collected on our Website without verified parental consent upon learning of the existence of such Personally Identifiable Information.


Contacting SFI

If you have any questions, comments or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our Website, please contact us at admin@complexityexplorer.org


Our Privacy Policy was last updated January 27, 2013.