Last updated: September 30, 2026
The Edison Tech Center is a volunteer-run organization in Schenectady, New York, dedicated to engineering education and history. This policy explains what information is collected when you visit edisontechcenter.org and how it is used. Our website address is https://edisontechcenter.org.
The short version
- You can read everything on this site without creating an account or giving us your name or email.
- If you fill out one of our forms (for example to contact us, volunteer, or sign up for updates), we use what you send only for that purpose.
- We use Google Analytics to count visits and see which pages are popular. It uses cookies and does not tell us who you are.
- Some pages show YouTube videos, and YouTube may set its own cookies when you play them.
- Donations are handled by PayPal and Buy Me a Coffee, not by this website.
- We do not sell, rent or trade personal information.
Information collected automatically
Website analytics. We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use the site: for example, how many people visit, which pages they read, roughly what country or city they are in, what kind of device and browser they use, and how they arrived (a search engine, a link, or typing the address). Google Analytics sets cookies in your browser to do this. Google Analytics 4 does not log or store IP addresses. We see this information only as statistics; we cannot identify individual visitors from it. Google processes this data under its own privacy policy, and you can read how Google uses information from sites that use its services.
Server logs. Like nearly every website, the server that hosts this site keeps standard technical logs of requests, including IP address, browser type, the page requested and the time. These logs are used for security and troubleshooting and are kept by our hosting provider for a limited period.
Embedded videos and links to other sites
Many pages include videos embedded from YouTube. When you load or play one of these videos, YouTube (owned by Google) may set cookies and collect information about your viewing, just as if you were on youtube.com. That is covered by Google’s privacy policy.
Our pages also link to other websites, such as Wikipedia, the Internet Archive, museums, and our Facebook and YouTube pages. Once you follow a link, that site’s own privacy policy applies.
Information you choose to send us
Forms. Some pages have forms you can fill out, such as a contact form, volunteer or internship applications, event or program sign-ups, media licensing requests, or a mailing list. Depending on the form, we may ask for:
- your name and email address
- a phone number or mailing address
- your school, organization or job title
- the message or request you write to us
- any other details the form asks for, which will be shown on the form itself
We use this information only for the reason you sent it: to answer your question, process your application or request, register you for an event, or send the updates you signed up for. Required fields are marked on each form; everything else is optional.
Form submissions are stored in our website’s database and sent by email to the volunteers who handle them. To block spam, forms may use an anti-spam service that checks submissions automatically; that check involves sending the submission, your IP address and browser information to the service provider. When you submit a form, the site may also record the date and time of submission.
Mailing list. If you sign up for email updates, we will only send you Edison Tech Center news and you can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email or by contacting us.
Email and mail. If you email us or write to our mailing address, we use your name, address and message only to reply to you and handle your request. We do not add you to any mailing list without your permission.
Donations
Donations are made through PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Your payment details are entered on their websites, not ours, and we never see your full card or bank information. We receive the donor’s name, email address and the amount, which we use to keep financial records and, where appropriate, to thank you.
Cookies
Cookies are small files a website stores in your browser. Visitors to this site may receive:
- Google Analytics cookies (names starting with
_ga), used to tell visits apart and measure site use. These can last up to two years. - YouTube cookies, set by YouTube when you watch an embedded video.
- WordPress login cookies, used only for Edison Tech Center volunteers who sign in to edit the site.
- Form and anti-spam cookies, which some forms may use to work properly and to tell real visitors from automated spam.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, and the site will still work. To stop Google Analytics from measuring your visits on any website, you can install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
How long information is kept
Google Analytics data is kept by Google according to the retention setting on our account and then deleted automatically; reports showing totals (such as monthly page views) may be kept longer. Form submissions and emails are kept as long as needed to respond and follow up, and are then deleted. Applications and event sign-ups are deleted once the program or event they relate to is finished, unless you ask us to keep you in mind for future opportunities. Mailing list details are kept until you unsubscribe. Donation records are kept as long as required for financial and tax record-keeping.
Sharing information
We do not sell, rent or trade personal information. Information is shared only with the service providers described above (our web host, Google Analytics, YouTube, PayPal and Buy Me a Coffee) as part of running the site, with any form, email or anti-spam service we use to receive and protect form submissions, or when required by law. Information you send through a form is seen only by the volunteers who need it to respond.
Children
Our educational content is for everyone, including students. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
Your choices
You can ask us what information we hold about you from forms, emails or donations, and ask us to correct or delete it, by contacting us as shown below. For analytics data, use the cookie and opt-out options above, since Google Analytics does not give us information that identifies you.
Changes to this policy
If we change how we collect or use information, we will update this page and the date at the top.
Contact us
Questions about this policy can be sent to:
Edison Tech Center, P.O. Box 1417, Schenectady, NY 12301-1417
Email: edisontechsales at gmail.com
Or see our Contact page.