Create your own Privacy Policy (using vb templates)

briansol · #1 02-29-2008, 12:02 AM

With Google Adsense's new terms requiring all sites to have a privacy policy about 3rd party cookies (reference: Tell your visitors they are being tracked with web beacons & cookies as AdSense terms updated - JenSense.com ), I figured i'd help you all get started with your own easy to make template.

DISCLAIMER:
It's best to consult a lawyer if you can, and I take no legal bearing on this privacy policy being legit in any way shape or form. It is what I came up with for my site. Your's may differ.

---------------------------------------

Step1:
- Go into the vB ACP, vB Options -> Site Name / URL / Contact Details option.
- Find the privacy block, and enter 'privacy.php' in the blank. (note, if you already have a file called this, back it up before doing anything futer, as what lies ahead will over-write it)

Step2:

create a new php file in your editor of choice, or notepad.
place the following code into it:

Code:

<?php

// ####################### SET PHP ENVIRONMENT ###########################
error_reporting(E_ALL & ~E_NOTICE);

// #################### DEFINE IMPORTANT CONSTANTS #######################
define('NO_REGISTER_GLOBALS', 1);
define('THIS_SCRIPT', 'privacy'); 

// ################### PRE-CACHE TEMPLATES AND DATA ######################
// get special phrase groups
$phrasegroups = array(

);

// get special data templates from the datastore
$specialtemplates = array(
    
);

// pre-cache templates used by all actions
$globaltemplates = array(
    'privacy',
);

// pre-cache templates used by specific actions
$actiontemplates = array(

);

// ######################### REQUIRE BACK-END ############################
require_once('./global.php');

// #######################################################################
// ######################## START MAIN SCRIPT ############################
// #######################################################################



$navbits = array();
$navbits[$parent] = 'Privacy Policy';

$navbits = construct_navbits($navbits);



eval('$navbar = "' . fetch_template('navbar') . '";');
eval('print_output("' . fetch_template('privacy') . '");');

?>

save and upload to your root forum directory (same location as showthread.php, etc) calling it 'privacy.php'

Step3:

Go to the style Manager in the ACP. From your skin (and you will have to do this for each skin if they aren't inherited) Select 'Add New Template' from the drop down.
Name the template 'privacy' THIS MUST MATCH what is in the php file, so if you change it here, you must change it there as well.

place the following code into the template. Note again, this contains the code that I used for my policy. I Highly suggest you edit some of it at the very least

Also, change YOURSITENAME to your site name, duh

Code:

$stylevar[htmldoctype]
<html dir="$stylevar[textdirection]" lang="$stylevar[languagecode]" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<title>Privacy Policy - $vboptions[bbtitle]</title>
$headinclude
</head>
<body>
$header

$navbar

<table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
<tr>
    <td class="tcat" id="top">Privacy Policy</td>
</tr>
<tr>
    <td class="alt1">
<div style="width: 80%; margin: 0 auto;">
            <ul>
                <li>YOURSITENAME recognizes that you care about the personal information that is held about you and how that is used.</li>
                <li>This privacy policy applies to all personal data, submitted by you, to the YOURSITENAME web site.</li>
                <li>By registering to YOURSITENAME you need to submit a chosen name and contact information, more specifically an e-mail address.  No extremely personal information, such as Social Security or Credit Card numbers are stored by us.</li>
                <li>YOURSITENAME also stores and reads cookies to and from your computer. Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that we transfer to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser to enable our forums and general website features to recognize your browser for when you return to this web site.  By using this website, you agree that both the webserver, and any trusted 3rd party we chose, such as advertising networks, may place a tracking cookie on your machine and access it at any time during your session.  In general, cookies are safe and are not a security issue when being used from 'trusted' internet sites, such as YOURSITENAME.  For information on how to manage cookies in your browser, please visit <a href="http://www.aboutcookies.org/Default.aspx?page=2" rel="nofollow">AboutCookies.org</a></li>
                <li>YOURSITENAME will not sell, transmit or distribute any data held without your prior permission or consent, unless required to do so under relevant United States legislation.</li>
                <li>All other information provided by you goes into a "public profile" and is entirely optional, all information held in that profile is held there at your own risk.  This info is edited via your Control Panel in the forums.</li>
                <li>You have a legal right for the personal information held at YOURSITENAME to be updated if it is incorrect or deleted if you choose.  Most of this can be done through your Control Panel in the forums.  If you are having issues with this, please contact us if you need help.</li>
                <li>YOURSITENAME will take all reasonable effort to ensure that all personal information about you submitted is maintained secure on our server.  However, we make no warranty to this.</li>
                <li>This site is intended for individuals over the age of 13.  Any information collected is intended to be of individuals over the age of 13.  According to <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/coppa/index.html">COPPA</a>, our site does NOT cater to children.  "Operators of commercial websites or online services directed to children under 13 that collect personal information from children" require a COPPA agreement and privacy policy.  Since we do not cater to this age group, no COPPA exists on YOURSITENAME</li>
                <li>This Privacy Policy may be modified at any time without notice.  It is your responsibility to check this page for updates or changes. If you have any questions regarding your privacy, then <a href="/sendmessage.php">Contact Us</a></li>
            </ul>    
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>

$footer

</body>
</html>

Step4:
- I know you didn't edit it yet... go back and edit your template with YOUR policy
Step5:
- Optional: Create a CRR to make privacy.php look nice, like yourdomain.com/privacy/ or any other variety you chose.
- Head into the VBSEO CP, and scroll down to the Custom Rewrite Rules block.
- Enter:
  Code:
```
'privacy\.php' => 'privacy/'
```
  or any other variety in the right-hand side that you wish to re-write it too.
Step6:
- That's it Assuming your footer template is stock (or at least has all the stock conditionals in it) you will now see a "Privacy Statement" link in the bottom right (near where the modcp and admincp links are) Click it and make sure it works. Enjoy

Shadab · #2 02-29-2008, 04:54 AM

I had put up a privacy policy on my forum a couple of months ago.
(generated from the-dma.org)

And Yesterday only I restructured some other things (like forum rules, guidelines, etc.).

Heres the link to the new section i created :
Geek Point - Privacy Policy

Anyway, thanks for the article.

Keith Cohen · #3 02-29-2008, 12:21 PM

You can also do it in the same fashion as the Custom 404 Page process I created an article about. I use that same method for my About page, Rules page, Privacy page, etc.

Joe Ward · #4 02-29-2008, 02:41 PM

Great contribution. Thank-you.

Keith Cohen · #5 03-10-2008, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Cohen

You can also do it in the same fashion as the Custom 404 Page process I created an article about. I use that same method for my About page, Rules page, Privacy page, etc.

Just to clarify, since I didn't give a lot of detail:

You create the vBulletin template with the appropriate name, such as custom_About (case matters if you want the page title in the navbits to show up correctly), then set up CRRs like this for each one:

'^misc\.php\?do=page&template=About' => 'about.html'
'^misc\.php\?do=page&template=Link' => 'link.html'
'^misc\.php\?do=page&template=Rules' => 'rules.html'
'^misc\.php\?do=page&template=Legal' => 'legal.html'
'^misc\.php\?do=page&template=Privacy' => 'privacy.html'

Using this method, you don't have to create any custom PHP files. However, this method won't work for pages that have mutiple words in the title.

woostar · #6 03-11-2008, 08:19 PM

Thanks Brian

Jason_A · #7 03-12-2008, 02:21 PM

I get a white page after following your post, any ideas where I've gone wrong? I just need a temporary privacy statement up, until my homepage and other pages are done.

Thanks!

Regards Jason

briansol · #8 03-12-2008, 04:15 PM

white page can mean a couple things...

1) you're using IE and have 'friendly error' messages on
2) the file names don't match, thus the template can't find the php, and vice versa.
3) these things are CASE SENSITIVE. be sure all 'privacy' keywords are lower case in both the php and the template.

if that doesn't do it, start over and try again... you probably missing something simple, but it's impossible to diagnoss from 'white page'.

Jason_A · #9 03-12-2008, 04:48 PM

Ah, I used a capital P for the template name hehe.

Thanks, much appreciated.

Regards Jason

briansol · #10 03-12-2008, 05:21 PM

Cool

glad it was a simple fix

sportsmedjosh · #11 03-14-2008, 07:00 PM

Just put mine in today, if i knew it was going to take less than 10 minutes I would have done it sooner.

briansol · #12 03-15-2008, 12:39 AM

I did all the hard work for you

sportsmedjosh · #13 03-15-2008, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by briansol

I did all the hard work for you

For some reason I thought I was going to have to edit stuff and find paths like the 404 redirect which I'm working on now.

BamaStangGuy · #14 03-31-2008, 12:52 PM

You have an extra </li> right before the </ul>

MarketTimes · #15 04-03-2008, 05:27 PM

Thank you, great work guys!

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