DISCLOSURES AND DISCLAIMERS - Fairfax Family Fun

FAIRFAX FAMILY FUN DISCLOSURES AND DISCLAIMERS (alphabetical by topic)
The following disclosures and disclaimers are effective Sept. 12, 2012
(updated Oct. 24, 3013 with “plain English translations!”)
(updated May 5, 2014 with newsletter privacy policy)
(updated Dec. 18, 2014, with information on affiliate links)
(Updated Oct. 10, 2017, with small edits to the “hold harmless” text)

AFFILIATE LINKS: This site includes affiliate links as banner ads and sometimes as links within a blog post (when these are present, they are noted as such). Affiliate links mean that this site makes a small commission from purchases you make through these links. Using these links does not change your price but does help provide some extra income to this site, which is offered free to readers. Also see “Amazon Affiliate” below.
Plain English: Affiliate links help me help you!

ADMINISTRATION/OWNERSHIP: Fairfax Family Fun is privately owned and administered through PLH Communications, LLC, a Virginia company.
Plain English: This is my website. There are many like it but this one is mine. 😉

ADVERTISEMENT/SPONSORSHIP: This site accepts paid advertising and complimentary products and services from site sponsors and advertisers (see “Compensation” below). While sponsors/advertisers support the overall site and concept of Fairfax Family Fun, their sponsorship does not grant them control over the direction of this site, nor should it suggest any endorsement of, or affiliation with, events listed here. Editorial input (writing, editing, content selection) remains as the opinion of, and at the discretion of, Fairfax Family Fun, unless otherwise noted (i.e., guest author posts).
Plain English: Advertisers support this site, but they don’t control it.

AMAZON AFFILIATE: This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Plain English: Again, affiliate links help me help you!

COMMENTS: Fairfax Family Fun makes an effort to screen and pre-approve comments made on this site to keep the tone “family-friendly” and avoid spam. That said, we are not responsible nor can we be held liable for anything anyone posts in blog comments nor any issues that arise (bad/spam/inappropriate links, offensive/ or inflammatory comments, legal matters, etc.).
Plain English: No spam, and keep it clean… this is a family site!

COMPLIANCE WITH LAW: Visitors to Fairfax Family Fun agree to comply with all local, state, and Federal laws regarding copyright and other issues. Participants in giveaways agree to comply with any applicable laws.
Plain English: Y’all better behave. If you don’t, we don’t know you!

COMPENSATION: This site accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, trade-outs, and other forms of compensation. Fairfax Family Fun is an advertiser-supported site and as such receives payment from advertisers or sponsors in exchange for advertising space and special promotions. While basic event listings (included at the discretion of Fairfax Family Fun) are always free, other sections of the page (such as giveaways) are supported by sponsors, who provide paid advertising and/or in-kind donations (products or services as contest prizes).
Plain English: Yes, I get paid for my work, as I should. Shouldn’t we all?

CONTENT ACCURACY AND VALIDITY: Fairfax Family Fun strives to provide content that is current and accurate, but cannot provide guarantees for this. Websites such as this one, and the ones we link to, are always in transition, and information (especially as it relates to community events) can change often. Fairfax Family Fun also aims to provide a site that is free of errors, but typos, “dead” links, and other errors can happen with or without our knowledge. We welcome your bringing these items to our attention but cannot guarantee that errors or inaccurate information will not occur. Fairfax Family Fun is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the site.
Plain English: I’m only human, born to make mistakes. Plus, I can’t track ALL events at all times!

COPYRIGHT: The works of authorship within the Fairfax Family Fun site (content and graphics including all data, design, text, images, and charts), including these brilliant disclaimers, are owned (except as otherwise expressly stated) by Fairfax Family Fun and may not be copied, reproduced, transmitted, displayed, performed, distributed, rented, sub-licensed, altered, stored for subsequent use, or otherwise used in whole or in part in any manner (print, broadcast, or electronic) in this or in any other galaxy without the prior written consent of the owner of Fairfax Family Fun.
Plain English: Don’t steal my work — that is not nice. You want content? Get your own!

ENDORSEMENTS: Fairfax Family Fun provides information on family-friendly events and activities as a community service and is not involved in the planning or execution of said events and activities. Including these events on the Fairfax Family Fun site does not constitute an endorsement of the event, activity, or resource. Likewise, the placement of a sponsor’s ad, link, or image on any FairfaxFamilyFun.com page does not imply an endorsement of the content therein. Also, companies that donate goods or services for giveaways may not necessarily be sponsors or endorsers of those promotions per se.
Plain English: Don’t shoot the messenger, which is all we are. Don’t shoot our sponsors, either.

EVENT LISTINGS: All events listed on FairfaxFamilyFun.com (event calendar, seasonal guides, special pages, or any other pages), and any content included on this site, is provided for informational purposes only, and is not guaranteed or warranted for accuracy. Fairfax Family Fun strives to provide timely, correct information but cannot always check for updaes. Visitors should always confirm with the event host or planner to confirm event details of an event or the organization behind any activity or news.
Plain English: It’s always a good idea to check with the original source.

EXTERNAL LINKS: Errors can occur with links to other sites for a number of reasons: a typo in the URL, a change in the site linked to, a change in the domain ownership or web hosting, a hacker attack, etc. Fairfax Family Fun has not reviewed all of the sites linked to its website and is not responsible for the content on such sites, or accuracy thereof. Fairfax Family Fun has no control over, association with, or endorsement of sites linked to via external links (that is, links to pages not hosted on the FairfaxFamilyFun.com site), and is not responsible for any issues that arise from visiting other sites via these external links or references to them. Users visit these sites at their own risk.
Plain English: We don’t spend all my free time online doing quality assurance. Boo-boos happen.

FACEBOOK: Any Facebook activity you conduct while on FairfaxFamilyFun.com (such as “liking” the Fairfax Family Fun page by clicking on the Facebook button or using your Facebook login to enter a giveaway) must comply with Facebook’s terms of use. Fairfax Family Fun does not have any “special access” to Facebook, nor can we see information other than what you have chosen to share publicly and/or with sites such as ours. We do not provide any information-gathering, troubleshooting, or help with any Facebook issues. Promotions and giveaways on Fairfax Family Fun, even those where you can enter using your Facebook login, are in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that by entering our giveaways you are providing your information to Fairfax Family Fun, Rafflecopter, and the contest sponor, and not to Facebook.
Plain English: Do not mess with the almighty Facebook! Keep kosher with them, as we do!

GIVEAWAYS: Occasionally Fairfax Family Fun will host a “giveaway” on its website with one or more prizes. These giveaways are run solely at the discretion of Fairfax Family Fun. Giveaway entries are always free but require complying with the terms and conditions set forth for each prize. Winners are randomly selected (via a random.org application). All giveaway entrants must be at least 18 years old as of the time entering the giveaway and reside in Virginia. All giveaway entrants must provide a valid email they check frequently to receive prompt notification, if selected as the winner, to avoid possible forfeiture (winner could be disqualified if he/she does not acknowledge the prize within the time stated in the giveaway, such as within 48 hours of award notice). win. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Odds of winning a giveaway depend on the total number of entries received. Fairfax Family Fun uses information (such as name and email address) collected through the entry strictly to notify the prize sponsor, and does not share this information with any other third parties. For prizes that are redeemed directly from the sponsor, the giveaway winner is responsible for claiming the prize (Fairfax Family Fun will notify the sponsor of the winner’s name). For prizes that Fairfax Family Fun will ship directly, shipment will be via regular U.S. Postal Service mail. Fairfax Family Fun is not responsible for lost, mis-delivered, or damaged items. We also make no guarantees of any product or prize nor can we provide additional prizes or substitutes if an announced prize turns out to be not to your liking. For any giveaway, Fairfax Family Fun and/or the sponsor or prize donor reserve the right to substitute the advertised prize with another one for any reason. Unless otherwise stated, Fairfax Family Fun generally receives a prize at least equal in value to that of the giveaway in exchange for the time to create, administer, and promote the giveaway for the sponsor and/or payment to run the giveaway. For giveaways that are announced or promoted on Facebook, please note that these promotions are in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. Giveaway entrants or participants complete release Facebook of any claims. By entering a giveaway, participants or entrants are providing their information to Fairfax Family Fun, the giveaway prize donor and/or promoter, and any services Fairfax Family Fun uses to administer the giveaway and/or notify winners, such as Rafflecopter. Void where prohibited by law.
Plain English: Ya’ snooze, ya’ loose. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Don’t shoot the messenger. Other adages.

HOLD HARMLESS: The intent of Fairfax Family Fun is to provide ideas for family-friendly activities, events, and resources in and right around Fairfax County. These activities, events, and resources are provided merely as suggestions for fun things to do; participants assume all risks from any activities they engage in. Fairfax Family Fun is not responsible for any injuries or problems that may arise from partaking in any of these events and activities or from the use of any products, services, tips, or information mentioned on this site; users/visitors to FairfaxFamilyFun.com agree to hold Fairfax Family Fun harmless in any such claims.
Plain English: Our society has become so litigious, we have to put in “no-duh!” stuff like this.

LANGUAGE: FairfaxFamilyFun.com is written in English for a U.S. audience, specifically in Northern Virginia. While this is a large metropolitan area with much diversity and residents of various nationalities, we do not provide translation services nor are we responsible for translation or interpretation of content by entities locally or abroad, or for problems that may stem from translation or interpretation of our materials. We also are not responsible for any issues that arise from punctuation or other errors (see “Content Accuracy and Validity” at the top of this page).
Plain English: Hablo español et français. But not on this website!

LOGO: The FairfaxFamilyFun.com logo is property of Fairfax Family Fun exclusively and cannot be used in any format without the prior, explicit approval of Fairfax Family Fun.
Plain English: More “please don’t steal my stuff” stuff (we paid a friend to design it… don’t steal from him, either!)

NEWSLETTER: Visitors to FairfaxFamilyFun.com may choose to sign up for the free electronic newsletter. The newsletter is a free service designed to highlight website features and content, promote recent blog and Facebook posts, provide a sneak peek at upcoming events or web content, and share special offers from advertisers. Your information (name and email address) will be shared only with the newsletter service provider to deliver the newsletter. Subscribing is optional to use this site, but it may be a requirement to conduct special activities, such as entering a giveaway. You can view the privacy policy on the newsletter page or further down in ‘Privacy” on this Disclosures and Disclaimers page.
Plain English: You CAN sign up for the newsletter so you don’t miss the good stuff. But it’s not a “must” to visit this site.

PERSONAL VIEWS: The content on this website (meaning both the actual content that appears, and decisions on what to include or not include) is at the sole discretion of the FairfaxFamilyFun.com owner and administrator. The editorial focus and content stems from the personal opinion of the Fairfax Family Fun administrator and not the site sponsors or advertisers nor of the organizations and companies whose events and activities we promote. These sponsors/advertisers, organizations, and companies do not have editorial input into the FairfaxFamilyFun.com content.
Plain English: If you don’t like something here, don’t blame the site sponsors.

PHOTOS/IMAGES: Photographs and graphic images posted on the Fairfax Family Fun site come from one of three sources: (1) directly from the operators/administrators of Fairfax Famiy Fun (i.e., personal photos under our direct ownership); (2) from advertisers and sponsors (including companies or organizations that provide goods or services for giveaways/contests), who provide these to help in their publicity efforts and grant permission to use the images on this site; or (3) from stock images that are either (a) free for public use or (b) part of a set of stock images purchased and owned by Fairfax Family Fun’s administrators. No photos are ever just “taken” from the Internet randomly or without the owner’s permission. Likewise, don’t steal from me.
Plain English: And yet MORE “don’t steal my stuff” stuff! We don’t do it, and neither should you.

PRIVACY: Fairfax Family Fun does not collect, store, or share any personal information from visitors except as necessary to conduct a contest (see “Giveaways), where participating is completely up to you and is opt-in. We also collect some information (name, email, and zip code (optional)) for newsletter subscribers who elect to receive the newsletter by email. Please see the “Newsletter” entry above on this page or visit the newsletter page for details. This site may routinely collect information about your visit here to analyze content performance through the use of cookies, which you can turn off at any time by modifying your Internet browser’s settings. We are not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other Web sites or media without our permission. Like most websites today, FairfaxFamilyFun.com uses log files for Internet Protocol addresses (IP addresses), browser type, Internet Service Provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time stamp, and number of clicks-throughs. This information serves to analyze trends, administer the site, track user movement in the aggregate, and to gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses, etc., are not linked to personally identifiable information. This website contains hyperlinks to other sites not a part of or affiliated with Fairfax Family Fun, and we are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites.
Plain English: I’m not building a dossier on anyone, trust me.

RAFFLECOPTER: Fairfax Family Fun often conducts giveaways using Rafflecopter application/tools. Metric Feat LLC (“Rafflecopter”) does not sponsor, administer or endorse any of these promotions. Participants must read and agree to Rafflecopter’s Privacy Policy before entering or participating in these promotions.
Plain English: Play by Rafflecopter’s rules, as we do!

USE LICENSE: Visitors to Fairfax Family Fun and its related sites (such as the Facebook page) agree to abide by the terms of the following user license: Permission is granted to temporarily download one copy of the materials on the Fairfax Family Fun website for personal, non-commercial transitory viewing only. This is only a grant of a license, not a transfer of title. Site visitors may not modify or copy the materials, including transferring, duplicating, or “mirroring” the materials on another website, nor use the materials for any commercial purpose or for public display. Fairfax Family Fun retains all copyright on the entire site.
Plain English: This land is your land, this land is my land. But this site is mine and only mine.

WEBSITE UPTIME: Fairfax Family Fun makes strong efforts to remain “live” on the Internet continuously. However, occasional outages, crashes, storms, and Acts of God may affect uptime. ISPs, web hosting companies, computers, power supplies, and other connection issues affecting uptime can and do occur from time to time. Fairfax Family Fun therefore cannot guarantee to visitors or advertisers and sponsors any “uptimes” and is not liable for any inconvenience or loss of business resulting from said incidents.
Plain English: Don’t hate us if the Internet goes down or we have a snowstorm, ‘mkay?