Our website uses cookies so that we can provide a better service. Continue to use the site as normal if you are happy with this, or find out how to manage cookies here.
1.1. About cookies
Websites use smart and useful techniques to enhance user-friendliness and to make the site as interesting as possible for each visitor. One of the best known techniques involves cookies. Cookies can be used by website owners or third parties – like advertisers – who communicate through the website you visit.
Cookies are tiny text files stored on your computer when you visit certain web pages. They help us to improve our site and to deliver a better and more personalized service. They enable us to estimate our audience size and usage pattern, to store information about your preferences (and so allow us to customize our site according to your individual interests), to speed up your searches, and to recognize you when you return to our site. Please note that cookies can’t harm your computer. We don’t store personally identifiable information such as credit card details in cookies we create, but we do use encrypted information gathered from them to help improve your experience of the site.
Cookies are classified according to duration and who sets them. We feel it is essential for you to be informed about the cookies that our website uses and for what purpose they are used. The purpose is threefold: we want to guarantee your privacy, the user friendliness, and the development of our website as best as we can. The following explanation tells you more about the cookies used on and through our website and for what purposes.
2. How this website uses cookies
This website uses cookies to gather visitor statistics and to record information about your preferences as you navigate through the web sites. Our purpose of using cookies is to improve the use of the site for you as a visitor.
3. Cookies and their functionality
Different types of cookies are used for different purposes.
Below you will find a list of the most common type of cookies and for what they are used.
3.1. Session cookies
A session cookie is temporarily stored in your computer’s memory while you are surfing on a site, for example to keep a track of which language you have chosen. Session cookies are not stored on your computer for a long period of time, but always disappear when you shut down your web browser.
3.2. Persistent or tracker cookies
A persistent cookie saves a file on your computer for a long time; this kind of cookie has an expiry date. Persistent cookies help websites remember your information and settings when you visit them in the future. This result in faster and more convenient access since, for example, you don’t have to login again.
When the expiry date has passed, the cookie is automatically deleted when you return to the website that created it.
3.3. First party cookies
These are set by the website itself (the same domain as in the browser’s address bar), and can only be read by that site. These cookies are commonly used to store information such as your preferences, for use when you re-visit the site.
3.4. Third party cookies
These are set by different domains from the one shown on the browser address bar that is by an organisation other than the website owner.
Cookies that, for example, are used to collect information for advertisements and custom content and also for web statistics may be ‘third-party cookies’.
As third-party cookies make it possible to generate more comprehensive surveys of user surfing habits, they are deemed to be more sensitive from the perspective of integrity; for this reason, most web browsers allow you to adjust your settings to not accept third-party cookies.
3.5. Flash cookies
Flash cookies (Local Shared Objects) are pieces of data that websites which use Adobe Flash may store on your computer.
Flash cookies are a new way of tracing your movement and storing a lot more information about you than with normal cookies. One major disadvantage of flash cookies is that you can’t locate them in your browser. They are not shown in the list of cookies that you can see when you take a look at the cookies that are currently saved in your web browser. Normal HTTP cookies can’t save more than 4 Kilobyte of data while Flash cookies can save up to 100 Kilobyte.
Flash cookies are a technical design similar to cookies. Almost all web browsers have a Flash player that is used to display Flash presentations. One well-known example of Flash presentations is the video player on the YouTube video site. (Flash cookies are not only associated with YouTube, but apply to all websites using Flash cookies.)
Flash cookies do not have a time limit. They will stay there until they are deleted.
3.5.1 What we use Flash cookies for
We may use Flash cookies to gather statistics and setting audio preferences.
3.5.2 How to disable Flash cookies
It is not possible to block or manage Flash cookies in the same way in the browser, as they are stored in a different location, Global Storage Settings panel of the online Settings Manager at Adobe’s site http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager02.html.
The Settings Manager can be accessed from the Adobe website but is running locally on your computer. The Website Storage Settings display all Flash cookies that are currently saved on your computer. You can delete flash cookies from individual sites or all at once. It is also possible to increase or decrease the Kilobyte size of all information that is stored on your computer.
No Flash Cookies will be saved if you go into Global Storage Settings and disable the option “Allow third-party Flash content to store data on your computer”.
If you wish to opt-out of the Flash cookies on a per-site basis you do that on the Settings Manager.
By disabling Flash cookies we cannot guarantee that all functions of our web site will function as intended.
4. List of cookies set by our website
__utmb On some of our websites and pages we are using Google Analytics to collect data for statistics. This cookie determining visitor session.
__utma This Google Analytics cookie is identifying unique visitors.
__utmz This Google Analytics cookie is tracking traffic sources & navigation.
__utmv This Google Analytics cookie shows custom variables.
ASP.NET_SessionId When a user connects to an ASP.NET application, a unique session ID will be affiliated with the user.
ASPSESSIONIDQQBATBCR When a user connects to an ASP.NET application, a unique session ID will be affiliated with the user.
accept-cookies This cookie is used to see if the user accepts cookies.
locale This cookie is used to know which language the visitor prefers.
wordpress_sec_SessionId When a user connects to a wordpress application, a unique session ID will be affiliated with the user.
wordpress_logged_in_SessionId When a user logs in to a wordpress application, a unique session ID will be affiliated with the user.
wordpress_test_cookie When a user connects to a wordpress application, a test cookie is set.
Facebook If you choose to use the Facebook ‘share’ buttons that can be found on some pages, Facebook may set some or all of these cookies.
5. Advertising cookies
Cookies are widely used in online advertising. We, advertisers or our advertising partners cannot gain personally identifiable information from these cookies.
Third-party ad serving enables us to target advertisements to you for products and services in which you might be interested, including interest-based ads. We respect the online ad industries’ Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising. You may wish to visit the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”) to learn about opt-out procedures from third party advertisers and ad networks who are members of the NAI. Exercising one or more opt-outs through the NAI means that those members no longer will be allowed (under their rules) to deliver interest-based ads to you, but does not mean you may no longer receive any interest-based ads (e.g., from non-members). Also, if your browser is configured to reject cookies when you visit this opt-out page, or you subsequently erase your cookies, use a different device or change web browsers, your opt-out may not be effective. You may also opt-out of receiving certain interest-based ads, through the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”), from DAA members. In the European Union, you may opt-out of receiving certain interest-based ads by visiting and following instructions from the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (“EDAA”). Limitations similar to the NAI may apply to the DAA and EDAA opt-outs. We are not responsible for the effectiveness of, or compliance with, any third-parties’ opt-out programs.
You can learn more about online advertising and also opt-out of almost all advertising cookies at http://www.youronlinechoices.com although we would prefer that you didn’t as ultimately adverts help keep much of the internet free. It is also worth noting that opting out of advertising cookies will not mean you won’t see adverts, just simply that they won’t be tailored to you any longer.
If you are based in the United States and would like to learn more, please visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices/
6. Managing cookies
6.1. How to view cookies
Since cookies are ordinary text files, they can be browsed with most text editor or word processing programs. You can click on a cookie to open it. Below is a list of links how to view cookies in different browsers. If you use another browser, please consult that browsers’ own cookies information. If you use a mobile phone please see your handset manual for more information.
Firefox
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/cookies-information-websites-store-on-your-computer
Chrome
https://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=95647&topic=14666&ctx=topic
Internet Explorer 8-10
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-explorer/delete-manage-cookies
6.2. Disabling/enabling or deleting cookies
To restrict or block cookies you do that through the browser settings.
If you do not want websites to place cookies on your computer at all, you can adapt your browser settings as such that you will be notified before any cookie is placed. You can likewise adapt the settings as such so that your browser refuses all cookies, or only the third party cookies. Likewise, you can remove any of your cookies that have already been placed. Please note that you will have to separately adapt the settings for each browser and computer you use.
Please be aware that if you do not want cookies, we can no longer guarantee our website to function properly. Some functions of the site may be lost, while you may no longer be able to see certain websites. What’s more, refusing cookies will not mean you will no longer see any advertisements. It’s just that the advertisements will then no longer be tailored to your interests and will be repeated more often.
Each browser has a different method to adapt the settings. If necessary, consult your browser’s “help” function to make the correct settings.
To disable cookies on your mobile phone please see your handset manual for more information.
You can read more about cookies on this website: http://www.aboutcookies.org/
7. Other/unforeseen cookies
Considering the way the Internet and websites work, we do not always have insight into the cookies that are being placed by third parties through our website. This particularly applies to cases where our webpage contains so-called embedded elements: texts, documents, pictures or short films that are stored at another party, but are shown on, in, or through our website.
Therefore, should you come across any such cookies on this website that we have not listed above, please let us know. Or directly contact the related third party and inquire about what cookies they place, their reason for doing so, the cookie’s life span, and how they have guaranteed your privacy.
8. Contact
We might have to adapt these statements from time to time, which may be due to changes in our website or regulations on cookies. We are allowed to change the contents of the statements and the cookies listed at all times and without prior warning. You can consult this webpage for the latest version.
