This privacy policy describes how the 256 Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity registered in Tennessee, USA, collects, uses, and protects information when you use the discussion forum at forum.256foundation.org.
What Information Do We Collect?
Account information: When you register, you provide an email address. Your email is verified by a unique link sent to that address. You may optionally provide a display name and other profile details.
Posts and content: When you participate in the forum — posting, replying, reacting — that content is recorded and associated with your account.
IP addresses: When you post, we record the IP address the post originated from. We also retain server logs that include the IP address of every request to our server.
Cookies: We use cookies to keep you logged in, remember your preferences, and maintain your session. These are standard Discourse session cookies. We do not use third-party tracking or advertising cookies.
What Do We Use Your Information For?
We use the information we collect to:
- Operate and maintain the forum
- Verify your account and authenticate your identity
- Send email notifications you request (topic updates, replies, mentions, and similar activity)
- Respond to support requests or account inquiries
- Detect and prevent abuse, spam, and violations of our Terms of Service
- Improve the forum based on usage and feedback
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party.
Third-Party Services
The forum is self-hosted and operated by the 256 Foundation. Some features may rely on third-party services that could receive limited information in the course of providing their function. These may include:
- Email delivery: An email service provider may be used to send notification emails. Your email address may be transmitted to that provider for delivery purposes only.
- Authentication plugins: If you use a third-party login (such as GitHub OAuth), that service will receive a login request and return basic profile information. Please review the privacy policy of any third-party service you use to authenticate.
- Linked content: The forum may display or link to content hosted by third parties. Those services have their own privacy policies and we have no control over them.
We do not share your personal information with third-party services beyond what is necessary for the forum to function.
How Do We Protect Your Information?
We implement reasonable security measures to protect your personal information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS) and access controls on our server. No method of transmission or storage over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention
We retain server logs, including IP address records, for a reasonable period for security and operational purposes, and delete them when they are no longer needed. Your account data is retained for as long as your account exists.
Cookies
We use cookies strictly for forum functionality — keeping you logged in, storing your display preferences, and maintaining your session. We do not use cookies for advertising or cross-site tracking. You can disable cookies in your browser, but the forum may not function correctly without them.
Children’s Privacy
This forum is intended for users who are at least 13 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has registered, please contact us at admin@256foundation.org and we will remove the account.
Do We Disclose Information to Outside Parties?
We do not sell, trade, or transfer your personally identifiable information to outside parties. We may disclose information when required by law, to enforce our Terms of Service, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of the 256 Foundation or others.
Your Rights and Data Deletion
You may close your account at any time by emailing admin@256foundation.org. If you would like your personal data deleted — including your account, posts, and associated records — contact us at that address and we will handle your request. Note that some content (such as posts) may be retained in anonymized form if removal would disrupt the integrity of a thread.
Scope
This privacy policy applies only to information collected through this forum. It does not apply to information collected through other 256 Foundation services, websites, or offline activities.
Governing Law
This policy is governed by the laws of Tennessee, USA.
Changes to This Policy
If we update this privacy policy, we will post the changes on this page. Continued use of the forum after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
Last updated: April 21, 2026