By asking visitors to register, we are able to learn some basic information about who our visitors are. Just like the newspaper makes decisions on which areas to cover based on how many people subscribe from a particular area, the Web site is aided by knowing some basic demographic data about its users. That’s why we only ask you for your ZIP code, age and gender. All other information is optional (except a username and email address, which is necessary to confirm the account in the system).

It's about the same as signing up for a magazine or newspaper subscription, except in this case, it's free.

Your information is safe with us and will only be used in aggregate form, meaning we’ll only look at our database to find out how many visitors we have from Puyallup, for instance, or how many are male vs. female. This helps us publish content that is more relevant to our users and helps us sell advertising more effectively. It costs money to publish a Web site and this is part of that business equation.

We have made every effort to make this process as easy as possible. You only need to register once and, if your browser is set to allow cookies, you will not have to log in every time you visit the site.

The information you share with us will not be sold or given to other companies and you will not receive email from us that you have not asked to receive. If you have questions or concerns, please consult our privacy policy or send us an e-mail at webmaster@thenewstribune.com.