World Wide Web Policy

The World Wide Web (WWW) is a means of disseminating data in text, audio, and visual forms in a manner that can be read on a wide variety of desktop platforms. It can also be used to launch applications that do not demand more than minimal security. USNA maintains WWW services so that information may be disseminated both within the Academy and outside.

This policy addresses two classes of WWW maintainers. The first type, known as webmasters, are those who maintain "server" software and allocate resources to the other type of maintainer on their server. The second type maintains one or more WWW "pages". A WWW page is typically a file written in HyperText Markup Language (html) that contains information to be displayed, possibly with links to other pages.

I. For Webmasters

1. The WWW server maintained by the Division of Information Technology Services shall be the central point of entry for outside users. The official Naval Academy home page will have the address
   http://www.usna.edu
   

2. The Division of Information Technology Services will make resources available on the central WWW server to all official departments, offices and organizations that wish to maintain WWW pages there.

3. Other offices at USNA may create their own WWW services on existing departmental servers. Offices that wish to do so must contact the Division of Information Technology Services' webmaster ( webmaster@usna.edu) before they build such a server. They SHALL contact the the Division of Information Technology Services' webmaster before they make its contents available beyond USNA so that s/he may briefly review pages to see that USNA, DoN, and DoD policies are adhered to. Webmasters on other servers shall review all pages on their servers for such compliance at least once per semester.

4. New equipment will not be purchased specifically for new department www servers.

5. The Division of Information Technology Services' webmaster will periodically review the general layout and functioning of other USNA servers. This will lead to links from the central server to the new server. Webmasters on other systems should inform the Division of Information Technology Services's Webmaster of significant new additions, so they may be properly indexed from the main Naval Academy index page.

6. The Division of Information Technology Services' webmaster will maintain a mailing list of all webmasters at USNA and make it accessible to all on the list.

7. Webmasters shall meet periodically with the USNA WWW Users Group which will be chaired by the Division of Information Technology Services' webmaster. They should also have regular contact with maintainers of pages on the servers they maintain. A USNA newsgroup has been created to facilitate impromptu discussions.

8. WWW pages that contain personal material shall only be permitted if they enhance or support the mission of USNA. Such pages shall be restricted to use within USNA unless authorized by the Division of Information Technology Services. On some servers, this restriction is accomplished by use of an .htaccess file. Consult the documentation for your server for details. Guidelines will give examples of pages that are authorized without review.

9. ECAs and Companies wanting WWW accounts must have written approval from their respective Officer Representatives.

10. Webmasters must understand, practice, and enforce the elements of "Section II, For Page Developers/Maintainers".

II. For Page Developers / Maintainers

1. Observe Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, and USNA policies, summarized below:
   1. Pages must be mission related.
   2. Pages must be tasteful and in compliance with USNA Ethics and Honor Codes.
   3. Pages must not contain Classified, Sensitive, or Privacy Act data.
   4. Pages must not use copyrighted material without permission.
   5. Pages must not contain advertising or solicitations.
   6. Pages must not imply government approval, endorsement, or preferential treatment of commercial products.
   7. Web sites developed and/or maintained by contractors may not include the contractor's name or may they link to the contractor's web site.
   8. Pages may not contain "Best viewed with ( insert your favorite browser )" or "This site developed with ( insert your favorite development tool )" endorsements.
   9. Information must be professionally presented.
   10. Each page must contain POC information.
   11. Pages must not collect visitor information without a visitor's knowledge.
   12. Pages must be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
   13. Publicly available pages may not contain "personnel directories, command directories, detailed organization charts, or phone lists that provide personally identifying information". However, faculty members may post professional information on sites available to the public.

   Exceptions for Faculty Members Only:

   List of acceptable information on a public site:

   • Name
   • E-mail Address
   • Office Phone Number
   • Fax Number
   • Curriculum Vitae
   • List of Publications, including links to complete papers
   • List of Presentations
   • List of Research Topics/Works in Progress, including links to complete papers
   • List of Awards, Grants, and Fellowships
   • Academic Service and Professional Activities
   • Professional Memberships
   • List of Courses Taught or Currently Being Taught
   • Course Syllabuses, subject to limitations noted below

   List of information that may not appear on a public site:

   • Photograph of self or family members
   • Information about family - spouse, children, etc.
   • Date of Birth
   • Place of Birth
   • Social Security Number
   • Office Location
   • Schedule
   • Links to sites that do not directly support faculty member's academic credentials or the mission of the Naval Academy.
   • Materials and/or Services may not be advertised or sold from a government web site.

   If a faculty member desires to share or exchange research information via a public web site, include the following disclaimer:

   "Material contained herein is made available for the purpose of peer review and discussion and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense."

   See the The Naval Academy Guidelines for more details.

    

2. How to summarize "Classified, Sensitive, or Privacy Act data" :
   1. Pages may not contain Classified, For Official Use Only, or Unclassified Sensitive Information. Do not publish information what will compromise national security or place DoD personnel at risk.
   2. Pages may not contain DoD contractor proprietary information
   3. Pages may not contain Privacy Act information
   4. Pages may not contain sensitive mission data, such as unit capabilities or performance, movement of military assets, or unit location
   5. Pages may not contain Social Security Numbers
   6. Pages may not contain Midshipmen Alpha Codes
   7. Web sites will not identify family members of the Department of the Navy personnel in any way, nor will family member information be included in any biographies or photos posted to the web.
   8. Pages may not contain home addresses, private phone numbers, or private email account names ( your email account with a local ISP ).
   9. Pages may not contain date of birth
   10. Pages may not contain itineraries not contain aerial photographs of the Academy.
   11. Pages may not contain tours of the Academy or buildings.

3. The Naval Academy has established a set of Guidelines for developers.

4. There is additional information on the http://www.usna.edu/Masters page pertaining to policy, guidelines, development, and frequently asked questions and answer resources.

5. When in doubt whether information should be released to the general public, seek guidance from the JAG office or PAO. Consult with the webmaster for the server you are using for details on how to restrict such information to USNA.

6. Once the page(s) is/are up and operational, send a very brief note to webmaster@usna.edu so that the appropriate information can be cataloged and appropriate links added.

7. Users leaving USNA or who stop maintaining their web page(s) must e-mail the name, e-mail address, department and phone number of their replacement to webmaster@usna.edu. Also, if you decide that the information on your page(s) is/are no longer relevant, send e-mail to that effect to webmaster@usna.edu so that pointers to it can be removed.

Revision Date : May 9, 2013