Protecting a Web Site by Password or Internet Address

There may be times that you want to put material on your Web site but don't want it available to the world. Relying on no one else knowing the URL is not enough; spiders and robots do come through bama sites, cataloging them into major search engines. This document attempts to help you decide whether you need to limit access to your Web site.

The Web server on bama offers extensive means for protecting your information by password, Internet address, or both, and the HelpDesk now offers a Web-based tool to set up this protection. If you need additional assistance, or if you are publishing to a different Web server, please contact the HelpDesk.

I thought the Web was supposed to be free and open. Why do I need protection on my Web site?

Well, if everything on your Web site is your own, and you don't mind it being free and open, maybe you don't need protection. But there are things to consider. For example:

If you put your course outline, assignments, and related material on your Web page, do you mind if faculty at other schools use your work? Remember you have no idea who may use it or how they will use it. Would you like to have some control over its distribution and use?
Is anything on your Web site used with permission of someone else who is the copyright owner? Are you meeting the conditions of the permission by publishing it on a public Web site? If you obtained permission to use the material for a class, that usually means you have to limit access to that material to only the members of that class, which you can reasonably do with a password.
Is anything on your Web site used under the copyright exceptions of "fair use"? Although "fair use" is subject to much interpretation, it certainly does not include publishing the material for public viewing, and generally means that you are using it for a class (limited group of people and limited time).
Do you have information on your Web site that is suitable for use by anyone on campus, but for which you don't want to answer questions or concerns from people elsewhere in the world? If so, you can limit access to your web site by Internet address (only from ua.edu sites, only from your local network, etc.)

OK, maybe I want to protect some things. How does this password thing work?

This Web tool allows you to protect information on bama.ua.edu by directory. You start by putting in your bama.ua.edu account and password. You are then shown a list of your directories and subdirectories, and you choose which one you want to protect. Then you proceed to the page where you specify the type of protection (password, address, or both).

For example: If you want to protect the material for a particular course, you could create a subdirectory for that material, protect that subdirectory with a personal password, then put all the material for the course in that subdirectory. The Web tool allows you to set a user account and password for yourself, and an account and password for your students. So, when you are ready to let your students use the material, you will set up a password for them and give it out in class. (Of course, you will also caution your students not to give the password to anyone else.) The password for your students will have an expiration date.

Note that the student password does not give your students access to anything else on your account. This password is only valid when using a Web browser to access the protected subdirectory.

Wait, why do I need a personal password? This sounds like a pain.

When a Web site is protected by password, that means everyone has to give a password to view the site. Naturally, you also have to give a password to view the site. This does not change the way you upload files to the site; it does not change your bama.ua.edu account or e-mail password, or anything else associated with your bama.ua.edu account. It only applies to viewing your Web site through a browser. Normally, a password you set up for student use will have an expiration date, after which it will no longer work. The password you set up for yourself will not have an expiration date.

OK, now what is "fair use"?

"Fair use" refers to certain exemptions to the rights of copyright holders that allow you, under certain conditions, to use copyrighted material without first obtaining permission. Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules that tell you exactly what you can and cannot do under fair use. There are guidelines you can use. The two documents "Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians" (a pdf document) and "Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia" are the guidelines recommended by University policy. There is also material related to fair use on a number of other Web sites. Visit the copyright Web page for additional information on copyright and fair use.

What does this Web tool have to do with "fair use"?

Even though some aspects of "fair use" are subject to interpretation, it is clear that it does not allow you to make unlimited copies of copyright material, or publish it to the world. This means you cannot put material used under fair use on a publicly-available Web site. In general, fair use allows you to use this material for a class, and you must limit access to the site to that class. This means you must put a password on the site, give the password only to your students, and disable the password when the class ends. (Some guidelines suggest an even shorter period of 15 days as the length of time the material may be used.) On the Web tool, if you specify that you want fair use protection, the password will expire at the end of the semester.

What is different about selecting materials for my Web site? Can I scan a picture I would show in class and put it on a Web page?

Your decisions about what material you can use for a class could be the same whether you display the material in class or on a class-only Web site. However, remember that you can only use those materials on a Web page if the page is restricted (by password of limited duration) to use by the class. If you determine "fair use" allows you to copy a page from a book and hand it out in class, it probably allows you to scan that same page and put it on the protected, class-only Web site. It is generally understood that fair use does not mean you can copy whole books or large sections of a book and hand those out in class. Likewise, you cannot put a book or large sections of a book on your class Web site, even if the site is restricted.

What if I have a student who gets an incomplete, and needs to view the Web material after the end of the semester?

At the end of the semester, you can put up a new student password, and give it only to the students who need access to the information.

I think I need to set protection on my Web site, but I am not sure this Web tool lets me do what I want to do. What other choices do I have?

The purpose of this Web tool is to make it easy to set the most common kinds of protection for Web sites on bama.ua.edu. If you need something different for a Web site on bama.ua.edu, there are Unix tools you can use directly to set the protection you need. If you are a faculty member, the Faculty Resource Center (348-8372) will be happy to answer your questions and assist you with your Web pages, or you can contact the HelpDesk (348-HELP, Help.Desk@ua.edu) for assistance. If your Web site is on another server, you will want to talk to the server administrator about available Web site protection, or move your Web-distributed information to bama.ua.edu.

Why do I need protection on my Web site? How does this password thing work? Why do I need a personal password? What is "fair use"? What does this Web tool have to do with "fair use"? What is different about selecting materials for my Web site? What if I have a student who gets an incomplete? What other choices do I have for Web protection?		Search:

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	Protecting a Web Site by Password or Internet Address There may be times that you want to put material on your Web site but don't want it available to the world. Relying on no one else knowing the URL is not enough; spiders and robots do come through bama sites, cataloging them into major search engines. This document attempts to help you decide whether you need to limit access to your Web site. The Web server on bama offers extensive means for protecting your information by password, Internet address, or both, and the HelpDesk now offers a Web-based tool to set up this protection. If you need additional assistance, or if you are publishing to a different Web server, please contact the HelpDesk. I thought the Web was supposed to be free and open. Why do I need protection on my Web site? Well, if everything on your Web site is your own, and you don't mind it being free and open, maybe you don't need protection. But there are things to consider. For example: If you put your course outline, assignments, and related material on your Web page, do you mind if faculty at other schools use your work? Remember you have no idea who may use it or how they will use it. Would you like to have some control over its distribution and use? Is anything on your Web site used with permission of someone else who is the copyright owner? Are you meeting the conditions of the permission by publishing it on a public Web site? If you obtained permission to use the material for a class, that usually means you have to limit access to that material to only the members of that class, which you can reasonably do with a password. Is anything on your Web site used under the copyright exceptions of "fair use"? Although "fair use" is subject to much interpretation, it certainly does not include publishing the material for public viewing, and generally means that you are using it for a class (limited group of people and limited time). Do you have information on your Web site that is suitable for use by anyone on campus, but for which you don't want to answer questions or concerns from people elsewhere in the world? If so, you can limit access to your web site by Internet address (only from ua.edu sites, only from your local network, etc.) OK, maybe I want to protect some things. How does this password thing work? This Web tool allows you to protect information on bama.ua.edu by directory. You start by putting in your bama.ua.edu account and password. You are then shown a list of your directories and subdirectories, and you choose which one you want to protect. Then you proceed to the page where you specify the type of protection (password, address, or both). For example: If you want to protect the material for a particular course, you could create a subdirectory for that material, protect that subdirectory with a personal password, then put all the material for the course in that subdirectory. The Web tool allows you to set a user account and password for yourself, and an account and password for your students. So, when you are ready to let your students use the material, you will set up a password for them and give it out in class. (Of course, you will also caution your students not to give the password to anyone else.) The password for your students will have an expiration date. Note that the student password does not give your students access to anything else on your account. This password is only valid when using a Web browser to access the protected subdirectory. Wait, why do I need a personal password? This sounds like a pain. When a Web site is protected by password, that means everyone has to give a password to view the site. Naturally, you also have to give a password to view the site. This does not change the way you upload files to the site; it does not change your bama.ua.edu account or e-mail password, or anything else associated with your bama.ua.edu account. It only applies to viewing your Web site through a browser. Normally, a password you set up for student use will have an expiration date, after which it will no longer work. The password you set up for yourself will not have an expiration date. OK, now what is "fair use"? "Fair use" refers to certain exemptions to the rights of copyright holders that allow you, under certain conditions, to use copyrighted material without first obtaining permission. Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules that tell you exactly what you can and cannot do under fair use. There are guidelines you can use. The two documents "Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians" (a pdf document) and "Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia" are the guidelines recommended by University policy. There is also material related to fair use on a number of other Web sites. Visit the copyright Web page for additional information on copyright and fair use. What does this Web tool have to do with "fair use"? Even though some aspects of "fair use" are subject to interpretation, it is clear that it does not allow you to make unlimited copies of copyright material, or publish it to the world. This means you cannot put material used under fair use on a publicly-available Web site. In general, fair use allows you to use this material for a class, and you must limit access to the site to that class. This means you must put a password on the site, give the password only to your students, and disable the password when the class ends. (Some guidelines suggest an even shorter period of 15 days as the length of time the material may be used.) On the Web tool, if you specify that you want fair use protection, the password will expire at the end of the semester. What is different about selecting materials for my Web site? Can I scan a picture I would show in class and put it on a Web page? Your decisions about what material you can use for a class could be the same whether you display the material in class or on a class-only Web site. However, remember that you can only use those materials on a Web page if the page is restricted (by password of limited duration) to use by the class. If you determine "fair use" allows you to copy a page from a book and hand it out in class, it probably allows you to scan that same page and put it on the protected, class-only Web site. It is generally understood that fair use does not mean you can copy whole books or large sections of a book and hand those out in class. Likewise, you cannot put a book or large sections of a book on your class Web site, even if the site is restricted. What if I have a student who gets an incomplete, and needs to view the Web material after the end of the semester? At the end of the semester, you can put up a new student password, and give it only to the students who need access to the information. I think I need to set protection on my Web site, but I am not sure this Web tool lets me do what I want to do. What other choices do I have? The purpose of this Web tool is to make it easy to set the most common kinds of protection for Web sites on bama.ua.edu. If you need something different for a Web site on bama.ua.edu, there are Unix tools you can use directly to set the protection you need. If you are a faculty member, the Faculty Resource Center (348-8372) will be happy to answer your questions and assist you with your Web pages, or you can contact the HelpDesk (348-HELP, Help.Desk@ua.edu) for assistance. If your Web site is on another server, you will want to talk to the server administrator about available Web site protection, or move your Web-distributed information to bama.ua.edu.
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