Who we are

This website, as hosted at ptworld.net, has been created and is maintained by the owner, Paul Trafford (see, for example, his Academia profile).

What personal data we collect and why we collect it

This site is composed by the owner using WordPress with a number of plugins to enhance functionality, and then converted into a series of static web pages. At present there is no direct involvement in that process by other parties.

The site is deployed on our hosting provider, Hostgator, in the United States, which generates and provides access to web access log.  We do not collect user data ourselves, but may process minimal personal data from the web access logs as part of the process to ensure our site functions properly (see below).

Comments

We do not at this time collect comments through this site.

The site owner may be contacted by email via zzzz&ptworld.net (replace ‘zzzz’ by ‘paul’).  Subject to the relevant legal authority, such emails will be treated as private unless otherwise mutually agreed.

Embedded content from other websites

A potential source for user tracking is through embedded content originating from third party websites, which behaves in the same way as if the visitor has visited the other website. This is especially the case if you have an account and are logged in to that website. Our policy is to minimise dependence on such content by incorporating as far as reasonably practical all the necessary functionality in our site directly.

Embedded content is generally of two kinds.  The first are technical presentational elements such as fonts that are used to build the page.  Whilst in theory they might be used for tracking, this is not known as a significant issue.  The other kind are informational (e.g. videos, slideshows, images, articles, etc.), where significant behaviour is determined by the other websites.  Please check these sites for their policies.  These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Currently there are no pages on this site that embed informational content from external sites, only links that we aim to clearly signpost.

Analytics

Standard Apache httpd web access logs are generated for ptworld.net, which includes IP addresses and user agents, but not usernames.  

The hosting package uses cPanel, which provides a number of metrics, from which we may use Analog and AWStats to ensure that the website is functioning properly. This typically involves reviewing content availability, and examining aggregate traffic statistics on this site. But they do not provide facilities that track user journeys, nor do they draw on details of usage from other sites.

These tools do store and list IP addresses, which is necessary and legitimate on behalf of Hostgator as controller and Hostgator duly restricts access to authorised users (company staff and domain owner). But we don’t have a need to retain the original logs. Hence, in cPanel, we have configured options to minimise storage.

We do not use Google Analytics or similar services. Furthermore, we endeavour to minimise other third party services that use tracking cookies, but please note the remarks about embedded content (above).

Additional information

If we change the above, e.g. in making use of analytics for user behaviour, then this page will be updated as necessary.  Where analytics is to be used, it should only be with properly anonymised data.

Date: 2004-2005

Brief: This project was to demonstrate how service-oriented architecture (SOA) could link personal learning spaces and institutional systems.

Roles: Principle Investigator (JISC-funded project, staff member of the Learning Technologies Group, Oxford University Computing Service), systems analyst and systems administrator. This was concurrent to my main role of running WebLearn, Oxford University’s centrally-hosted virtual learning environment.

Solution: I established a small team of about six, including colleagues in Chemistry and Medical Sciences. We devised a workflow that encompassed student blogging on a handheld device and WebLearn. Technically, the post content was shared through RSS and Atom feeds, restricted by server and application configurations; I oversaw the development of a new blogging component in the VLE. Whilst establishing blogging as a reflective learning activity, I also uncovered insights into the conditions that foster deeper learning, as intimated in an article for Ariadne. Furthermore, the project had a more general impact on mobile developments at the University.

URL: http://projects.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ramble/