Privacy Policy

Privacy and Data Collection

1. What information does Novell collect from visitors to the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?

   The information we learn from visitors helps us improve the Novell OpenCourseWare site, and assists us in evaluation of usage, access, and impact of Novell OpenCourseWare on the worldwide educational community. Novell OpenCourseWare collects the following information from visitors:

   • Information You Provide: We receive and store any information you enter on our Web site or give us in any other way. You provide most such information when you submit feedback on the site, contact us by email, or agree to participate in a visitor survey. This information may include your name and email address, your institution, your geographic region, how you are using Novell OpenCourseWare, and what you think of Novell OpenCourseWare. In all cases, any information you provide is strictly optional and voluntary and you may choose to use the Novell OpenCourseWare site without ever providing this information. If you voluntarily provide your email address or other contact information, we will not share personal information with anyone without first requesting your explicit permission to do so.
   • Automatic Information: We receive and store certain types of information whenever you interact with the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site. Examples of the information we collect and analyze include the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Novell OpenCourseWare site; computer and connection information such as browser type and version, operating system, and platform, and; content you viewed or searched for during your visit to Novell OpenCourseWare. During some visits we may use software tools to measure and collect session information, including page response times, download errors, and length of visits to certain pages. However, none of this information is personally identifiable or linked back to you individually.

2. What are "cookies," and does Novell make use of cookies on its Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?

   Novell OpenCourseWare uses "cookies" in a limited way. Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that this Web site transfers to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser to enable our systems to recognize your browser when you make return trips to the site. This allows us to track your use of the site (anonymously), and to analyze patterns in site use, such as repeat visits, length of visits, and breadth of content used, for example). Cookies also allow us to conduct periodic, online, voluntary user surveys where we can gain more insight into what type of people are actually using the site, how they are using the site, and what the educational impact of the site is on these users.

   Novell OpenCourseWare's use of cookies is designed to be unobtrusive, and we do not collect personally identifiable information through their use. However, if you do not wish to accept cookies, the "Help" portion of the toolbar on most Web browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether. Disabling cookies will in no way affect your access to content on the Novell OpenCourseWare site. If you leave cookies enabled on your Web browser, you may be asked to complete a brief questionnaire that will help us gain a better understanding of the use and impact of Novell OpenCourseWare.

3. Does Novell OpenCourseWare share the information it receives?

   Information about our site visitors is an important part of understanding and extending the impact of Novell OpenCourseWare in the worldwide Open Education community. Individual personally identifiable information about users (name, email address, etc) will not be made available to third parties except as outlined below, nor will it ever be used for commercial purposes. We share user information only as described below.

   • Agents: We sometimes employ companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. Examples include compiling and categorizing user feedback, analyzing survey data or data about your use of the site, and providing customer support. These agents have access to user information needed to perform their functions, for example, but may not use this information for any other purposes. These agents are bound by non-disclosure agreements.
   • Institutions interested in the OpenCourseWare community and Open Education initiative: Part of Novell Training Services' mission as an organization is to encourage other institutions (corporate and educational) to openly share their course materials with the world, as we are doing. In order to accomplish this objective, we are committed to sharing what we learn in public forums, at industry and educational conferences, and with other corporate and educational institutions. This may include aggregate data about usage of the site, feedback we have received, and the impact of Novell OpenCourseWare on people throughout the world. However, in no case will we share any personally identifiable information, such as name or email address, unless you have given us explicit permission to do so.