World Wide Web Home Page Guidelines

and

Best Practices

Prepared by the

World Wide Web Federal Consortium

Revised November 1996

World Wide Web Home Page Guidelines

and

Best Practices
2

Revised November 1996

Table of Contents

 I. Executive Summary

 A. Statutes and Regulations

 B. Checklist

 II. Content

 A. Agency-Controlled Content

 B. Linked Content

 III. Navigation/Organization

 IV. Style/Markup

 V. Additional Points

 VI. Emerging Standards

 VII. Home Page Template

 VIII. Disclaimers, Release Notes and Credits

 Appendix A. Glossary of Terms

 Appendix B. References

 1. Specific Federal Agency Standards

 2. HTML Style Guides and Tools

 3. Accessibility to Users with Disabilities

 4. Some of the More Vexing Legal and Policy Concerns

 a. Questions and Answers

 b. References

 5. Examples of Best Practices

 Appendix C. WWW Security Considerations

Your comments are invaluable in gathering and publishing effective guidelines.

Please direct your questions and/or comments to:

 Carlynn Thompson [cthompson@dtic.mil Valerie Gregg [ vgregg@census.gov]

 Chair, WWW Federal Consortium Vice-Chair, WWW Federal Consortium

 (703) 767-9170 Fax: (703) 767-9174 (301) 457-4102
3

I. Executive Summary

 The World Wide Web (WWW) Federal Consortium was founded in 1994 by the

National Science Foundation in collaboration with the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission. The Consortium was created to provide a forum for collaboration and

information exchange among the participating agencies, resulting in a successful

leveraging of WWW technology resources. The Consortium seeks to advance the goals

of its member agencies, provide advice and peer review to NSF, and foster collaborative

research and development.

 In late 1995, the Consortium posted WWW guidelines for use and/or consideration by

Federal agencies on our server (http://skydive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/). Users from many sectors

used the guidelines, asked for help and offered suggested enhancements. The nature of

user inquiries and suggestions changed as the rapid pace of innovation swept through the

WWW community and the information technology paradigm continues to change almost

daily. With the proliferation of Federal WWW sites, civil servants and citizens can get

more information than ever before and are doing so in increasing numbers on a more

frequent basis. Federal WWW sites are trying to keep pace, taking advantage of Internet

innovation, improving services to their user constituencies, and doing so with fewer

resources. In many instances technological change far out-paced strategic planning and

business process redesign, raised implementation concerns and policy issues.

 Perhaps the most significant change from a year ago is that now the Web is far beyond

its initial use as a way of putting existing hard-copy documents on-line. "Publishing" in

the traditional sense of distribution of static printed documents is no longer the only

paradigm. Increasingly, the Web is being used for much more dynamic purposes, e.g.

delivery of an on-the-fly-constructed result of a user-initiated query, a collaborative chat

session, submission of forms-based information to the server from the client, and custom

documents constructed dynamically based on the interests of the user. The variety of

modes of interaction is much different than the "broadcast" one-to-many mode of early

WWW sites, and requires those with WWW managerial and technical responsibilities to

continually revisit policy and technical designs with an open and flexible mind. "That's

the way we've always done it" is not an appropriate philosophy these days. The Web and

the Internet is revolutionary, not evolutionary, and re-inventing our practices and

processes is a necessity, not an option. That is why the Consortium intends to regularly

update and revise these guidelines and provide examples of "best practices".

 Another change is that the Federal government is making a major commitment to

electronic networking as a primary means of providing information and services to

customers. The WWW is a key enabling technology for the vision of "one-stop

shopping." If Federal agencies recognize a reasonable set of WWW guidelines for the

organization and presentation of information, customers will be able to enter the system

at any point and tap not only the specific server they first contact but also the full
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resources of the entire Federal presence on the Internet. The rapid growth of WWW

services also intensifies the need to establish standards and guidelines to help users find,

retrieve, and use the information they need. If the growing number of Federal agency

servers is to coalesce and become a true "on-line library," we need to apply proven

principles and practices from the publishing world, traditional libraries, and nontraditional, even experimental contributors to the Web.

 The guidelines now include policy considerations which Federal Agencies should

review as they update and/or make new use of the Internet and expand WWW sites to

conduct agency business. The Consortium is committed to providing technical advice as

agencies develop policies that not only encourage use of WWW technologies but comply

with law and regulation. The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB), Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs provided guidance to the Consortium in matters

related to statutes, regulations and policy. Agencies need to involve not only their

information systems and services experts (Webmasters and Webauthors), but also public

affairs officers, records managers, FOIA or Privacy Act Officers, and the General

Counsel when establishing Internet and WWW policy.

 In conclusion, the Consortium offers these guidelines as suggestions to help the

Federal community accomplish agency missions, while not inhibiting the creativity

necessary to improve services to customers. The Consortium tries to avoid placing

unnecessary constraints on individual Webauthors or on the design and operation of

individual servers and services in developing these guidelines. There is no simple set of

rules for agencies to follow. Every organization faces the special circumstances of its

particular mission, goals, content, customers, technical capabilities, and organizational

culture. These guidelines provide suggestions to: create user friendly sites; ensure high

quality and consistent content; and encourage logical organization and presentation of

information.
5

 I. A. Statutes and Regulations

 The following statutes and associated regulations may be pertinent for consideration in

complying with legal and regulatory requirements in the collection, dissemination,

access, preservation and privacy of Government information resources. A more detailed

discussion relating to some of these statutes can be found in Appendix B.4.

 A. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 note) and the

Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992 (29 U.S.C. 794) and General Services

Administration Regulation.

 B. Computer Security Act of 1987 (40 U.S.C. 759 note).

 C. Copyright Act of 1976 (Title 17, United States Code, Sections 101-810.) and

Copyright Basics, Circular 1, Copyright Office, Library of Congress, Washington, DC,

January 1991.

 D. Establishment of Government Information Locator Service, OMB Bulletin 

No. 95-01.

 E. Federal Depository Library Program (44 U.S.C. Section 1902).

 F. Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. Chapters 29, 31, 33, 35), National Archives and

Records Administration Regulations (36 CFR Chapter 12, Subchapter B, “Records

Management.”

 G. Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

 H. Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (40 U.S.C. Chapter

25), Executive Order 13011.

 I. OMB Circular A-130, “Management of Federal Information Resources.”

 J. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), 61 CFR 6428 (February

20, 1996).

 K. Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a).
6

 I. B. Checklist

The Consortium developed "The Home Page Checklist" for guiding the development,

maintenance and enhancements of agency WWW sites.

Home Page Checklist

 CONTENT

___The content of a page should be related to the organization's function and mission.

___The specific purpose for each top-level home page should be stated.

___WWW content should be reviewed before release.

___Each home page should identify and display a responsible party and provide contact

information.

___Information within a document should be accurate.

___A home page should be syntactically correct.

___Spelling and grammar should be correct within a document.

___Information within a document should remain current.

___Document content or data should comply with embargoes.

___Documents should comply with organizational templates.

___External links should be germane to the purpose of the document.

___External links should display the title and the URL.

 NAVIGATION/ORGANIZATION

___Each page within a collection should have a link to the collection’s home page.

___Each home page should link back to the sponsoring home page.

___Links should be checked periodically to avoid "dead links."

___When the home page is moved to a new location, leave a note at the old location.

___Use graphical clues, such as color, icons, wallpaper, consistency of fonts, etc. to give

Web visitors a sense of location or local environment.

___Provide search capabilities for large or complex WWW sites.

 STYLE/MARKUP

___Every home page should have a title.

___The title and top level heading for a home page should be the same.

___Include appropriate header comments, such as HTML version.

___Every title/heading should reference the theme of the home page.

___Paragraphs should be clear and concise.

___Horizontal rules can be used to separate dissimilar paragraphs.

___Text highlighting (italics, bold, underline) should be used sparingly.
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___Appropriate links should be provided to glossaries, indexes, footnotes, external

documents and table of contents.

___Footers should be separated from the body by a horizontal rule.

___Footers should provide logical navigational aids.

___The home page footer should display the URL for the home page.

___The home page footer should include the 'mail to' for the responsible party.

___The home page footer should include the last date the document was updated.

___Navigational icons should be standardized across the agency.

___Agency logos should be used where appropriate.

___Large documents should be divided logically.

___MIME types should be restricted to GIF, TIFF, JPEG, MPEG, AU, and SND.

___Thumbnail images should be used to link to large images.

___Images should not be wider than 472 pixels.

___Avoid long, thin images such as specialty horizontal rules.

___The width and height of each image should be specified in the HTML tag.

___Every graphic should have an associated and meaningful (ALT) text.

___Image maps should have alternate text-based selection mechanisms.

___Audio clips should have text transcripts or descriptions.

___Every page should be tested with multiple viewers (e.g. Lynx, Mosaic, Netscape,

Microsoft Internet Explorer).

___Write to the current HTML standard.

___Proprietary markup should be avoided.

___Tables should provide alternate preformatted text markup.

___Consider on-the-fly generation of standard page elements, such as footers, images,

etc. through the use of CGI scripts to ensure easier maintenance and consistency of pages.
8

II. Content

 II. A. Agency-Controlled Content

Statement of Purpose

 Use of the WWW should be incorporated into the agency’s strategic planning process

and should support an identifiable business purpose. The content of all pages on agency

WWW servers should be related to the function and mission of the organization. Each

organization's home page should include, or link to, a specific statement describing the

purpose and content of the WWW site.

Approvals

 Each organization within an agency should designate responsible parties for reviewing

and approving WWW content. Given the dynamic nature of the Web, it may be

appropriate for an agency to establish a policy that delegates the release of WWW

content to individual Webauthors. In the case where the material will be made available

to the public through an external home page, release procedures and/or authorizations

comparable to those for any external publication should be considered.

Responsible Party/Contact

 Every home page or grouping of related pages should list an e-mail address, or include

a link to an e-mail form which can be used to contact a responsible party regarding the

content of the page(s). The e-mail address should not necessarily be that of an agency

employee and may be that of the Webmaster for the WWW server on which the

document resides.

 Where personal service is not important, it is acceptable to establish generic e-mail

addresses for agency public points of contact instead of using personal addresses (e.g.,

library@agency.gov rather than john_doe@agency.gov). However, many people prefer

responding to real people rather than impersonal mail locations.

Accuracy

 Accuracy of all on-line information is an important goal. This is true for content of

WWW documents. The construction of HTML syntax for content should comply with

standards, network expectations and netiquette. In terms of content, care should be

exercised in the following areas:

 • Information on which users may base important decisions (e.g., grant application

deadlines, policy guidance, etc.).

 • Inaccuracies which compromise meaning (e.g., missing text, misaligned table

cells, etc.).

 • Cosmetic flaws (e.g., titles not italicized titles, missing dashes, etc.).
9

 Before releasing an HTML document to a public server, the syntax and spelling

should be checked and all links verified. Syntax can be checked by using a HTML

validation tool such as the WebTechs HTML Validation Service

[http://www.cuitrain.com/lisa/htmls/valid.html]. Many WWW development tools offer

spelling checkers. Web-based spelling checkers are also available including the

Webster's Dictionary 2.0 [http://people.goldendome.com/~spectre/] with update notes at

[http://www.qualcomm.com/~phenness/webprojects.html.]

 HTML does not precisely mimic the printed page. The formatting adjustments which

are required to present information in HTML are not considered to compromise accuracy

if they faithfully convey the information in a document. Further, user controlled browser

preferences may also alter the document format. If the document format is important,

consider delivering the content in Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF) or in

Postscript files.

Netiquette

 There are many standard practices that have developed over the years on the Internet.

As a developer using the Internet, it is the Webmasters and Webauthors responsibility to

learn the informal rules known as netiquette. There are many references available on the

Internet. The Net: User Guidelines and Netiquette - by Arlene Rinald is a useful source of

information. [http://rs6000.adm.fau.edu/rinaldi/net/]

Timeliness/Currency

 Effective customer service and the credibility of an agency's public access Internet

sites depend on providing information which is up-to-date. Information, particularly

time-sensitive information, such as grant announcements and press releases, must be

posted as promptly as possible. Out-of-date information must be removed or updated

promptly. It is recommended that agencies provide dates within home pages so users are

aware of the currency. The party responsible for the document or collection should

determine whether to retain an electronic version corresponding to the outdated version.

Embargo/Release

 Information release must comply with any embargoes. Whenever possible, electronic

release should be coordinated with release of printed publication so that press releases

and other publicity can mention electronic availability and include the Uniform Resource

Locator (URL).

Organizational or Agency Home Pages

 Each organization within an agency, that has both the authority and responsibility to

serve WWW pages, should maintain a home page describing the organization, its

structure and its activities. The organizational home page should include appropriate

links up the organizational hierarchy. It should also include appropriate links to

subordinate home pages (e.g., other organizations, individual employee home pages,
10

programs, projects, etc.). Organizational entities that maintain home pages should retain

ownership of and responsibility for their information content.

Agency Sponsored Home Pages

 Information on WWW servers operated under agency funding, but outside of direct

agency control, should be related to the purpose of the award under which the project is

funded. The sponsoring agency should be identified prominently and a link should be

provided to the sponsoring office's or program's home page. In the case of organizational

servers where agency-sponsored information co-resides with other information, agencysponsored information should be clearly identified and distinguished from non-agencyfunded information.

Program and Project Home Pages

 Program and project home pages allow organizations to highlight specific efforts or

functions within an organization. These collections are optional, but highly

recommended. If appropriate, they should link to the sponsoring organization's home

page. Links from appropriate topical forums and a program/project index should be

maintained on the main agency WWW server to guide users to these special interest

pages.

Individual Employee Home Pages

 Individual employee home pages can be very useful for those who deal directly with a

specific user community, the public, or hold high profile positions. Employee home

pages should not be viewed as ‘personal’ home pages. Content and external linkages

should relate to the employee’s role as they support the agency’s mission. The following

is one possible approach to establishing agency policy:

Individual employee home pages are permitted if they relate to and support the

functions the individual performs at this agency. All information and external

links on an individual home page should support this purpose. A link to the

standard disclaimer must be included near the top of the page. Individuals are

responsible for making sure the content of their home pages and related

documents are appropriate and approved by organizational management. An

individual home page should not be considered as an "electronic office" or an

"electronic desktop." Information that might be harmlessly posted on an office

wall or bulletin board is not necessarily appropriate to the purpose of an

individual employee home page.
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 II. B. External Linked Content

Approval

 The decision to include a link to an external source should be consistent with sound

public policy, in support of the agency’s mission, and based on the WWW site’s

“statement of purpose.” (See section II. A.)

Context

 The ability to link to sources external to your organization is a fundamental part of the

World Wide Web, and can add significant value to the functionality of your WWW site.

It is advisable to establish objective and supportable criteria or guidelines for the

selection and maintenance of external links on WWW pages for which your organization

holds responsibility.

 For example, it may benefit users of your site to link to commercial resources that

complement and enhance the value of your organization's WWW presence, or to WWW

sites operated by government contractors, universities or others with whom your

organization has established an affiliation or agreement. Alternatively, in some cases it

may be decided that links to external WWW pages, or specific categories of external

links, do not add value to your site or are not appropriate, and will not be permitted. In

any case, it is good practice to provide a statement that establishes basic guidelines for

selecting and maintaining external links.

 In some instances, it may be necessary or appropriate to place external links in context

for the user by including statements explaining the purpose of the link. It is important to

avoid giving a user the impression that an agency is endorsing a commercial product. It

is also important to avoid giving the impression that an agency is linking to frivolous (or

objectionable) sites.

 Prior to establishing links to external WWW pages or sites, their purpose and content

should be reviewed carefully to ascertain if they are consistent with stated guidelines.

External links should be reviewed periodically to ensure their continued suitability. If the

content of external site becomes questionable or objectionable, remove the link and

reassess its value to your organization's WWW site.

 In summary, practical due diligence, common sense, and a stated guideline are

essential to establishing and maintaining external links that tap appropriately diverse

resources on the Web. All external links should be clearly identified as such by including

the page title (or appropriate description) as well as the URL. Displaying the URL

provides the added benefit of allowing users who are working from a printout the ability

to locate the referenced source.
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III. Navigation/Organization

Presenting a Unified Picture

 An important goal for each agency's collective World Wide Web services is to offer

each user full access to the entire expanse of the distributed collection, regardless of the

point at which the user enters the system. Reaching the goal of providing the

convenience of "one-stop shopping" in a widely distributed system may require that each

server sponsored by the agency, in addition to serving its own particular constituency,

provide links to other organizational servers. In some cases it is useful for "virtual

servers" or servers which knit together disparate resources, to make a strong attempt to

appear integrated, through common styles, buttons, environments, tools for the user, etc.

 Agency servers should be designed to:

 • Include links to each organization and agency program.

 • Accommodate cross-links among organizations, programs, projects, and individuals.

 • Highlight agency initiatives.

 • Provide a comprehensive catalog of the agency's publications and products.

 • Host a collection of links to agency-sponsored Internet sites and related external

resources.

 • Sponsor topical forums on important agency initiatives and subjects through the use

of discussion groups and provide collections of documents or resources.

 • Help users identify agency resources and services available to them by subject, role

or geographical location.

 • Provide a key-word searching capability on large sites.

 Organization and agency-sponsored WWW materials should be coordinated with the

main agency server, in any of the above areas that apply, in order to ensure that users

who access the main agency WWW server gain access to the complete range of agency's

information and services.

Home Page Links

 Documents should be designed to minimize users' reliance on the navigational aids in

WWW clients (e.g., back and forward buttons, history lists). The back button,

particularly, tends to retrace a path through every page the user has visited rather than

logically backing out of a collection. Therefore, it is often useful to provide links which

move logically forward and backward through a document or collection, as well as to the

table of contents or index.

 There should be explicit links on each page within a document or collection back to

the entry home page for that document or collection. The home page for each document

or collection should include an explicit link back to the sponsoring organization or
13

program. Each organization home page should include an explicit link back to the

agency home page.

Dead Links

 Dead links inevitably occur on WWW servers as pages are modified, moved, or

deleted. However, dead links can quickly damage a WWW server's credibility. The

Webmaster for each server and the responsible party for each organization, program, or

project should be jointly responsible for monitoring and maintaining the WWW site.

They should correct or remove dead links as soon as possible. External links should be

monitored using automated dead link detectors.

 When changing URLs on agency servers, coordination may be required with external

servers which point to those URLs. When moving a home page to a new URL courteous

Webauthors often leave a note providing directions to the new location.

Restricted Access

 Sensitive, confidential, or privacy information should not be placed in publicly

available directories. In some instances, there may be a need to place documents that are

not officially public (i.e., discussion drafts, prototypes, content which is in development,

etc.) in a non-private directory for access by a geographically distributed workgroup, test

group, or team. The sponsoring organization is responsible for determining whether to

have the Webmaster password-protect the materials to prevent access by unauthorized

individuals.

 Documents and collections that are not public (i.e., not yet published, not fully marked

up or tested, internal working group notes, etc.) should not be linked to publicly

accessible documents or placed in publicly available directories without information on

the restrictions and an explicit notice such as: “Coming soon expanded information

about...” or “Internal working documents...” Pre-release information that is available on

the open Internet should be restricted by domain, IP address, or password.

 Postings to agency WWW sites are official agency disclosures and must be consistent

with other agency disclosures of the same or similar information. For example, if

requests for draft agency documents are routinely denied from Freedom of Information

Act requesters as pre-decisional to protect the integrity of the agency’s deliberative

process, then it would be more appropriate to post draft documents on the agency intranet

server rather than on the public WWW site.

 It may be necessary to coordinate with the Webmaster to explicitly exclude restricted

access documents from site-wide full-text indexes.
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IV. Style/Markup

Titles

 Every page should have a title. It is generally displayed in the title bar of the browser

and is also displayed in the browser’s saved hotlist or bookmarks. The title should be as

short as possible but fully informative and specific (e.g., "FY 1996 Agency Budget" is

preferable to "Budget"). By convention, the title is the same as the heading for the page.

Headers

 Every home page should have a top-level <H1> header near the top of the first screen

which clearly identifies the theme of the home page. An <H2> header should be used for

continuation pages. Like the title, the header should be as short as possible but fully

informative and specific. By convention, the top-level header and the title for each page

should be the same. Lower-level headers (e.g., <H3>, etc.) may be used if appropriate to

the document. Header markup should not be used to emphasize entire paragraphs.

 Documents which are divided into multiple pages should reference the home page's

theme in the header of each continuation page. This will help identify the document to

users who may arrive at the page without knowing its context, (e.g., as the result of a fulltext search) and will make the hotlist meaningful. For example, this document is part of

the collection belonging to the World Wide Web (WWW) Home Page Guidelines. It

should be referenced in an <H2> heading (and in the title) as IV. Style/Markup

Body

 Paragraphs within the body of a document should be clear and concise. Where the

audience has a limited knowledge of the subject being addressed, it is often desirable to

hyperlink explanatory information. Hyperlinks to a glossary, footnotes, and external

documents provide additional information to less informed readers. Other effective uses

of hyperlinks include graphics, tables, surveys, and indexes.

 Care should be taken in separating and emphasizing content within a page. Horizontal

rules <HR> can often be used effectively to separate themes within a page. However, the

overuse of italics and bold can make text difficult to read.

 Consider using functional markup, such as <strong>, rather than appearance markup,

like <bold>, to give the user more control over the way the final document is viewed.

 Talking about mechanics rather than substance is considered to be in poor taste. For

example, the sentence "You can read more about this product in the tutorial which is

linked here to this home page" is better stated "The Tutorial will help you learn about this

product."
15

Standard Footer

 At a minimum, most home pages have footers which are separated from the body

(usually by a horizontal rule<HR>) and contain the following information:

The URL (for the home page footer).

The last date the document was updated.

An e-mail address of a responsible party for the home page.

 In addition, the footer most often contains navigational aids such as a mapped bar or

buttons which allow the user to move logically through the document. For documents,

arranged like a book, the end of page links are to the table of contents, to the next

chapter, to the previous chapter, and to the entry home page. These links are frequently

tied to icons (see Standard Icons below) or mapped graphics.

Standard Icons

 Pages on the main agency WWW server should use standard icons for navigational

buttons through standard references. Icons, like all images, should specify the alignment,

width, and height to facilitate faster loading in advanced browsers. The standard icons

used in documents might be:

 Previous chapter. This icon returns to the top of the previous logical (and,

most often, physical) page (e.g., to the previous chapter).

 Next chapter. This icon goes to the top of the next chapter.

 Table of Contents. This icon returns to the beginning of the table of contents.

 Back to Home Page. Located only on the first page of the document, this icon

links to the entry home page.

 The standard agency seal should be used whenever a seal is necessary. If a different

size or color is needed, it should be included in the standard icon directory on the WWW

server for all Webauthors to use.

 An agency Banner can be used to set aside the start of each home page.
16

 Offices and programs are encouraged to develop graphic banners and icons (within the

guidelines defined in this document for sensible and economical use of graphics) to help

give a graphical identity and consistent look-and-feel to their pages.

File Formats

 The choice of file formats used should be based on the following considerations: (1)

the intended use of the material by the target audience; (2) the accessibility of the format

to the target audience; and (3) the level of effort required to convert the material to the

format.

 In the interest of making information readily available to as wide an audience as

possible, WWW servers should avoid making information available only in proprietary

file formats (e.g., WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, SAS, Adobe

Acrobat Portable Document Format, etc.), except in cases where the target audience

commonly has access to such formats. Links to files in proprietary or unusual formats

should be explicitly noted.

 Material intended to be viewed, read, or browsed on-line should be prepared in HTML

format (for text and tables) and GIF (for graphics). JPEG format may be used instead of

GIF for photographic material where there is a need to preserve a large number of colors.

In such cases, JPEG produces smaller files with minor loss of image precision.

 Portable document formats, such as Adobe Acrobat, should not be used as the primary

format unless converting the material to HTML is not feasible. Although it is easier in

many instances to create PDF than HTML, there are drawbacks: the contents of PDF files

are not included in site-wide full-text search indexes, PDF viewers are not embedded in

most WWW browsers, and PDF viewers require more powerful hardware for on-line

viewing than a WWW browser alone.

 Material intended to be downloaded for off-line print or display should be prepared in

one of the following formats, which are listed in descending order of preference:

 1. HTML and GIF or JPEG -- Same as materials for on-line viewing.

 2. Adobe Acrobat (.PDF), Envoy (.EVY), or Common Ground Digital Paper (.DP) --

Include link to downloadable free viewer.

 3. Postscript (.PS) -- Postscript produces excellent print quality but cannot be

displayed on screen by most users and cannot be printed by many users with low-end

printers.

 4. Microsoft Rich Text Format (.RTF) -- RTF is easily created from most word

processors and is more widely usable than native word processor formats such as

Microsoft Word or WordPerfect. However, its reproduction of fonts and page layout can

vary depending on the user's font set.
17

 5. Proprietary formats (e.g., WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint,

Freelance, etc.) should only be used if: (a) conversion to one of the above formats is not

feasible; (b) the intended audience is known to have ready access to software which can

handle the proprietary format; or (c) the intended use is data analysis or manipulation (see

below). If use of a proprietary format is unavoidable, use an earlier, more widely

available version if possible (e.g., WordPerfect 5.1, not 6.1).

 Material intended to be downloaded by the user for off-line analysis or manipulation

should be prepared in one of the following formats, which are listed in descending order

of preference:

 1. Raw data files:

 - comma separated values, text in quotes

 - column formatted (mainframe data)

 - space delimited (purely numerical data)

 2. Proprietary formats (SAS, SPSS, etc.)

 Data files should be accompanied with adequate documentation of the file content and

structure in a widely usable format such as ASCII or PDF. Documentation for executable

programs should include instructions for installation and use, as well as specifications for

the platform needed to run the package (i.e., memory, disk space, operating system, etc.).

 Material in formats other than HTML should be linked to an HTML page which

describes the material in such a way that users of site-wide full-text search facilities can

find material of interest.

Large or Complex Documents

 Large documents (greater than five pages) should be organized into sections or

chapters and linked together. If the material is meant to be read consecutively, then a

table of contents and division by chapter may be most appropriate. If the material is

meant to be accessed randomly, then a division by section with key word links to

appropriate sections may be best.

 To assist users in navigating sectioned documents, each page should include a

navigation mechanism which allows the user to logically progress through the document.

 The following HTML code used at the end of each section will aid in logical

navigation:

 <A href="hmpggl.html#toc"><IMG SRC="icons/contents.gif" ALIGN="bottom"

 ALT=" " WIDTH="30" HEIGHT="30" >Table of Contents</A>

 <A HREF=hmpggl03.html#Sec3><IMG SRC="icons/LeftArrow.gif"

ALIGN="bottom"
18

 ALT=" "WIDTH=30 HEIGHT=30>Previous Page</A>

 <A HREF=hmpggl05.html#Sec5><IMG SRC="icons/RightArrow.gif"

ALIGN="bottom"

 ALT=" " WIDTH="30" HEIGHT="30">Next Page</A>

 appears as:

 Table of Contents

 Previous Page

 Next Page

Links to Large Files

 Links to files larger than 100 kilobytes should include an explicit note of the file size.

Multimedia

 Multimedia is supported through the set of standard file types specified by filename

extensions. The browsers associate files with these extensions. The most frequently used

multimedia file types are:

 GIF [.gif] The Graphics Interchange Format was developed by CompuServe in

1987. It is the only image type that can be used for inline images on all platforms. It

supports 256 colors. GIF also supports the creation of transparent backgrounds through

the 89a standard.

 TIFF [DOS .tif, UNIX .tiff] The Tagged Image File Format was designed by

Microsoft and Aldus as a desktop publishing standard.

 JPEG [DOS .jpg, UNIX .jpeg] The JPEG image standard was developed by the

Joint Photographic Experts Group. JPEG is a bit map standard with compression. Not

all browsers support JPEG images.

 MPEG [DOS .mpg, UNIX .mpeg] The most common movie format for the Web.

It is based on the JPEG image standard. Viewers exist for all platforms.

 Basic Sound [.au .snd] This audio standard was developed on UNIX platforms.

Sound players exist on almost every platform.
19

Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)

 A Uniform Resource Locator is a compact representation of the location and access

method for a resource available via the Internet. The main component parts of a URL

are:

 Service Type - Signifies to the browser the type of server to be contacted. WWW

servers support the following types of services:

 mailto: Electronic Mail

 news: USENET news

 telnet: TELNET protocol for Interactive Windows

 gopher: Gopher Protocols

 prospero: Prospero Directory Services

 wais: Wide Area Information Servers Protocol

 file: Host specific (local) Files

 ftp: File Transfer Protocol

 http: Hypertext Transfer Protocol

 nntp: USENET news using NNTP access

 System Name - The fully qualified domain name of the server of the data being

requested, e.g., 'www.whitehouse.gov'.

 System Port - The network socket address for specific services. HTTP defaults to

port 80. Therefore, it does not need to be specified unless the receiving system is using a

non-default value port.

 Directory Path - Each level of the directory path is indicated by a '/'. The first '/'

indicates the top (root) directory. An example of a directory is '/usr/smith/guide/'. Most

browsers will display the contents of a directory when no File Name is specified.

 File Name - The name of the data file itself. HTML files will end '.htm' if they

originated in a DOS environment, or '.html' if they originated in a UNIX environment.
20

 Fragment - While not properly a part of the URL, a fragment (indicated by the

leading '#' character) specifies an anchored location within an HTML document.

For example, the beginning of the table of contents in a document can be anchored by the

name toc:

 <A NAME="toc"></A>

and referenced from other documents by

 <A HREF="hmpggl.html#toc">...<A>

 Within a server, relative URLs should to be used, for both anchors and images, in

order to make documents and collections portable. URLs which reference other servers

should always be fully stated (absolute). Common usage of relative URLs are:

 <!-- to display the image home.gif from the sub-directory icons-->

 <IMG SRC="icons/home.gif">

 <!-- an anchor to the glossary term "hype" which resides in the current directory --

>

 <A HREF="glossary.html#hype">hype</A>

 URL names should use simple, understandable words and should be kept as short

as possible without becoming cryptic. The intent is to use names which are easy to read,

remember, and type. URL names are most often created in lower case. This is easier for

users since the URL is case sensitive.

Images

 The appropriate use of images is to help convey information or to create a consistent

and recognizable "look and feel" for a collection as well as to convey meaningful

information which is not easily conveyed by words. The judicious use of images will

help users remember your home pages and will attract frequent usage by the community.

The following hints will help make pages effective:

 • Images should be as small as possible. Use thumbnail images or text to link to

pages with large images. Image resolution may often be reduced without compromising

the information conveyed. An example of the typical use of a thumbnail image is:
21

 (Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci, 306 kbytes)

 • As a general rule, images should be no wider than 472 pixels, in order to display on

the typical WWW browser's 500 pixel wide viewing window on a 640 by 480 monitor.

 • Image file size can often be significantly reduced (without compromising the

information conveyed) by reducing the color depth, especially for non-photographic

material such as charts and graphs.

 • Limit the number of images to less than three per page and keep the total size of the

images to less than 15 Kbytes.

 • Avoid long, thin images such as specialty horizontal rules. These are not effective

for users who do not have image capabilities.

 • Provide a brief textual alternative description for each image which can be used by

text-only browers.

 • Specify the width and height of each image within the HTML <image> tag. This

will speed up document formatting on many browers.

Considerations for Accessible HTML documents

 The following guidelines have been offered by the General Services Administration

(GSA) in order to provide solutions which can communicate to the broadest possible

constituency.

 • Every graphic image should have associated text.

 • When image maps are used, there should be an alternate method of selection

options.

 • Include detailed descriptive "comments" with JPEG images.

 • Provide text transcriptions or descriptions for all audio clips.

 • Make link text descriptive but not verbose.

 • File formats other than HTML should be used only as alternatives to rather than

replacements for HTML.

 • Provide alternate mechanisms for on-line forms.

 • All pages should be tested using multiple viewers.

 • Do not use proprietary procedural format markup.

 • For simple images, such as icons performing the function of bullets, use simple

ALT attributes (e.g. "*" or "-"). It should be noted that many users find the use of image

bullets annoying, since they take up space and time, and add very little to functionality.

 Further explanation along with examples is available in the GSA's document on

Writing Accessible HTML Documents [http://www.gsa.gov/coca/WWWcode.htm].
22

Browser-specific HTML

 WWW pages should be usable by all major clients to ensure equitable access to the

information. Browser-specific HTML should be avoided.
23

Tables

 Tables, like images, can be an extremely effective way to present information.

However, like images, they can hamper access to information by visually impaired

individuals or those with character-only browsers. <TABLE> markup should be used

when it significantly enhances the effectiveness of information presentation. It should be

accompanied by an alternative presentation for those whose browsers or disabilities

prevent them from using table markup.

 An appropriate use of <TABLE> markup would be to present a statistical table,

accompanied by a version of the same information as formatted text(<PRE>) that is

eighty (80) or fewer characters in width.
24

V. Additional Points

Reinventing the Wheel

 Anyone who is about to implement a WWW site is encouraged to explore the Internet

to identify sites which might have already created a similar resource. Webmasters and

Webauthors are also encouraged, before writing code, to consider whether to generalize

processes and procedures for future reuse.

 Webauthors should consult the main agency WWW server and its project staff for

advice on WWW design, implementation, and maintenance, as well as WWW-related

tools and techniques.

Security

 Operation of a WWW server opens up numerous potential security issues which must

be addressed. The Webmaster has primary responsibility for the server's security. But

Webauthors must be aware of security considerations, particularly in areas, such as

Common Gateway Interface (CGI) script development, where potential risks abound.

See the WWW Security Considerations in Appendix C for additional information.

Cookies

 Cookies are used by the server to track user information across several WWW pages

or WWW sessions. WWW site users should be notified of the use of Cookies and the

purpose for their use. (See Cookies monitoring in section VII.) An example where

cookies might be used to track usage is an end user training service. Cookies can be used

to track student progress and automatically connect them to the next lesson.

User Information Collection

 Organizations should be careful in collecting information from users. WWW site

users should be notified of any user information collection activities and the purpose for

its use. There are numerous laws and regulations that govern this activity. Two

examples:

 • Conducting electronic surveys is subject to the provisions of the Paperwork

Reduction Act.

 • E-mail addresses in many cases are personal identifiers and their collection and

potential retrieval may be subject to the Privacy Act.

Usage Monitoring

 Webmasters and Webauthors should review and analyze the usage reports generated

by the server for their documents and collections, and use this information to improve

their services and public information access. WWW site users should be notified of

usage monitoring and the purpose for its use. Information which contains individual

identifiers such as e-mail addresses should not be retained for long periods.
25

WWW Evolution

 Webmasters and Webauthors are reminded that the WWW environment is changing

rapidly. The number of servers and users is skyrocketing. New software, both

commercial and freeware, for browsing, authoring, converting, serving, and searching

becomes available every week. Developers should from time to time evaluate the needs

of their projects against the changing environment and make appropriate adjustments.

Continuous Improvement

 Webmasters and Webauthors should take advantage of the "live" nature of WWW

services and the steady stream of technical enhancements by continuously improving

their services. While frivolous and arbitrary changes are distracting to users,

improvements to services based on user feedback, new ideas for organization, new

HTML features, or newly available functionality keep services fresh, provide users

additional functionality and reflect favorably on the organization's commitment and

expertise.

Copyright and Multimedia Documents

 A copyright is the 'rights' of an author or publisher to the 'copy' (text of an article)

which that author or publisher produced. This has come to mean the right of intellectual

property, whereby authors obtain, for a specific time, certain exclusive rights to their

work.

 In the United States, copyright protections are exclusively granted under federal law,

which derive from Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution which provides

Congress with the power "to promote science and the useful arts, by securing for a

limited times to authors ...the exclusive right to their...writings".

 In the United States, and most other countries, a work is copyrighted automatically

upon creation. No notice is required nor is registration required with a government

agency.

 Works which do not enjoy copyright privileges are considered to be in the public

domain. Common examples of public domain works are:

 • Works for which the copyright has expired. Expiration of a copyright depends on a

number of criteria and can run from 28 to 100 years.

 • Works of the U.S. Government. These works cannot be copyrighted. However, it

appears that works which have been created for the Government by a commercial entity

may have some copyright protection from commercial use.

 • Non-copyrightable works such as titles, names, short phrases and slogans.

(However, these may be trademarks.)

 • Works for which the copyright has been forfeited or abandoned. The most common

form of copyright forfeiture is the lack of specific copyright notice on materials published
26

before March 1, 1988. (After that date posting of notice was no longer required to effect a

copyright.) Abandonment requires specific language and intent to place copyrighted

works in the public domain by the author.

 "Fair Use" of a Copyrighted Work.

 Copyrighted works can be "fairly used" without fear of copyright infringement for

such purposes as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.

Whether the use of a work is fair is determined by balancing these factors:

 • The purpose and character of the use.

 • The nature of the copyrighted work.

 • The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the work as a whole.

 • The effect of the use on the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work.

 Incorporating Works into Multimedia (Internet) Documents.

 For multimedia works the following should be considered:

 • Extreme caution should be exercised in using digital material downloaded from the

Internet because there is a mix of works protected by copyright and works in the public

domain on the Internet. Access to these works on the Internet does not automatically

mean that these works can be reproduced and reused without permission and/or royalty

payment.

 • Please note that proper credit should be given for all copyrighted material. When in

doubt, credit should be given as if the material was copyrighted.

 • In general no more than 10% of copyrighted textual, motion, music, or collections

of illustrations or photographs should be included. In the case of independent

illustrations or collections, no more than 5 images of an artist or photographer should be

included.

 • If there is a possibility that multimedia content (e.g. image, movie) may become part

of a commercial product in the future or will become widely disseminated, then

permissions should be sought before publication of the product.

 • If any alterations are made to copyrighted material, then care should be taken to

explain the specific changes.

Disclaimers

 Agency servers and most agency multimedia documents should carry a Disclaimer of

Endorsement and a Disclaimer of Liability. These disclaimers address references to

commercial products and services, as well as merchantability and fitness for purpose.

Sample disclaimers can be found on the disclaimer template page in section VII.

Electronic Public Disclosure

 Postings to agency WWW sites are official agency disclosures and must be consistent

with other agency disclosures of the same or similar information. For example, if

requests for draft agency documents are routinely denied from FOIA requesters as predecisional to protect the integrity of the agency’s deliberative process, then it would be
27

more appropriate to post draft documents on the agency intranet rather than on the public

WWW site. To facilitate release of information, agencies may want to develop a WWW

statement of responsibility that reminds Webauthors of release criteria and then rely on

the professionalism of content developers. An example of this statement of

responsibility can be found at [http://www.cise.nsf.gov/pub/responsibility.html].

The Government Information Locator Service (GILS)

 GILS is an information processing standard and comprehensive indexing scheme that

will identify, describe and help find electronic and non-electronic Federal government

information resources. Not only will it point the user to the source of the information; as

it evolves, GILS will also provide linkages to assist in its delivery. GILS supplements

other agency information dissemination mechanisms and commercial information

sources. GILS uses network technology and international standards for information

search and retrieval so that information can be retrieved in a variety of ways, and so that

GILS users can find other information resources worldwide. Agencies should ensure that

a GILS record is created for each agency WWW site. Agencies also should assure that

all GILS records which identify WWW-retrievable information dissemination products

include linkage to that product. See the DefenseLINK GILS for the DoD implementation

of at http://www.dtic.mil/defenselink/locator/morein.html.
28

VI. Emerging Standards

 The nature and character of the Web is constantly changing. This page is dedicated to

standards which are widely accepted, but limited in availability. Soon, many of these will

be available to the masses. Even now, some may be appropriate to utilize for specialized

groups. All merit consideration and investigation as the future is just around the corner.

Frames

 Frames give HTML authors more control over their WWW pages and are an effective

way to organize content. When frames are used, the same information should be made

available in a way that is usable by browsers which are not frames-capable.

Java

 Java is a computer programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. It is

Object Oriented, fully threaded, and patterned after C++. Java is interesting to those who

work on the Internet because it can open and access objects across the net via URLs, is

architecturally neutral, and it runs in a safe (secure) environment.

 HotJava is a WWW browser written by Sun Microsystems in the JAVA programming

language. Many other commercial browser producers have licensed Java and have

incorporated Java capabilities.

 To find out more about Java and HotJava try:

 Java TM Programming for the Internet (http://www.javasoft.com)

 Java FAQ

 (http://cuiwww.unige.ch/db-research/java/doc/javafaq/javafaq.html)

 Beyond the animated graphics that are typically seen today, Java will give WWW

developers the opportunity to add greater functionality and capability to their WWW

services making them much more interactive for the end user.

VRML

 Virtual Reality Markup Language is an evolving markup language that promotes a 

3-D graphical page format which uses intuitive navigation and interaction rather than text

and icon-based interaction. For example, a VRML page may display a picture of a room.

Querying objects in the room such as clicking on a television or a book, may start a

movie, or display text. Moving from link to link could be accomplished by opening the

door to another room. Current estimates are that this technology will become mature

enough to use and a hot technology over the next year or so.

 To find out more about VRML try:
29

 On the Net: VRML Resources

(http://www.hitl.washington.edu/projects/knowledge_base/compendiums.html)

 NCSA VRML Home Page

(http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/VRML/VRMLHome.html)
30

VII. Sample Home Page Templates

 Table of Contents

 A table of contents structure with links to each chapter.

 Sample Chapter

 A sample page from a chapter.
31

 Mapped Phone Book

 A mapped alphabetic locator at the top of the page takes you to each letter

 ...each letter returns to the mapped locator

 ...off-page navigational buttons are built into the locator

 Cookies Monitoring

 This notice has been designed to warn WWW site users that the cookies feature is

being employed. One possible approach to a cookics notice:

 Cookies Notice:

 This site uses a technique known a cookies to provide better services to our users.

 Cookies allow us to keep a record of a your activities while visiting our WWW

 site. If you object to this monitoring, you may wish to exit the WWW site at this

 time.

Disclaimers

 These disclaimers are styled after many government disclaimers on the Internet... they

are not intended to be used as they are... but rather a starting point for thinking about your

own disclaimers.

 Copyright Status: The U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free

 license to publish or reproduce these documents, or allow others to do so, for U.S.

 Government purposes. These documents may be freely distributed and used for

 non-commercial, scientific and educational purposes. Commercial use of the

 documents available from this server may be protected under the U.S. and

 Foreign Copyright Laws. Individual documents on this server may have different

 copyright conditions, and that will be noted in those documents.

 Disclaimer of Endorsement: Reference herein to any specific commercial
32

 products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or

 otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement,

 recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government. The views and

 opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the

 United States Government, and shall not be used for advertising or product

 endorsement purposes.

 Disclaimer of Liability: With respect to documents available from this server,

 neither the United States Government nor any of its employees, makes any

 warranty, express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and

 fitness for a particular purpose; nor assumes any legal liability or responsibility for

 the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product,

 or process disclosed; nor represents that its use would not infringe privately owned

 rights.

 Notice: Information from this server resides on a computer system funded by a

 U. S. Government agency. The use of this system may be monitored for computer

 security purposes. Any unauthorized access to this system is prohibited and is

 subject to criminal and civil penalties under Federal Laws including but not limited

 to Public Laws 83-703 and 99-474.

 Glossary

 In a typical glossary a link should be generated from the first occurrence of the word

in the document to the glossary entry and a reciprocal link is provided from the word in

the glossary to its first occurrence in the document.
33

 Moved Notice

 When a WWW site moves, it is good practice to leave a pointer to the new location.
34

VIII. WWW Home Page Guidelines Disclaimers, Release Notes and Credits

Disclaimers

 WWW Guidelines Disclaimer of Endorsement: Reference herein to any specific

commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or

otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or

favoring by the United States Government. The views and opinions of authors expressed

herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government, and shall

not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

 Disclaimer of Liability: With respect to this document, neither the United States

Government nor any of its employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, including

the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose; nor assumes any

legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any

information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed; nor represents that its use would

not infringe privately owned rights.

Release Notes

 December 18, 1995 The initial draft release of this document has been reviewed by a

small group of Consortium members. Substantive suggestions will be incorporated in the

next release.

 November 1996 A major revision of the Guidelines was made based on input from

the WWW community.

Getting the most of this document.

 Like any publication, the greatest benefit can be gained from this document by reading

it in its entirety. However, for those who already possess a working knowledge of

HTML, an efficient approach is to work from the templates and tools provided in Section

VII and employ the checklist from the Executive Summary. The most important thing, of

course, is that these guidelines be treated as suggestions to help, not inhibit, the creativity

necessary to effectively communicate your message.

Credits

 This document is indebted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its vision in

leveraging common interest to provide a generic document for use by the federal sector

and others. Many people were involved in the formulation, content development and

critique. We are indebted to the former NRC Chair, consultants and staff for its original

compilation. Significant content and structure were drawn from the DTIC WWW Server

Standards and Guidelines, the U.S. Department of Education World Wide Web Server

Standards and Guidelines and to the National Science Foundation CISE Policy for

Internet Information Dissemination Using the World Wide Web. Comments from the

Consortium and other interested readers were also greatly appreciated.
35

Appendix A. Glossary of Terms.

Absolute Universal Resource Locator or Absolute URL

An absolute URL contains all of the information necessary to reach a resource, including

the protocol, the system, the path, and data file name.

ASCII

ASCII is an acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange and is an

international standard in which numbers, letters, punctuation marks, symbols and control

codes are assigned numbers from 0 to 127. It is plain text without style or font

specifications.

.aiff

.aiff is a sound file format.

.au

.au is a sound file format.

Browser

A browser is a program for reading hypertext. Since this is the primary function of a

WWW client, they are generally called browsers. Common browsers include Mosaic,

Netscape, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Lynx.

Byte

A byte is a common unit of computer storage. It is made up of eight binary digits. A

byte holds the equivalent of a single character, such as the letter A or a dollar sign.

Client

Client software requests information from another computer or “server”. Examples of

client software used to browse the World Wide Web are Netscape Navigator, NCSA

Mosaic, and Microsoft Explorer.

Common Gateway Interface or CGI

CGI is an interface for running external programs, or gateways, under an HTTP server.

Together the HTTP server (httpd) and the CGI programs are responsible for servicing a

client request by sending back responses.

Cookies

A "cookie" is a small piece of information which a WWW server (via a CGI script) can

store with a WWW browser and later read back from that browser. This is useful for

having the browser remember some specific information across several pages; for

example, when you browse through a "virtual shopping mall" and add items to your
36

"shopping cart", a list of the items you've picked up is kept in your browser's cookie file

so that you can pay for all the items at once when you're finished shopping.

Dissemination

Dissemination is government distribution of information to the public. Not considered

dissemination are distribution limited to government employees or agency contractors or

grantees; intra- or inter-agency use or sharing of government information; and responses

to requests for agency records under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C 552) or

Privacy Act. (OMB Circular A-130)

Document

A document is a set of information designed and presented as a discrete entity. A

technical report is a good example of a document. It may contain logical sub units such

as parts, sections, or chapters; but it is typically created, updated, and presented as a

single unit. The WWW presentation of a document may consist of one or many WWW

pages.

Document collection

A document collection is a set of documents that are logically related, usually by their

content, target audience, or origin (e.g., a collection of studies produced by a program,

project, or organization).

Federal Records

Federal records are “...materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or

received by an agency of the United States Government under Federal law or in

connection with the transaction of public business and preserved or appropriate for

preservation by that agency or its legitimate successor as evidence of the organization,

functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations or other activities of the

Government or because of the informational value of the data in them.” (44 U.S.C. 3301)

GIF or .gif

Graphic Interchange Format is commonly used to compress and transfer graphics files to

and from on-line services.

Government information

Government information is information created, collected, processed, disseminated, or

disposed of by or for the Federal Government. (OMB Circular A-130)

Government Information Locator Service

The Government Information Locator Service (GILS) is essentially an electronic card

catalog. It identifies public information resources throughout the U.S. Federal

Government, describes the information available in those resources, and provides
37

assistance in obtaining the information. Ultimately, GILS will consist of a decentralized

collection of agency-based information locators and associated information services.

Government publication

A government publication is information which is published as an individual document at

government expense, or as required by law. (44 U.S.C. 1901)

Home page

A home page is the entry point to a WWW site or a grouping of related pages commonly

referred to as a “document collection.” It is the first page of information received by a

visitor to the site or document collection.

Hotlist or Bookmark

A stored list of Internet URLs which an individual may save in order to expedite rapid

access to that site. The name on the list is the Title associated with that URL.

HTML or HyperText Markup Language

The HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is a simple markup system used to create

hypertext documents which are portable from one platform to another. HTML is the

most frequently used language when creating documents for the World Wide Web.

HTTP

HyperText Transfer Protocol is the primary protocol used on the WWW. HTTP performs

the request and retrieve functions necessary to display documents stored on remote

computers.

Hyperlink

Highlighted text or images that contain links to other information or documents.

HyperText

Text that contains links to other documents, that can be chosen by a reader and which

cause another document to be retrieved and displayed.

ICON

A small, pictorial, on-screen representation of an object (file, program disk, document,

database, etc.) used in the graphical interface of the WWW.

Information

Information is any communication or representation of knowledge such as facts, data, or

opinions in any medium or form, including textual, numerical, graphic, cartographic,

narrative, or audiovisual forms. (OMB Circular A-130)
38

Information Dissemination Product

An Information Dissemination Product means any book, paper, map, machine-readable

material, audiovisual production, or other documentary material, regardless of physical

form or characteristic, disseminated by an agency to the public. (OMB Circular A-130)

Information Management

Information Management is the planning, budgeting, manipulating, and controlling of

information throughout its life cycle. (OMB Circular A-130)

Inline Image

Graphic that appears as a part of the Web page; inline images are coded into Web

documents through the HTML language, and load with the WWW page itself.

Internet

An internet is a collection of interconnected networks. The Internet is the largest of the

internets. It has a tiered architecture and supports multiple protocols.

Internet Protocol or IP

The internet standard protocol that provides a common layer over dissimilar networks,

used to move packets among host computers and through gateways.

Intranet

The intranet is the use of internet technologies within an agency deployed on an internal

network based on open WWW technologies.

Imagemaps or Mapped graphics

Image maps are graphic elements that have embedded into them two or more hyperlinks,

each hyperlink offering an individual jump to a linked document.

IP Address

The numeric address of a computer connected to the Internet; also called the Internet

address.

JPEG

Joint Photographic Experts Group is an image compression format used to transfer color

photographs and images over computer networks. Along with GIF, it is one of the most

common ways photos are moved over the WWW.

Links

See Hyperlinks.

Mapped graphics

See Imagemaps.
39

MIME

Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions is a messaging standard that allow Internet users

to exchange messages enhanced with graphics, video and voice.

MPEG

Moving Picture Expert Group, an international standard for video compression and

desktop movie presentation.

Netiquette

Network etiquette is prescribed social behavior and manners used on computer networks.

Organization

The internal organization of Federal Agencies varies slightly. However, it is generally

hierarchical, such as Agency, Office, Division, Branch, and Individual, Program or

Project. Home pages intended to serve the agency itself (i.e. internal servers) are

probably best arranged in this hierarchical fashion. WWW sites intended to serve the

public are probably better arranged by subject (e.g., mission, initiatives, etc.) with

organization as merely one topic.

Page or Home Page

A page, in WWW parlance, is an individual computer file which can be addressed by a

hypertext link. Documents and collections are constructed of linked pages.

Portable Document Format or PDF

PDF is used to convert visually rich documents, complete with scaleable graphics and

type, for access via the World Wide Web. Documents in PDF can be displayed and

printed from many computer.

PostScript

PostScript is a page description language for specifying the formatting of typeset

documents or displays developed by Adobe Systems.

Public Information

Public information is “any information, regardless of form or format, that an agency

discloses, disseminates, or makes available to the public.” (Paperwork Reduction Act)

Record (as defined by the Federal Records Act)

A record includes all books, papers, maps, photographs, machine readable materials, or

other documentary materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or

received by an agency of the United States Government under Federal law or in

connection with the transaction of public business and preserved or appropriate for

preservation by that agency or its legitimate successor as evidence of the organization,
40

functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the

Government or because of the informational value of data in them. Library and museum

material made or acquired and preserved solely for reference or exhibition purposes,

extra copies of documents preserved only for convenience of reference, and stocks of

publications and of processed documents are not included. (Federal Records Act, 44

U.S.C. 3301)

Record (as defined by the Privacy Act)

A record is “any item, collection, or grouping in information about an individual that is

maintained by an agency. (Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a)

Records Management

Records Management is “...managerial activities involved with respect to records

creation, records maintenance and use, and records disposition in order to achieve

adequate and proper documentation of the policies and transactions of the Federal

Government and effective and economical management of agency operations. ( Federal

Records Act)

Relative URL

A relative URL contains only enough information to reach a resource within a server. It

includes the path, and data file name. Relative URLs are used to make it easier to move

documents and collections among computer systems.

Server

A computer that provides a resource on the network. Client programs such as WWW

browsers access servers to obtain information.

Syntax

The syntax is the grammatical rules associated with a language (e.g., HTML).

System of Records (as defined by the Privacy Act)

A system of records is a group of any records under the control of any agency from

which information is retrieved by the name of an individual or by some identifying

number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual.” (Privacy Act,

5 U.S.C. 552(a)(5))

TIFF

Tagged Image File Format is a graphic file format developed by Aldus and Microsoft.

Thumbnail Pictures

A thumbnail picture is a small version of a larger graphic. The typical size of these

pictures is often in the range of 40 by 60 pixels. These pictures are placed within

documents to provide the user with a flavor for the picture. Usually the picture is linked
41

to another page which has the expanded graphic. There are a number of shareware tools

like Lview which facilitate resizing of images.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

URL is an acronym that stands for Uniform Resource Locator and is a reference (an

address) to a resource on the Internet. URLs are the doorway to the Internet and the

World Wide Web. You provide URLs to your favorite Web browser so that it can locate

files on the Internet in the same way as you provide addresses on letters so that the post

office can locate your correspondents. The URL includes the protocol, the system, the

path, and data file name.

Webauthor

Webauthors are individuals with primary responsibility and expertise in developing home

pages for the Web.

Webmaster

Each WWW server has a Webmaster--an individual with primary responsibility for the

server. By convention, each WWW server maintains a Webmaster e-mail address (e.g.,

webmaster@www.ed.gov) to which suggestions and inquiries about the site may be

directed.

WWW Server or Web Server

A WWW Server is a computer which provides access to one or more collections of

information using World Wide Web formats and protocols. Each WWW Server has a

main entry point or home page, although numerous files or pages are usually directly

addressable.

WWW Site or Web Site

A collection of information, documents, or databases that is provided to a user

community using World Wide Web formats and protocols.

WWW or World Wide Web

The World Wide Web is a network information delivery system that uses HTML as the

authoring language and the Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) as the transport

protocol. It is used to find and access Internet resources.

WWW Clients or Web Client

Software applications, typically browsers, that access information which is typically

distributed over the Internet.

WWW Federal Consortium
42

The World Wide Web Federal Consortium is composed of sixteen Federal agencies.

Participating agencies have the opportunity to adopt and influence the development of

NCSA World Wide Web technologies, are interested in the strategic use of these and

related information technologies to better accomplish their assigned missions and work

together to better use their pooled knowledge base in these areas. NCSA is becoming a

national focal point for the fusion of High Performance Computing and communications

technologies with the emerging National Information Infrastructure. The major focus for

the Consortium for FY 97 is on collaborative work and tools.

Member agencies include:

 National Science Foundation

 Bureau of the Census

 Central Intelligence Agency

 Defense Technical Information Center

 Intelligence Services

 National Aeronautics and Space Administration

 National Biological Service

 National Cancer Institute

 National Institutes of Health

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

 Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

 National Security Agency

 U.S. Department of Agriculture

 U.S. Department of Education

 U.S. Geological Survey

 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Ex-officio members include

 The White House

 National Performance Review

 Office of Management and Budget
43

Appendix B. References

 Appendix B. 1. Specific Federal Agency Standards

U.S. Department of Education World Wide Web (WWW) Server Standards and

Guidelines

 Keith Stubbs, U.S. Department of Education

 [http://inet.ed.gov/~kstubbs/wwwstds.html]

DTIC WWW Server Standards and Guidelines (Final Draft: 4/24/95)

 Carlynn Thompson, Defense Technical Information Center

 [http://www.dtic.mil/hovlane/standards.html]

Policy for Internet Information Dissemination Using the World Wide Web (Draft: 8/9/94)

 Larry Brandt, NSF Directorate for Computer and Information Science and

Engineering

 [http://www.cise.nsf.gov/pub/CISEWebPolicy.html]

Guidelines for Establishing and Maintaining a Department of Defense Web Information

Service (12/28/95)

 Rick Silva, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

 [http://www.dtic.mil/defenselink/webguide.html]
44

 Appendix B. 2. HTML Style Guides and Standards

Putting Information onto the Web

 a collection of documents on authoring hypertext

 [http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/Provider/Overview.html#author]

NSF/NCSA World Wide Web Federal Consortium Training Materials Page

 [http://skydive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/train/]

Style Guide for On-line Hypertext

 Tim Berners-Lee, World Wide Web Consortium

 [http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/Provider/Style/Overview.html]

NCSA HTML Style Sheet

 National Center for Supercomputing Applications

 [http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Pubs/StyleSheet/NCSAStyleSheet.html]

Introduction to HTML and URLs

 Ian Graham, University of Toronto

 [http://www.utoronto.ca/webdocs/HTMLdocs/NewHTML/intro.html]

Guide to Writing HTML Documents

 Dan LaLiberte, National Center for Supercomputing Applications

 [http://union.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HyperNews/get/www/html/guides.html]

Composing Good HTML

 Eric Tilton

 [http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tilt/cgh/]

Yale C/AIM WWW Style Manual

 Patrick J. Lynch, Yale Center for Advanced Instructional Media

 [http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/StyleManual_Top.HTML]

Yahoo collection of WWW-related sites and documents

 [http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/]

Names and Addresses, URIs, URLs, URNs, URCs

 [http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/Addressing/]
45

 Appendix B. 3. Accessibility to Users with Disabilities

Design of HTML Pages to Increase Their Accessibility to Users with Disabilities

 Trace R& D Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison

 [http://www.trace.wisc.edu/HTMLgide/htmlgide.html]

Writing Accessible HTML Documents

 Paul Fontaine, GSA Center for Information Technology Accommodation

 [ http://www.gsa.gov/coca/WWWcode.htm]
46

 Appendix B. 4. Some of the More Vexing Legal and Policy Concerns

 B. 4. a Questions and Answers

 Answers were provided by the Office of Management and Budget, Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs.

What are the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and OMB Circular A-130 and how

do they apply to agency use of the World-Wide Web?

What are they?

 The PRA addresses two primary areas: 1) agency information dissemination and

access practices, under the umbrella of information resources management, and 2) the

collection of information from the public and the relative burden that such collections

might create. OMB Circular A-130 derives many of its authorities from the PRA and as

such is the implementing guidance for the PRA.

How do they apply?

 On the dissemination and access side, OMB Circular A-130 directs agencies to

implement a management system for all information dissemination products and states

that at a minimum, such a system would: 1) assure that information dissemination

products are necessary for proper performance of agency functions, 2) would ensure that

members of the public with disabilities have reasonable access, 3) facilitate availability of

government publications to depository libraries through the Government Printing Office,

4) include as an integral part, communication with the public to include adequate notice

when initiating, substantially modifying, or terminating significant information products.

 A-130 also instructs agencies to avoid making electronic information dissemination

the sole means of disseminating the product unless the agency knows that a substantial

portion of the intended audience has ready access to the necessary information

technology or that exclusive use of such method will not impose substantial acquisition

costs on the users. Agencies are also reminded that their information dissemination

practices are to be based upon equitable and timely terms and shall achieve the best

balance between the goals of maximizing usefulness of the information and minimizing

the cost to the government and the public. These are all common sense issues that may

impact agency Web policy.

 For information collections, 5 C.F.R. 1320 is the primary implementer of the PRA and

it specifically addresses electronic information collection practices such as customer

service surveys and questionnaires, including those that are wholly voluntary. In brief,

the statute instructs agencies to collect from the public only that information necessary

for the proper performance of agency functions and which has practical utility, to seek

public comment prior to beginning a collection by publishing a notice of the proposed

collection in the Federal Register. Then, agencies are further required to obtain approval

for the collection from the Director, OMB and display the assigned control number on the
47

collection. However, WWW site suggestion boxes or non-specific requests for ideas and

comments are not covered by the statute or need to be cleared by OMB. Consult with

your agency Paperwork Clearance Officer.

What is the applicability of the Federal Records Act?

 Federal records are defined in 44 U.S.C. 3301 as materials, regardless of physical

form or characteristics, made or received by an agency of the United States Government

under Federal law or in connection with the transaction of public business and preserved

or appropriate for preservation by that agency or its legitimate successor as evidence of

the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations or other activities

of the Government or because of the informational value of the data in them.

 So, you see, whether information meets the threshold definition of agency records is

independent of the medium in which it is produced, maintained, or disseminated.

Whether its on a WWW site or not doesn’t really matter. When information qualifying as

a Federal Record is located on an agency WWW site, the record copy should exist in a

format and location that is readily identifiable and appropriate for access and preservation

in accordance with the Federal Records Act and NARA guidance. This can, of course,

include electronic media as the access and preservation mechanism. Consult with your

Records Officer and have them visit the WWW site on a regular basis.

What are the Privacy Act Issues?

 We’ll discuss the issues below but please go talk to your Privacy Act Officer and get

some background on the Act itself. Find out about systems of records, and Federal

Register notices, and Privacy Statements, and how your agency handles paper based

correspondence and mailing lists, and so on.

Issue One: Electronic Mail Addresses

 Because most electronic mail addresses are personally identifying or are at least

associated with a specific individual, their compilation into a database or mailing list

presents valid privacy concerns. To allay public fears of inappropriate use and loss of

control, agencies should generally treat electronic mail addresses as personal identifiers

and personal records under the Privacy Act.

 The accumulation of electronic mail addresses presents at least two separate issues: 1)

the intentional accumulation and compilation into a database, and 2) the incidental

collection as a by-product of a software application or otherwise during the normal

course of business.
48

 The intentional collection of electronic mail addresses and compilation into a database

presumes the intention on the part of the agency to maintain the database (mailing list) in

some up-to-date condition and then retrieve and use it in the future. Such a list is a

system of records covered by the Privacy Act and is subject to the Act’s protections and

requirements that your Privacy Act officer will tell you about, e.g., you need to notify the

public that you are compiling them and why. But, please note that this discussion

pertains to an agency list not your own Rolodex.

 The incidental collection of e-mail addresses does not have the same Privacy Act

implications as does the intentional collection and therefore you don’t need to notify the

public. For example, the automatic accumulation of electronic mail addresses by

discussion group software does not have Privacy Act implications so long as the

accumulation is maintained automatically by the software and not used by agency

employees. Another example of incidental collection is the agency keeping the entire

text and header of electronic mail messages where the sender’s electronic mail address is

located in the header. This type of accumulation is analogous to an agency’s

maintenance of routine paper correspondence and should be handled in a similar fashion.

Issue Two: Using cookies and accumulating a WWW site visitor’s session information.

 Anecdotal evidence suggests that the use of cookies and the collection of session

information poses even greater privacy concerns to WWW site visitors than does the

accumulation of electronic mail addresses. This concern is fitting as over time the

accumulation of this data can reveal a visitor’s personal preferences and particular

interests. Agencies should always notify the public when they collect this type of data.

Depending on the circumstances, notification may explicitly required by the Privacy Act

or provide a beneficial service to the customer. For example, if the session information is

associated to an Internet Protocol (IP) address (which is generally held as not a personal

identifier) then notification isn’t statutorily necessary. But, again, as service to the

customer, notice should be given anyway. Consult with your Privacy Act Officer.
49

 B. 4. b. References

 A. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 note) and the

Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992 (29 U.S.C. 794) and General Services

Administration Regulation

For text see http://gopher.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/statute.html

See also http://www.gsa.gov/coca/tech_act.htm

http://www.gsa.gov/coca/SECT508.htm

Americans with Disabilities Act Information on the Web

http://gopher.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/ada-home.html

Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of

1988 as Amended in 1994

http://www.gsa.gov/coca/tech_act.htm

Code of Federal Regulations on Reasonable Accommodation (Public Laws 100-407 and

103-218)

http://www.gsa.gov/coca/reas_acc.htm

 B. Computer Security Act of 1987 (40 U.S.C. 759 note)

For text see http://www.net.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/csa-1987.html

 C. Copyright Act of 1976 (Title 17, United States Code, Sections 101-810.) and

Copyright Basics, Circular 1, Copyright Office, Library of Congress, Washington, DC,

January 1991

For text see http://www.cni.org/docs/infopols/www/US.Copyright.1976-1.html

http://www.cni.org/docs/infopols/www/US.Copyright.Basics.html

See also http://www.cni.org/docs/infopols/www/index.html

 D. Establishment of Government Information Locator Service, OMB Bulletin No.

95-01

For text see http://info.er.usgs.gov/public/gils/omb95-01.html

 E. Federal Depository Library Program (44 U.S.C. Section 1902)

For text see http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/44/1902.html

 F. Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. Chapters 29, 31,33,35), National Archives and

Records Administration Regulations (36 CFR Chapter 12, Subchapter B, “Records

Management”

For text see http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/44/

 G. Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552)

For text see http://www.cni.org/docs/infopols/www/US.Freedom.Info.Act.html

 H. Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (40 U.S.C. Chapter

25), Executive Order 13011
50

For text see http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/~irm/div-e.htm

See also http://www.nismc.navy.mil/don-cio/ombitmra.htm

 I. OMB Circular A-130, “Management of Federal Information Resources,”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/OMB/html/circulars/a130/a130.html

 J. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), 61 CFR 6428

(February 20, 1996).

For text see http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/~pra/pralaw.htm

See also: http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/~pra/

 K. Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a,

For text see http://www.law.cornell.edu:80/uscode/5/552a.html

To search the Code of Federal Regulations see http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs
51

 Appendix B. 5. Examples of Best Practices

Agency Controlled Content

 The NASA Homepage [http://www.nasa.gov/]

 Biological Resources Division - USGS [http://www.nbs.gov/]

 DefenseLINK [http://www.dtic.mil/defenselink}

Timeliness/Currency

 today@nasa.gov [http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/NewsRoom/today.html]

 Air Force News [http://www.dtic.mil/airforcelink/news/afns.html]

 THOMAS: Legislative Information on the Internet [http://thomas.loc.gov/]

Presenting a Unified Picture for Navigation/Organization

 NIST WWW Home Page [http://www.nist.gov/]

 US Agency for International Development [http://www.info.usaid.gov/]

 U.S. Census Bureau [http://www.census.gov/]

Disclaimers

 National Weather Service [http://www.nws.noaa.gov/]

 United States Information Agency [http://www.usia.gov/]

Copyright

 National Endowment for the Arts [http://arts.endow.gov/AboutSite.html]

URL on Home Page

 US Environmental Protection Agency [http://www.epa.gov/]

Responsible Party Contact

 Welcome to Goddard Space Flight Center [http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/]
52

Links to external sources (explained)

 DFAS Lane (Defense Finance and Accounting Service)

[http://www.dfas.mil/links.htm]

Restricted Access

 NASA Automated Systems Incident Response Capability (NASIRC)

[http://nasirc.nasa.gov/]

Individual Employee Home Pages

 Defense Technical Information Center [http://www.dtic.mil/staff/cthomps/]
53

Appendix C. WWW Security Considerations

The following list was gathered from several WWW systems administrators to help

organizations focus on security concerns.

• Establish a WWW site security policy.

• Limit the number of people who can modify the WWW Server.

• Run analysis and or hacker tools against your system as often as possible (daily,

weekly) to reveal the same weaknesses that hackers will find and exploit. Examples

include:

- Crack

- the Computer Oracle and Password System (COPS)

- Tiger

- Tripwire

- Ice-pick

- the Internet Security Scanner (ISS)

- Security Administrator Tool for Analyzing Networks (SATAN) or something

 better

 Some overlap exists in these programs but each has its strengths and weaknesses.

Using as many as possible provides a stronger overall security watch. Remember, if you

don’t run SATAN or ISS or something like them against your system, someone else will,

but they probably won’t be sharing the results with you!

• Install alarms so you will know if your server has been the victim of a hacker attack.

• Perform regular audits and review the log files.

• When monitoring or filtering IPs into and out of your system,

- only local IP addresses should be outgoing

- local IP addresses should not be incoming

 - private network IPs; 10.0.0.0; 127.0.0.0; 172.16; and 192.168.0.0 should not

be incoming or outgoing

• Block disallowed traffic at the router. (example: no telnet connections from *.edu)

• Establish the server on a separate subnet of your network.

• Put the WWW server outside your firewall.
54

• Run the server as a non-privileged user (i.e., nobody).

• Run server in restricted file space (chrootuid).

• Preferred Network Security Philosophy - deny all, then allow specific services

• Stay current with software releases. Older versions of systems often have security

vulnerabilities that are well known to intruders.

• Remove utilities and shells that are not needed.

• When using public domain software, examine the source code carefully for “back

doors” and malicious code. Always verify the crypto-checksum of publicly available

software.

• Encrypt sensitive systems/administrative files that must be stored on-line.

• Store system accounting records, system administration tool output and proprietary

data off-line.

• Use CD-ROMs for storing and serving information and system files that rarely change.

• Be very careful in the use of Common Gateway Interface applications. Hackers often

use it as the door to a WWW server. When accepting input from CGI scripts make sure

your script checks the input before processing for special characters and systems calls.

• For systems administration access, consider using one-time passwords (such as SKEY

or key cards).

• When appropriate, use of passwords to enter and use the WWW site.

• If you detect an intruder in your computer system, leave the system running and

disconnect it from the network. Take a complete back-up of the system (Level 0)

including the memory. Do not shut down or power off the system. Call in a security

response team.

• Do contingency planning for back-up and recovery.

• Monitor Security Advisories such as those posted on the Computer Emergency

Response Team’s WWW site: http://www.cert.org
55

• Other Sources of Security Information.

 - Electronic mailing lists

 -- CERT advisories: cert-advisory-request@cert.org

 -- CERT tools : cert-tools-request@cert.org

 -- firewalls: Majordomo@GreatCircle.com

 - Usenet newsgroups

 -- comp.security.announce

 -- comp.security.misc

 -- comp.security.(your system)

 -- alt.security

 - WWW site

 -- The World Wide Web Security FAQ

 http://www-genome.wi.mit.edu/WWW/faqs/www-security-faq.html

 - Common Gateway Interface (CGI) Security

 http://hoohoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/cgi/security.html