About and methodology | BoilerCompass

What this site does

BoilerCompass brings common Purdue and student resources into one searchable directory. Each listing explains who runs the destination, where it applies, whether login is expected, and when its link was checked.

Source labels

Official Purdue means Purdue operates the destination. Purdue-affiliated means it is connected to Purdue people or organizations but may not be university-operated. Independent / third-party means outside context that must be checked against official sources.

Verification

Public links are checked for live responses and redirects, then descriptions are reviewed against current official wording. Authentication redirects are reviewed rather than automatically marked broken.

How the directory is maintained

Listings live in a typed, schema-validated registry. A resource must answer a common student need, have a clear operator, and add enough context to prevent a blind click. BoilerCompass does not invent deadlines, popularity, status, or usage data.

Privacy

Anonymous aggregates, not student profiles.

BoilerCompass does not use Purdue authentication, proxy authenticated systems, or store student records. Favorites and recently opened resources stay in your browser’s local storage.

When configured and enabled, BoilerCompass uses Vercel Web Analytics for anonymous aggregate measurement. Vercel may privately process and display aggregate referrer, coarse region, device, browser, and operating-system dimensions under its Web Analytics documentation. The BoilerCompass public endpoint and activity page expose only broad totals and trends—not those private dimensions or individual events.

BoilerCompass custom events never send raw search text, query strings, Purdue IDs or other Purdue identifiers, names, emails, or arbitrary user text.
BoilerCompass does not add analytics cookies or cross-site tracking. If anonymous presence is enabled, a random UUID is kept insessionStorage; a heartbeat is sent about every 30 seconds only while the page is visible, and a session is considered active when seen within the last two minutes.
Presence stores one aggregate minute sample for up to two hours. Vercel’s request-hash-based visitor session is discarded after 24 hours and is not a permanent person identity.
JavaScript blockers, ad blockers, privacy tools, network failures, and background tabs can make counts incomplete. Since-start totals use the configured tracking start date and are not backfilled.

Public aggregates

See what BoilerCompass reports publicly.

The activity page explains every metric, shows exact-value tables alongside lightweight charts, and keeps partial or missing data visibly unavailable.

View BoilerCompass activity

Corrections

Links move. Tell us when one does.

Include the resource name, the listed URL, what failed, and the current official destination if you have it. Do not include passwords, student records, medical information, or other sensitive data.

Report a correction

Unofficial status

BoilerCompass is an independent student resource directory and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Purdue University. Purdue names and third-party service names belong to their respective owners.