Privacy & Data Use
This project is fully anonymous. You do not need an account to submit an experiment or to browse anything on this site.
Privacy disclaimer
We never ask for your name, email address, phone number, or any other personal identifier. Submissions are not linked to any account or person. Please do not include personal information in your photos or observation notes, and avoid photographing people, house numbers, license plates, or identifying documents — everything you submit is published publicly.
What we collect
- An experiment title you choose
- Before and after photos of your sock (required)
- Burial and dig-up dates, and your decomposition estimate
- Burial site type (backyard, garden, farm, park, school field, forest, other)
- Your observation notes
- A location, at the precision you select
What we never collect
- No names or usernames
- No email addresses or phone numbers
- No accounts, passwords, or logins
- No background or ongoing location tracking — location is read only when you ask for it
Location privacy
Soil health varies across California, so an approximate location helps researchers compare results between regions. When you submit, you choose the visibility:
- City only — the map and experiment pages show only a city-level area.
- Exact location — you explicitly opt in to publishing your pin.
If a photo contains GPS metadata, it is read in your browser only to pre-fill the location field. You can always clear it or move the pin before submitting.
How the data is used
Submissions are published on the public map and experiment database, and may be used in aggregate for education and soil-health research. The data is not sold, and there is no advertising or third-party tracking on this site.
Removing a submission
Because submissions are anonymous, we have no way to verify who created one. If you would like something removed, contact the project organizers with the experiment link and we will review the request.