Re: Privacy

["Derek Chirnside" <ChirnsideD@mars.shirley.school.nz>]

Hi Jim.  I'm at a High School here (13-18 year olds) 900+ E-Mail 
accounts.  Excellent access to student files, records for staff.  
Tons of shared departmental directories.  But what is in _My_ 
subdirectory, Noone has access to, no-one touches.  The same in 
general for students!!  We seem to treat our students better than 
your staff!!

> Our "network backbone team", as they call themselves,  ie sysops, have
> instituted a new set of usage rules which include the following:
>
> "... user ... understands and agrees they [sic] are [sic] specifically
> waiving any expectation or right to privacy in their [sic] communications,
> data, programs, or other personal information stored, displayed, accessed,
> communicated, published, or transmitted" on the college's "Technology
> Facilities" ie computer system.

This is not a 'Sysop' decision.  This must come from higher up.  I 
can understand a disclaimer - "we can't be responsible for data loss 
etc if there is a system crash - but this privacy bit - if E-mail is 
addressed wrong and comes to the postmaster - mybe - but if it comes 
to you, it should go to you.

So I guess I don't like the extent of this waiver.  Not that it would 
bother me if anyone _did_ read my correspondence etc.  Except for the 
od little bit.  Here we have been having a major national controversy 
about the standatd of moderation in a key national exam.

    A 250g container of cherry stones is dropped 10m.  With what 
force does it hit the ground.  Answer: 2.5N.  (!!)  Written by a 
biologist I think!!

Som quite sensitive and confidential stuff passed my way as the 
Institute of Physics sought some clarification on thins, moderation 
processes etc.  Pre-release press statements.  Letters to the 
Minisyter of Education etc.  I would NOT have wanted this stuff not 
private.

> 1) Do I remember correctly that this is an ongoing court case somewhere?
Pass.
 
> 2) Are these rules similar to the rules of *your* system?
No.  Students to get on E-Mail need to sign (electronically) a code 
of good behaviour.  They just get logged off for problems etc.

> 3) How do the members of this list feel about  this 
issue? 

> 4) Where might a discussion of this issue be seen on the Internet?
 
1.  The collegial environment fostered by the open approach to stuff 
is great at my school.  Staff need to feel secure I think.  Otherwise 
it's back to carrying round your disks or working off a notebook!!!!

2.  At a University in this country a 
HOD set up his own dept system 
to avoid some of the problems you speak of.  Mark handling.  Student 
Records.  So there may be other problems here.

Good Luck.
Don't let restricitve red tape get you down!!

Derek.



----------------------------------------------------------------------
      Derek Chirnside, Physics Department, Shirley Boys High School.  
      PO Box 27 025, Christchurch 8001, New Zealand.  
      chirnsided@mars.shirley.school.nz  
----------------------------------------------------------------------