[ILUG]Doeswww.RateMyTeacher.IEmeetcriteriaofDataProtectionAct.

[kevin lyda]

On Fri, Mar 18, 2005 at 12:23:32PM +0000, Eircom - Carroll wrote:
>   I approached the group, from this viewpoint to highlight what is in
>   my opinion, a abuse of data - collected in the main from minors
>   through the Internet - to pillory identified individuals, as a basis
>   for a commercial operation. This abuse is an erosion of the personal
>   freedoms of all. The site differs from standard Forums in that the
>   data is collected, manipulated and organized by identifiable persons,
>   (some of whom are defamed),for the direct purpose of commercial gain.

i think it's kind of interesting in a few ways.

it is related to linux and free sw dev in terms of the idea that it is a
way to share ideas about things.  but it differs significantly.  the
people saying things about teachers are anonymous.  they don't have to
take responsibility for what they say.  and more importantly, teachers
can't reply.

there will never be a www.RateMyStudent.ie.  any teacher involved in
that would be fired.  and it would be pretty easy to identify teachers
involved in that - the ratio of student to teachers vs. teachers to
student makes it so.

the student / teacher relationship is different then one would see in
most online communities.

there are several discussions about ethics and technology that happen on
ilug.  as the number of linux users increase, the more wide-ranging
those discussions will be.

kevin

-- 
kevin lyda ~ dems for torture: salazar(co/10) landrieu(la/08) pryor(ar/08)
kevin at ie.suberic.net ~ nelson(fl/06) nelson(ne/06) lieberman(ct/06) 2/2/04
  Those who refuse to raise their voices against something as clearly evil
  as torture are enablers, if not collaborators.  --Bob Herbert, 2/11/04