Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!ihlpb!nevin1
From: nevin1@ihlpb.ATT.COM (Liber)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Posting grades
Message-ID: <9287@ihlpb.ATT.COM>
Date: 28 Dec 88 02:26:28 GMT
References: <5129@bsu-cs.UUCP> <4302@teklds.CAE.TEK.COM> <6125@ecsvax.uncecs.edu> <5734@polya.Stanford.EDU> <9248@ihlpb.ATT.COM> <2786@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu>
Reply-To: nevin1@ihlpb.UUCP (55528-Liber,N.J.)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Lines: 21

In article <2786@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu> scoop@aplvax.jhuapl.edu.UUCP (Steve Cooper) writes:

>What's wrong with the method of posting grades with the students'
>Social Security Numbers beside the grade?

>SSN's are rather unique (would hope so!)

Common fallacy.  They are *not* unique; look at the comp.risks archives
for the problems this has caused in the past.

>and they are not known to anyone but the individual -
>unless he/she has shared it with others.  Anyone who has access to the
>student's SSN by other methods (forms, etc), is bound by privacy in
>those situations not to disclose this info.

Considering that most schools use your SSN as your school id number,
your SSN is probably printed on your id (heck, it is even on my driver's
license).  Irregardless of the law, your SSN is effectively knowledge
known to the public.
-- 
NEVIN ":-)" LIBER  AT&T Bell Laboratories  nevin1@ihlpb.ATT.COM  (312) 979-4751