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From: ken@aiai.ed.ac.uk (Ken Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: The ethics of dribble files
Message-ID: <1691@skye.ed.ac.uk>
Date: 6 Feb 90 16:09:51 GMT
Reply-To: ken@aiai.UUCP (Ken Johnson)
Followup-To: comp.edu
Organization: AIAI, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Lines: 28

This is an attempt to get peoples' opinions on `dribble files'.  I don't
know whether the term `dribble file' is a peculiarly Edinburgh term, so
first I will define it: a dribble file is a file which contains a record
of the conversation between a user and a computer. 

These are commonly used as research tools. 

I think I first felt there was an ethical issue when I heard at a
conference a speaker say that the computer could keep a record of
everything typed and display the record in response to some ``coded
password'' [sic].  So the first issue is whether teachers should have
privileges (like inspecting dribble files) reasons other than the
protection of the integrity of a system. 

Secondly, I feel a bit dubious of the ethics of letting the teacher
overhear conversations like this.  When I last implemented a dribble
file, it was possible to set up the system so that it started up without
the user's (a school child typically 7-12 years old) knowledge.  I now
feel that it would have been more nearly ethical to give a message along
the lines of ``This session is being recorded.''

Any ideas about this?

-- 
Ken Johnson, AI Applications Institute, 80 South Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1HN
E-mail ken@aiai.ed.ac.uk, phone 031-225 4464 extension 212
`I have read your article, Mr Johnson, and I am no wiser now than when I
started'.  -- `Possibly not, sir, but far better informed.'