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From: pritchaj@agnes.acc.stolaf.edu (John Pritchard)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: The ethics of dribble files
Message-ID: <11184@thor.acc.stolaf.edu>
Date: 7 Feb 90 11:00:44 GMT
References: <1691@skye.ed.ac.uk>
Sender: news@thor.acc.stolaf.edu
Reply-To: jpritcha@carleton.edu ()
Organization: Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Lines: 22
Summary:An issue of ethics in more than just dribble files
Keywords:dribble, network, bulletin board, mail


 There is a good article in the Higher Education Chronical (I believe it
is the latest issue) which discusses the rights of a teacher, computer 
center, student with respect to sending mail or posting of information.

If I understand you correctly, dribble files are the conversation between
just the computer and the user, with no intention of passing the informa-
tion on to a another party?  If so, I would think the ethics could be more
liberal, just due to the fact that there is less danger of abuse (since
the teacher is the only other person involved).

If the teacher had intentions of 'using' that dribble for some reason (say
to determine a grade, to place in a report, or book, or to pass on some
of the information in a conversation) I begin to become more conservative 
(i.e. a warning might be an ethical thing to do).  It may depend on your
definition of what 'using' would mean.  Just reading the dribble will 
affect your perception of the user, and therefore _could_ be considered
'using'.
John Pritchard
Carleton College
Northfield, MN 55057
jpritcha@carleton.edU