[Air-l] Google is watching !
Ulf-Dietrich Reips
ureips at genpsy.unizh.ch
Thu May 20 06:14:02 PDT 2004
Hi all
Some thoughts on the nature of expressions sent to the Internet:
1. Anyone who is sending bits of information to
the Internet should be aware that this action is
a *public* statement to a more or lesser degree,
just as in the case of standing somewhere
speaking. Technology and type of setup of the
service used will determine *how* public the
expression will be, like speaking while sitting
on your own balcony versus standing on a box in a
corner of Hyde Park versus giving an interview to
a TV station.
2. Despite the somewhat predictable dissemination
of your expression, the publicity nature of your
expression can change remarkably - beyond your
intention and control. This doesn't happen often,
but it is your own responsibility to know that
there is a certain chance that it may happen on
the Internet, just as when somebody records what
you are saying on your own balcony and sends it
to a radio station (ask VIPs, if you don't
believe these things happen). One reason may be
that someone reposts your expression, another one
may be that someone invents a service like Deja
or Google that makes it much easier to stumble
upon what you once posted. Even if you posted it
in a moment that you would consider being an
untypical state of your mind and mood... ;-)
3. To a degree, the good news is that there is
also a certain chance that records of public
statements may be fake. As a reader, I can only
assume that the message below really comes from
Kevin - with the help of my world knowledge about
differing base rates of false postings that in
turn depend on a variety of criteria like the
message content and the security features and
credibility of the service used.
In conclusion: a sender bears resonsibility for
knowing that any expression on the Internet is
public and may be widely disseminated and stored
forever. A reader bears resonsibility for knowing
that the sender may (naïvely) not have intended
to see a statement disseminated as widely and for
knowing that the sender may not be the one who is
said to be the sender.
Cheers, --u
At 19:32 Uhr +1000 20.5.2004, Kevin Tharp wrote:
>I have used part of a posting to this group in my dissertation. The way
>that I handled the ethical questions, was that I contacted that person
>regarding my intention and included the text I was intending to use. I
>included the text to seek that person's feedback and to compare my
>perception with their intent.
>
>I would not always handle Internet postings in this way. However, in
>this case, we are communicating indirectly with our peers, and the world
>is potentially watching. The person I am quoting from this list also
>shows up in my list of references from other sources.
>
>Kevin W. Tharp
>Community Informatics Officer
>Senior Research Officer
>Faculty of Informatics & Communication
>Central Queensland University
>Rockhampton, Queensland Australia
>07 4923 2566
>k.tharp at cqu.edu.au
>http://infocom.cqu.edu.au/Staff/Kevin_Tharp/
>
>_______________________________________________
>Air-l mailing list
>Air-l at aoir.org
>http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l
--
----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Ulf-Dietrich Reips
Universität Zürich ICQ: 16739325
Psychologisches Institut
Rämistr. 62
CH-8001 Zürich, Switzerland
http://www.psychologie.unizh.ch/sowi/reips/reipspers.html
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