[Air-l] ethics - aol data

[Jeremy Hunsinger]

>>> ll.
>>
>> here i think we have an issue with 'properly'..    i'm pretty sure
>> that aol is acting properly with its property to the best of their
>> knowledge.  likewise google is acting properly with its property.
>>
>
> I'm a little unclear as to Jeremy's referent here; specifically, what
> "property" he is talking about. If he is talking about the data, I  
> would
> rather vigorously oppose characterizing it in that manner. If he is  
> talking
> about the hardware/software on which the data resides, then we need to
> distinguish between ownership/control/use of the "property"  
> carrying the
> information, and ownership/control/use of the information itself.  
> Google
> and AOL may have a proprietary interest in one, but not necessarily  
> the
> other.
>
> Julie Cohen is lurking around here somewhere and might have a  
> thought or
> two on the distinction. :)


here i was talking about the data, which they collected and  
redistributed and the search logs specifically.  I think that data is  
pretty much their property.  it is like all computer logs in my  
mind.  do the users of a webserver own the logs or does the owner of  
the webserver?  in the case of medical or dental records, you clearly  
have a claim to your personal data, but... in the case of search  
logs, i don't think the user of a system really has much of a claim.   
if they give up personal information to the system, that seems very  
much like giving it away to me, more of a caveat emptor for services  
rendered.  is aol the owner of the data or the caretaker of data?   
that's a good question.



jeremy hunsinger
Assistant Professor
Pratt Institute
www.cddc.vt.edu
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