[Air-L] public private

[Ed Lamoureux]

On Aug 10, 2007, at 12:54 PM, Conor Schaefer wrote:

>  If you are chatting in a cafe,
> you need to understand that what you say can be heard by those around
> you.

if you are chatting in a cafe, you are already in a private place . . .
if you are chatting in the knowing presence of others, you know who  
can hear you and you can moderate your volume based on who you want  
to listen.
If you are chatting in a cafe and I want to use a recording of your  
words in research, I have to ask your permission and get your  
informed consent, in most states in America.
In some states, I don't need your permission as long as the data  
result can't be tracked to you personally, but these are a small  
number of states.
If I want to take field notes on your interaction in such a place, I  
can do so to my heart's content as long as the notes can't be tracked  
back to you.

so in the case of data collected from the internet . . . did the  
subject have a reasonable expectation that YOU would be observing them?
Did they have the chance to modulate their transmission based on your  
presence?
Can the data be tracked back to them?
did they give informed consent?
are you using their words?
or only your field notes about their behavior?


Edward Lee Lamoureux, Ph. D.
Associate Professor, Multimedia Program
and Department of Communication
Co-Director, New Media Center
1501 W. Bradley
Bradley University
Peoria IL  61625
309-677-2378
<http://slane.bradley.edu/com/faculty/lamoureux/website2/index.html>
<http://gcc.bradley.edu/mm/>
AIM/IM & skype: dredleelam
Second Life: Professor Beliveau