[Air-L] Researchers as new eyes on public data

Charlie Balch charlie at balch.org
Mon Sep 3 06:40:59 PDT 2007


Lois,
I've made it clear in other posts that I believe public information is fair
game for researchers. In answer to your question about increase of danger to
"subjects," there is the possibility that researchers will increase the
exposure of content that could be damaging to the poster. 

On the other hand, the intent of research is to understand and improve. In
balance, I believe there is greater good when all available data is
considered. This is not to say that researchers should become like the
paparazzi but to discarding public data cripples research. 

Charlie Balch
Very much my own views and not my institutions

> ... how are researchers more dangerous to their online subjects 
> than any other person who might access their publicly available site?

Lois Ann Scheidt

Doctoral Student - School of Library and Information Science, Indiana
University, Bloomington IN USA






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