[Air-L] Google Docs

[Gordon Carlson]

On Mon, Apr 28, 2008 at 2:37 AM, Ronald E. Rice <rrice at comm.ucsb.edu> wrote:
> The question about accounts is a red herring.  You can set up a google docs
> account without using a google email account.  Once you use the google email
> account, it does offer you additional features, but that's when they can
> track usage across all google activities.  You can allow access to a shared
> set of google apps to other folks using non-google email accounts.


That is true, but they still have to use some email address to join
and use Google Docs.  And these addresses are available to people
sharing documents with one another.  Just because it may not be a
Google address doesn't negate the (admittedly potential) harms of
providing shared access to names and email addresses on third party
services at the direction of a faculty member.  In fact, if students
use their own email addresses to create the Google account, then it is
those personal accounts that are displayed.  And if someone creates a
fake Yahoo account just to create a Google account, then they just as
well may create the Google account using Gmail.

I guess my point is that whether a student uses a Gmail or other email
address, they are still providing clear text access of email addresses
to anyone they share documents with and anyone else who may end up
seeing the documents (including hackers and a giant target, Google
itself).

Also, someone mentioned creating fake accounts for the sake of the
exercise.  I don't feel too bad about it since it's basically free
advertising to an entire class, but as I read their Terms of Service,
that would be a technical violation.  So would an instructor creating
a class load for the students (individual accounts, not purchasing
domain services).  Also, just to play devil's advocate, students can
be under 18 in most US institutions and would not necessarily be old
enough to fulfill their obligation to be of age in agreeing to the
Google TOS.  Others with more knowledge feel free to correct me.

While each of these points may be somewhat insignificant, they combine
for potentially important situations.  Plus, the courts are full of
examples where lawyers find tiny loopholes to jump on organizations.
My only issue is with faculty requiring or "heavily suggesting" that
students need to join or use these third party sources as part of a
course.  I use all of them, so I am clearly not against them on
principle.

-Gordon