in reply to (OT) Dealing with end user paranoia

People usually get paranoid for a reason. In the case of universities, there seems to be dissonance between their professed ideals of academic freedom and free speech, and their actual practices. That keeps people uneasy.

You really can't know whether some administrator will waltz in and demand to see your logs.

After Compline,
Zaxo

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Re: Re: (OT) Dealing with end user paranoia
by jlongino (Parson) on Jun 05, 2002 at 15:46 UTC
    The dissonance you mention is certainly a factor, though I believe their main fear is retribution from their direct superiors (who in most cases don't have the resources to determine how an individual responded). This stems from the misconception that somehow the Computer Center is in cahoots with all administrators and would readily comply with their every whim.

    You really can't know whether some administrator will waltz in and demand to see your logs.

    The possibility of this happening is extremely remote, given the legal rammifications that would ensue. In our case the only person with the authority to do so would be the president of the university who has much bigger fish to fry. A request from any administrator would probably be met with a suggestion that we set up a meeting with the university's attorneys office for consultation. Even after obtaining the logs (assuming that we would turn them over without a supoena), the majority of university addresses are NATted and the only mapping of university IP addresses is held by the Computer Center. A database that is probably only 60% accurate at any given time.

    Granted not all university administrators are perfectly sane and no university is without some degree of corruption.

    --Jim

[reply]
      The possibility of this happening is extremely remote, given the legal rammifications that would ensue.

      That doesn't matter much. The _perception_ of people is more important. For everything people do, they balance the benefits against the drawbacks (often without really being aware of it). The (perceived) benefit of a student to fill out the survey is small. The perceived drawback (they can trace you and god knows do what) for some of them is big. So, they simple don't do it.

      Flying is safer than driving. Yet there are many people who will never fly, because they are afraid, and have no problem driving 80 miles/day. In their perception flying is unsafe, so they will not do it.

      Abigail

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