[Vision2020] More school laptop spy cam stupidity

[Darrell Keim]

To quote former Montana governor Ted Schwinden:  Logic and common sense have
nothing to do with it!  We're talking politics here.

On Mon, Feb 22, 2010 at 7:50 PM, Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com> wrote:

> Students in K-12 public schools do not have full adult civil rights, in
> their lockers, for example, given what I have read on this issue regarding
> current law on constitutional rights   A student's locker may be searched by
> school authorities, with no legal protections.  And cameras for surveillance
> are common and legal in public and private institutions in many cases, for
> adults and minors.  We are on camera with video footage stored, often in
> public on the streets, the bank, the grocery store, etc.  Smile!
>
> But the surveillance in this case occurred in the homes of adults, students
> parent's homes, homes ostensibly with full guarantee of civil rights under
> the Bill of Rights of our constitution (or what's left of these rights,
> after the Patriot "Unpatriotic" Act, justified by the "War on Terror," and
> other erosion of civil rights to pursue the "War on Drugs").
>
> The constitutional rights of the adult parents were thus violated if the
> surveillance occurred in their homes, if not the students (who may be
> minors) rights, it seems to me... Assuming we have any rights left...
>
> Those under the age of 18 have limited legal rights in some cases.  Even
> those over the age of 18 sometimes have legal limitations... Old enough to
> die in war for your country, and vote, yet not old enough to
> legally purchase a beer?  What is the logic?  If someone has the wisdom to
> make a responsible decision in voting, perhaps the most important act of a
> citizen in a "democracy," then does it not follow they have the wisdom to
> make a responsible decision whether or not to purchase a beer?
>
> Perhaps this illogical legal situation reveals an unconscious lack of
> respect for the wisdom required to cast a responsible vote, given we regard
> voting as requiring less maturity in age than the decision to purchase a
> beer.
> ------------------------------------------
> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>
> On 2/22/10, Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>> Here is an article that was posted on a news site I read:
>>
>> http://techdirt.com/articles/20100221/2118128243.shtml
>>
>> Apparently, the student is claiming that the "inappropriate behavior" he
>> was allegedly engaged in was eating Mike & Ike candies.  The administrators
>> presumably thought they were drugs, and hilarity ensued.
>>
>> Also, here is a blog that talks about the software allegedly on these
>> laptops, some of the people involved, and so forth:
>>
>> http://strydehax.blogspot.com/2010/02/spy-at-harrington-high.html
>>
>> Some highlights:
>>
>> Students were complaining problems with the machines because the green
>> light that indicated the camera was on would flash at odd times.  They were
>> told it was a glitch and the student would be offered a replacement laptop.
>>
>> Students were forbidden to jailbreak their laptops, and could face serious
>> trouble if they did so, including expulsion.
>>
>> Laptop use was mandatory for classes.
>>
>> Students using their personal laptops would get them confiscated if they
>> were found.
>>
>> Laptop cameras could not be disabled (except by physically covering them
>> over with tape).
>>
>> The software, if it thought it the laptop was stolen (which it would if it
>> was outside of the "home" network), would take screenshots and pictures and
>> upload them to their servers at regular intervals along with some other
>> technical information like IP address.
>>
>> The computers, when used at student's home, would be outside of the "home"
>> network, and would thus presumably send regular snapshots to their server.
>>
>> Unbelievable.  Nobody but Donovan would allow this in a sane world.
>>
>> It's my understanding that children (and we're talking high school
>> students here) do actually have one or two basic rights.  Perhaps I'm wrong
>> about that.
>>
>> Paul
>>
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>
>
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