On 03/05/2010 08:11 AM, [email protected] wrote: > Well, according to that very article, the computer camera was > activated in the Robbins case for a reason other than specified by the > school system. According to the school system, the camera in that > case was turned on because a $55 insurance fee had not been paid. It > seems to me that an alleged failure to pay a school fee does not > comport with the requirements to only activate those cameras in cases > of lost, stolen or misplaced laptops. That single event proves that > the school system did limit their spying to only certain specified > incidents as had been previously stated. >
It should be noted that the laptop was not supposed to be removed from school premises unless the $55 insurance fee was paid, putting the laptop in the missing/stolen category if an inventory were made. Let's try a slightly different scenario, you borrow a work laptop without permission because you have to complete some ritual and possibly agree to be responsible for it. Someone at work, does an inventory, then turns on the location software to find the laptop, have your rights been violated or not? The student was not supposed to remove the laptop from the school unless the insurance fee was paid, technically the laptop met the definition of missing or stolen and thus qualified for possible attempts at recovery. I'ld hesitate to say the student's privacy wasn't violated, but I'ld also hesitate to claim the invasion wasn't justified in the circumstances too. There may be no villains this time around just poor judgement several times over. School authorities apparently mistook a common candy for drug, but a student broke rules and technically removed property said student was not entitled to remove from school which in some circumstances could be prosecuted as theft. ************************************************************************* ** List info, subscription management, list rules, archives, privacy ** ** policy, calmness, a member map, and more at http://www.cguys.org/ ** *************************************************************************
