...
If the opposite of public is private, then the policy removes all
notions of email privacy for the individual who is using official govt
equipment.
...
It is not by any means clear that there should have ever been an
expectation of privacy. When using stuff paid for with public funds
(be it computers or bulldozers), one always gives up much in control.
I work for a public University and have always assumed that the bulk
of my activites were subject to public scrutinty.
If I wished privacy, I would contract privately with someone to handle
it for me.
It occurs to me that those for concerned with personal privacy, that a
new class of threat therefore exists - "threat of public archival". The
...
In my opinion, the threat/danger is that people have been making
false-to-facts assumptions all along. If my use of paper clips is
subject to an outside audit and is part of the public record, why
should my computer use become suddenly off-limits to the same
auditors and records?
Craig A. Finseth
Craig(_dot_)A(_dot_)Finseth-1(_at_)umn(_dot_)edu
University Networking Services fin(_at_)unet(_dot_)umn(_dot_)edu
University of Minnesota +1 612 624 3375 desk
130 Lind Hall +1 612 625 0006 problems
207 Church St SE +1 612 626 1002 fax
Minneapolis MN 55455-0134, USA member, LPF
"A ship is safe in a harbor, but that's not what a ship is for" -- unknown