Regarding the original posted article-- not surprised, but not happy about it either.
I also read many of the other responses, and saw the comments of those who believe that they shouldn't have to pay for others' health conditions, or that if we'd all just "be healthier" this wouldn't be an issue.
Here's my view. If some of the money I paid into my health insurance went towards helping somebody get a necessary test or procedure done to help them control a chronic disease, then money well spent. Because I myself was diagnosed with a chronic, partially genetic, incurable disease just last year. And I had to do it out of pocket, because I didn't know anything about insurance prior to this and was paying for major medical. Which shows you how often I got sick enough to go to a doctor prior to my fun little disease.
You know what the worst part is? I found out that for many people that have what I have, it gets triggered after they quit smoking. Like I did, a few months before I got majorly ill. So much for trying to better my health, right? So I may not get lung cancer, but now I've got an increased chance of colon cancer. Or maybe I'll be lucky and get both because of my malfunctioning immune system. Life's a bitch, eh? But I digress.
While I read through many replies, I did not read them all-- so sorry if this was already posted. But here is a situation where the opposite happened: the librarian refused to give up the computers, and some people wanted her head for it.
As a librarian myself, I disagree with what the library director did in the story posted here on Slashdot. I suppose in reality, what I would do depends on my employer's policy-- but I wouldn't be comfortable working for a library that handed over records without requiring a warrant.
Most libraries do provide internet access to the public. But they don't necessarily filter that access-- some filter only children's access, some filter all the computers, and some filter none. It's a decision made by the individual library board based on what they feel is best for the community.
And at least in my experience (9 years in the Chicago suburban libraries), the computers are not constantly monitored, if at all. More often, monitoring is staff casually glancing at the lab screens while walking by to make sure no one's viewing porn. And there are still other libraries (none that I've been in) that will let people watch the porn too.
So there can potentially be a lot of information stored on a computer. Then again, there could be nothing if the library made the decision to wipe all new information from the hard drive at the end of the day, and the cops/FBI come first thing in the morning.
Nah, pirates don't need validation to feel "warm and fuzzy." The plunderin' will do that fer 'em all on its own!
Safe to say, justice is the last thing on a pirate's mind. It's more like, "Want... Take... Have!" (I'm borrowing the concept from BTVS, but what the hell. It works.) Who cares who we be stealin' from?;) Savvy?
Slashdot Mirror
Regarding the original posted article-- not surprised, but not happy about it either.
I also read many of the other responses, and saw the comments of those who believe that they shouldn't have to pay for others' health conditions, or that if we'd all just "be healthier" this wouldn't be an issue.
Here's my view. If some of the money I paid into my health insurance went towards helping somebody get a necessary test or procedure done to help them control a chronic disease, then money well spent. Because I myself was diagnosed with a chronic, partially genetic, incurable disease just last year. And I had to do it out of pocket, because I didn't know anything about insurance prior to this and was paying for major medical. Which shows you how often I got sick enough to go to a doctor prior to my fun little disease.
You know what the worst part is? I found out that for many people that have what I have, it gets triggered after they quit smoking. Like I did, a few months before I got majorly ill. So much for trying to better my health, right? So I may not get lung cancer, but now I've got an increased chance of colon cancer. Or maybe I'll be lucky and get both because of my malfunctioning immune system. Life's a bitch, eh? But I digress.
While I read through many replies, I did not read them all-- so sorry if this was already posted. But here is a situation where the opposite happened: the librarian refused to give up the computers, and some people wanted her head for it.
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/wireStory?id=5409499
As a librarian myself, I disagree with what the library director did in the story posted here on Slashdot. I suppose in reality, what I would do depends on my employer's policy-- but I wouldn't be comfortable working for a library that handed over records without requiring a warrant.
Most libraries do provide internet access to the public. But they don't necessarily filter that access-- some filter only children's access, some filter all the computers, and some filter none. It's a decision made by the individual library board based on what they feel is best for the community.
And at least in my experience (9 years in the Chicago suburban libraries), the computers are not constantly monitored, if at all. More often, monitoring is staff casually glancing at the lab screens while walking by to make sure no one's viewing porn. And there are still other libraries (none that I've been in) that will let people watch the porn too.
So there can potentially be a lot of information stored on a computer. Then again, there could be nothing if the library made the decision to wipe all new information from the hard drive at the end of the day, and the cops/FBI come first thing in the morning.
Here's a story on this from earlier this year:
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/01/clinton-slams-o.html
Nah, pirates don't need validation to feel "warm and fuzzy." The plunderin' will do that fer 'em all on its own!
;) Savvy?
Safe to say, justice is the last thing on a pirate's mind. It's more like, "Want... Take... Have!" (I'm borrowing the concept from BTVS, but what the hell. It works.) Who cares who we be stealin' from?