School used student laptop webcams to spy on them at school and home

Post by anamax » Fri, Feb 19, 2010, 2:50 PM UTC

andrewcooke wrote: post #151

anamax wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Some government workers have great authority to impose things on people, but I don't know if I'd agree that it's typical. Every paper-pusher can make your life a living hell. Every teacher and adminstrator can punish your kid. And, I haven't even mentioned police, DAs, judges, and folks who are supposed to exercise discretion. Janitors and the equivalent are about the only govt employees who don't have considerable…

the problem is not "government"; the problem is "power". it is power that is being abused. whether that power comes through the government, or through other means is largely irrelevant. i wish americans would understand this. that they don't means that abuses of power are treated in two completely different ways here. if it's the government, it's bad. if it's anything else (which typically means a private company) th…

Post by anamax » Sat, Feb 20, 2010, 2:39 AM UTC

andrewcooke wrote: post #153

anamax wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the problem is not "government"; the problem is "power". it is power that is being abused. whether that power comes through the government, or through other means is largely irrelevant. Except that it's not, because govt power is qualitatively different. A company can't throw you in jail. All that a company can do is refuse to deal with you. > i wish americans would understand this. I wish that non-Americans actual…

you're still skewing things. all that matters is power. the distinction you make above can easily be handled in terms of power: someone who can throw you in prison has more power over you than someone who cannot. restricting that to "government" adds blinders. for example, it takes the focus away from those that pay lobbyists to enact and enforce certain rules. by focussing on power and those that wield it you are fr…

Post by hga » Sat, Feb 20, 2010, 2:14 PM UTC

protomyth wrote: post #118

aplusbi wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is one such case: http://www.scmagazineus.com/malware-to-blame-for-porn-on-sta... I also recall a case of a teacher whose school computer had malware that ended up displaying porn in the classroom who was arrested and faced up to 40 years in jail. I'm pretty sure she was acquitted.

If I remember right, she was forced to give up her teacher's license.

Post by hga » Sat, Feb 20, 2010, 2:33 PM UTC

covercash wrote: post #26

I knew some folks who worked at a neighboring school district and while laptops never went home with the children, Remote Desktop screen caps of the sleazy superintendent engaged in affairs with teachers and potential new hires were taken. From the stories I hear, the administration in most PA public school systems is disgustingly corrupt.

Post by pbhjpbhj » Sat, Feb 20, 2010, 11:46 PM UTC

anamax wrote: post #131

lambda wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, laws should be applied equally to everyone. You should not be punished more harshly because you are a "government agent." What does your postal clerk have to do with some idiot congressman who passed too strict a law on child porn?

Govt workers typically have great authority to impose things on other people. For example, school officials can suspend students. If they're not up to being held to a higher standard, they're not up to having authority. Plus, enforcing more harshly on them brings attention to bad laws. Like I said, if they're unwilling to accept this, if they want to be treated like an ordinary citizen, they can quit govt work and be…