Comments on: “You Have No Privacy” – BYU

By: four years of insults :: all-encompassingly :: blog

four years of insults :: all-encompassingly :: blog — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:01:08 +0000

[...] –Scott, ~Sept 2005 [link] this [is a] ridiculous website….[you] bury [your] heads in the sand as the truth passes [you] by. [...]

By: Camilla

Camilla — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 03:03:50 +0000

I personally trust BYU to use my information in appropraite ways. If the prophet or some world leader needs to know my class schedule it’s fine by me.

By: Online Merchant

Online Merchant — Thu, 18 May 2006 18:43:19 +0000

I find it hard to believe that Doug did not know of this policy prior to accepting enrollment. It is clearly stated on the website. http://honorcode.byu.edu/Honor_code_Office__Policies__Records_Management.htm

What you should be more concerned about it are the many schools (byu included) that use an individuals SSN as their student ID!

By: doug

doug — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 00:20:35 +0000

This policy was almost assuredly supplied to you in materials you received before starting school.

Uh no, it wasn’t.

The fact no one bothered to read about the privacy policy that the university is legally required to provide to you, does not somehow make the school anti-American.

No one claimed it was “anti-American,” as “anyone who is capable of reading” can see by reviewing this post and its comments.

Nor is this policy specific to BYU. Itâ€™s common throughout U.S. universities.

Bzzzzt. Wrong again.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a bunch of universities that offer students’ photos and class schedules like BYU-Idaho does.

Chalk it up as a lesson learned and take more responsibility for yourself in the future.

Of course…why bother trying to change bad policy?

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 00:05:32 +0000

Another thing that is lost in this thread is personal responsibility. BYU isn’t sneaking up on anyone who is capable of reading. This policy existed before any of you started school there. This policy was almost assuredly supplied to you in materials you received before starting school. The fact no one bothered to read about the privacy policy that the university is legally required to provide to you, does not somehow make the school anti-American. Nor is this policy specific to BYU. It’s common throughout U.S. universities. Chalk it up as a lesson learned and take more responsibility for yourself in the future.

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 14:40:06 +0000

One thing you might find interesting is that although I have graduated from BYU, I can still log in to Route Y and search the student directory and find the names, addresses, and phone numbers of current students. However, if you try to search for me, you won’t find me. I have access to the database but I am not in the database. Oh and Doug, you may be of the opinion that you don’t want your permanent address and phone number given out, but it looks like not all of your siblings agree…

By: M.McD

M.McD — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 23:32:06 +0000

great comments. very compelling. however, (and I speak only for myself and Doug. yes Doug, I do) once again the point of all this commotion has been overlooked and completely lost in the political and social rhetoric of people too smart for their own good. Let me be brief: We don’t have girlfriends. That’s correct, by making public domain all of those interesting and, some might say, personal details of our very available and single lives BYU is merely increasing the likelihood that even we may someday enjoy the companionship of another. In fact, since I’ve been graduated I’ve actually petitioned the administration by the !5th! day of every semester in desperate hopes that they will once again return to the public my personal information–and all to no avail. You see, that’s the real purpose and sadly Doug, you’re not appreciating it (and let’s be honest friend, I’m not getting any younger and your hairline isn’t getting any lower). So Doug, you’re one of the lucky ones.

By: briant

briant — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 20:44:41 +0000

also, you need spellcheck on comments so pple like me dont look like idiotos.

By: briant

briant — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 20:32:40 +0000

doug,
you are splitting hairs and unable to engage in discussion with someone who think European football is better than south american. i withdraw all comments. thank you.

By: doug

doug — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 19:41:17 +0000

In short, I think we need to determine to whom BYU would give this information without consent of a student before we claim that it does not respect your privacy.

As provided in the original post, here is the official legal notice provided by the university (emphasis mine):

BYU has designated the following student information as directory information that it may disclose to the public without the consent of the student:

Now, you may know more about the privacy policy than me, since you claim:

To me it seems clear that when BYU says it â€œmayâ€ disclose information to the â€œpublic,â€ it doesnâ€™t mean telemarketers or people who sell out space on their blog for google ads.

But to me the phrase "the public" means just about anybody. Ignoring the more obvious differences between BYU's "privacy policy" and the Patriot Act (such as those that abuzachary has pointed out), I do find it interesting that you have applied two different lines of reasoning in examining whether BYU's policy or the Patriot Act violate my privacy. In BYU's case you assert that nothing is wrong because no application of the policy has lead to a violation of my private information (ie. no "telemarketers" have gotten my info from BYU). Yet you simultaneously argue that the Patriot Act is an even greater violation of my privacy because it provides the opportunity for the government to see what books I've checked out from the library.