Go Back   Flash Flash Revolution: Community Forums > General Discussion > Critical Thinking
Register FAQ Community Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-20-2007, 02:21 PM   #1
OrganisM
FFR Player
 
OrganisM's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Henderson, NV
Age: 31
Posts: 2,644
Default Information posted on messageboards... truly public domain?

A while ago my stepfather who's a professor at UNLV and is also part of the IRB brought up an interesting thought. The IRB deals with the ethics of experiments/collection of data on human subjects.

So out of curiosity, what do you guys think, do you think what is posted here is for the members of our community only, and private information, or would it not bother you at all if any and all of your statements were used as data for research?

I personally think that even though forums are technically public, when one posts something it's at least primarily meant only for the other members of the community.
OrganisM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-20-2007, 02:31 PM   #2
Kilroy_x
Little Chief Hare
FFR Veteran
 
Kilroy_x's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Colorado
Age: 32
Posts: 783
Send a message via AIM to Kilroy_x
Default Re: Information posted on messageboards... truly public domain?

I have no problem at all with anything I write being used as data, as long as the data is used honestly. Part of this entails that if there is debate over the meaning of what I've said, at any given point, I would prefer to be contacted in order to clarify. After all, one of the beauties of forums is the constant feedback loop.
Kilroy_x is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-20-2007, 02:51 PM   #3
RandomPscho
FFR Player
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: New York
Age: 29
Posts: 504
Default Re: Information posted on messageboards... truly public domain?

The only problem I would have with forums being fair game is for employment. (IE: an employer not hiring you because of your myspace pictures.)

I really could care less if my statements are used in research, though. If I didn't want people outside the forums reading what I write, I wouldn't post on a public forum.
RandomPscho is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-20-2007, 02:51 PM   #4
jamuko
FFR Player
 
jamuko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: あsdf。
Age: 34
Posts: 1,087
Send a message via AIM to jamuko
Default Re: Information posted on messageboards... truly public domain?

While posts here are made specifically for the community, it's still a public forum. Everyone who posts here is aware that their post can be accessed by anyone with an Internet connection, so I think it's fair for those people to collect data on it.

All that needs to be kept in mind while collecting data is the context of the posts within the community, and I'm sure any self-respecting experimenter would be mindful of that.
__________________
♪~
Always Happy! Smile! Hello!
I like delicious things
I shoot eye beams at the things I hate and make them explode! (Yay!)
So Happy! Smile! Hello! It's a picnic every day
There's lots of happiness in my pocket
So let's play forever~
jamuko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2007, 02:23 PM   #5
iggymatrixcounter
FFR Veteran
FFR Veteran
 
iggymatrixcounter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: OH
Age: 33
Posts: 1,924
Send a message via AIM to iggymatrixcounter
Default Re: Information posted on messageboards... truly public domain?

If anyone is collecting data from an independent party (I.E. a forum) then that data is bound to be biased or inconclusive at best.

Doing research means your sources have to be reliable and if you can call a bunch of kids commenting on ethics reliable (as opposed to, say, TEACHERS of ethics, then go right ahead)
Quote:
The only problem I would have with forums being fair game is for employment. (IE: an employer not hiring you because of your myspace pictures.)
I'd have to disagree with you on this. Employers should be able to see who you are outside of the interview, especially if they are using public vehicles like a myspace page.

But employers should also realize that it's the itnernet and people act differently in real life than they do whilst browsing the net.
__________________
lastfm
PANDORA
iggymatrixcounter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2007, 04:34 PM   #6
jamuko
FFR Player
 
jamuko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: あsdf。
Age: 34
Posts: 1,087
Send a message via AIM to jamuko
Default Re: Information posted on messageboards... truly public domain?

For sources being reliable, I don't think that's the point when thinking of collecting data from a forum. As OrganisM mentioned, it's for human experiments. Seeing how people react to different things and how they post about them on the Internet. There's no right or wrong to that; just what it is.
__________________
♪~
Always Happy! Smile! Hello!
I like delicious things
I shoot eye beams at the things I hate and make them explode! (Yay!)
So Happy! Smile! Hello! It's a picnic every day
There's lots of happiness in my pocket
So let's play forever~
jamuko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2007, 06:45 PM   #7
OrganisM
FFR Player
 
OrganisM's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Henderson, NV
Age: 31
Posts: 2,644
Default Re: Information posted on messageboards... truly public domain?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jamuko View Post
For sources being reliable, I don't think that's the point when thinking of collecting data from a forum. As OrganisM mentioned, it's for human experiments. Seeing how people react to different things and how they post about them on the Internet. There's no right or wrong to that; just what it is.
Exactly, you're dead on. Iggy misunderstood.
OrganisM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-24-2007, 12:58 PM   #8
lord_carbo
FFR Player
 
lord_carbo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: fighting villains from afar, NJ
Age: 28
Posts: 6,223
Send a message via AIM to lord_carbo
Default Re: Information posted on messageboards... truly public domain?

I agree with jamuko.

It's in public reach. I always try to remember this when posting essays on other forums. I would have posted an essay I made awhile back for potential future school use at another forum for critique and advice if it wasn't for the fact that a teacher might be able to Google my essay. Instead, I posted it as one of the two private entries I have on my LJ.
__________________
last.fm
lord_carbo is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:31 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright FlashFlashRevolution