** Reply to note from "Charles A. Prescott" <[log in to unmask]> Thu, 30 Mar 2000 16:38:24 -0500
> Query: If a caller rings a company, university, or any institution, and asks to be connected to
> Mr.X, is the operator's connecting the caller to Mr. X a disclosure of personal data? It discloses
> that Mr. X has an extension there, at least. Or if the caller requests to leave a message for
> Student Y to call back, and the operator accepts the message?
Easy one Charles.
Staff are harder to hide, but UK institutions are light years behind what you
seem to be suggesting. Telephone messages for students. Well that will be
the day.... :-) Our students don't have telephone numbers.
I am well aware that if we were to try and implement the law to the letter we
will make an ass of everything we touch. I feel the law has a lot of common
sence in it ... but there again not being legally trained that is my only way
of surviving it :-)
If someone wants to know if a student is registered ... NONE of their
business. If someone though persists hard enough in trying to find a student
they will find the information sooner or later (someone will talk). If they
want to leave a message fine. If we have the student we pass it on, if we
don't have such a student we press the delete button or use the big basket.
I for one have no intention of going around with a big stick trying to make
our staff conform and make them unable to do their jobs. A bit of common
sence though would not cause any harm.
I am sorry but I feel students can be vulnerable (I have come accross one
case). We both probably want an open/free society. You for those that want
the info and me for those that are the info. We'll get there.
Back to damn Javascript and it is getting late.
Charles :-)
BTW. I am told my name - let alone my spelling - is disclosing my
nationality, thus I shall ask my employer to refer to me as Smithopoulos from
now on.
==============================================
Charles Christacopoulos, Secretary's Office, University of Dundee,
Dundee DD1 4HN, (Scotland) United Kingdom.
Tel: +44+(0)1382-344891. Fax: +44+(0)1382-201604.
http://somis.ais.dundee.ac.uk/
Scottish Search Maestro http://somis2.ais.dundee.ac.uk/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|