On Sun, 5 Mar 2017 18:14:02 -0700, Leonid Isaev wrote: >Isn't Arch BBS already providing list of usernames? > >In general, though, I'd say follow the principle of least effort. Why >just not publish the list of usernames and that's all? This way, new >users can easily grep for them and don't need scrapers, and >"researchers" can have fun... > >On Mon, Mar 06, 2017 at 12:36:35AM +0100, Ralf Mardorf wrote: >> Giving away any data is bad, period. >> I hate this fashion that nowadays every "expert" holding a share is >> granted access to data, that even the NSA isn't getting that easy. >> Starting to give away such data to "researchers" is evil, let alone >> that all that "serious" statistics are just bullshit. >> No exceptions in regards to privacy! >> An "exceptions" is a violation of privacy. >> Why not giving away telephone numbers? Everybody anyway could dial >> each available number, so it doesn't matter to give away the numbers, >> right? ;) > >Oh, please. Not the usual NSA crap again. I did not wrote about the NSA. I only pointed out that even the NSA doesn't get all the data as a gift. Why should a researcher get such data as a gift? You are seemingly already that used to data mining and offended privacy, that it's good and natural from your point of view, if data is misused and any concerns are just crap in your opinion. That usernames are used in public and maybe even a list might be already published, is different to actively give the same data away to "researchers" and to formally allow them to use the data. You seem not to understand the principle of privacy. If you don't lock the street door, this does not automatically indicate that you want people to come into your house and take away your property. Btw. what is the aim of the research and how could the research be used or possibly misused? We don't need to care about such questions, if data isn't given away as a matter of principle.
