Privacy
The issue of privacy (with respect to this project) has been hotly debated over the past few weeks. Essentially, views have been polarised with the majority feeling that blog musings MUST be public (a sort of 'spirit of the free web') with a minority feeling that these blogs should never be brought to the attention of the general public (or, at least, the readers of the Garden Design Journal). Personally, I have a natural inclination to the former and perhaps it is this that caused me to underestimate the feelings of the latter.
I think the best course of action has been to protect the 'privacy' of those who have requested it. To that end, I have removed a number of links to student blogs and I have also removed the links to the project homepage so that they can't be found by the 'back door'. Regrettably, two students felt compelled to delete their blogs.
I still most definitely feel that blogging is a brilliant educational tool and this project has only enforced that opinion. The issue of whether they should be made public is a different one. I am still firmly of the opinion that they should. All designers have to be communicators and it's never too soon to begin communicating ideas, images, feelings and memories. The fact that this communication is done in public should help to create more considered writing, giving it a professional dimension.
It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that any student who would like the link to their blog removed should contact me.
I would very much like to hear the opinions of any readers of the Garden Design Journal or anyone else not directly involved in this project:
A. What do you think of the blogs?
B. What do you think about the issue of privacy?
D.Watson@gre.ac.uk
I think the best course of action has been to protect the 'privacy' of those who have requested it. To that end, I have removed a number of links to student blogs and I have also removed the links to the project homepage so that they can't be found by the 'back door'. Regrettably, two students felt compelled to delete their blogs.
I still most definitely feel that blogging is a brilliant educational tool and this project has only enforced that opinion. The issue of whether they should be made public is a different one. I am still firmly of the opinion that they should. All designers have to be communicators and it's never too soon to begin communicating ideas, images, feelings and memories. The fact that this communication is done in public should help to create more considered writing, giving it a professional dimension.
It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that any student who would like the link to their blog removed should contact me.
I would very much like to hear the opinions of any readers of the Garden Design Journal or anyone else not directly involved in this project:
A. What do you think of the blogs?
B. What do you think about the issue of privacy?
D.Watson@gre.ac.uk
Comments
Please can you not leave my name on your blog site at all or with any indication that I was involved with this project.
I am in the process of saving my blog pages to disk so I can delete it entirely from the net.
Sincerely,
Michelle Parker
I am quite shocked at the strength of your reactions. I can assure you that I did not intentionally create this situation knowing what would happen.
Yes, I made a mistake. All I can say in my defence is that in a different context and with different students, the outcome would have been entirely different.
Once those of you who cannot bring yourselves to forgive me have withdrawn from the project, we can move on.