I'm studying you. Is this ok?

There's only one of you conducting this research?  I would've thought any analysis of this board required at least a team of white coated researchers.

Quote:

Do you consider your forum posts to be public information or a private conversation?

Neither, or both. It is a public conversation. As such, context is everything; sections taken out of context may be very misleading.

Well sineed, my best guess would be:

1. En masse

2. Maple Leaf

3. Freedominion

4. 50plus

5.  ? perhaps BnR

In response to the OP ?'s

1) Do you consider your forum posts to be public information or a private conversation? Mixture as it is 2 questions

2) Do you feel that I violated your privacy in reading and/or studying your posts? Really 2 questions here again, eh?

3) Should I have asked for permission first? Yes

4) Would it violate your privacy if I quoted your post in my paper? Yes

5) Would it violate your privacy if I referred to your username in my paper? Yes

6) Would your opinion be different if my paper were to be published? (It won't.) No

7) Would your opinion be different if I were working for the government? (I'm not.) No

I  don't think I participated often in the Afghanistan threads,  mostly because I have been, and continue to be of multiple minds on the subject.

However, for what it's worth:

1)  Very public.  I'd be dissapointed if half the intelligence agencies in the western world don't have a folder on me. Not because I'm dangerous, but as a measure of their paranoia.

2) You will know when you have violated my privacy when you have to schedule extra appointments with your analyst, and start carrying a teddy bear around with you for comfort.

3) No,  it's a public board. Did Jane Goodall ask for permission first?

4) I'd be flattered.  And, I'd want a piece of the action if any money was made with it.

5) -- See 4.

6)  Depends who's reading it... the opinion would remain the same. Delivery might be adjusted.

7)  No, but I'd be more vitriolic. Fucking government.

Let's see.  I work in the independant parts supplier aspect of the auto sector-- yeah.  I'm a collector's item these days, like a cod fisher.      I just turned 50 last week-- and nobody here said happy birfday, btw.    I tend to think I'm more than my occupation.  I might be dellusional, however.

Whatever I say here is public, and my view on your study is that you should consider us as as you would the Trobriand Islanders, as long as you tone down the chapter on mating rituals.

bariboh wrote:

1) Do you consider your forum posts to be public information or a private conversation?
2) Do you feel that I violated your privacy in reading and/or studying your posts?
3) Should I have asked for permission first?
4) Would it violate your privacy if I quoted your post in my paper?
5) Would it violate your privacy if I referred to your username in my paper?
6) Would your opinion be different if my paper were to be published? (It won't.)
7) Would your opinion be different if I were working for the government? (I'm not.)

Feel free to offer anything that you think will help me with these ethical questions, and my research in general. I am also curious about who you all are in real life (e.g. age, occupation, etc.), though I understand if you want to preserve your anonymity.

Public, no, no, no, no, no, no.

If I wanted privacy I wouldn't post on a public board in my own name.

However, some posters may work for an employer that would disapprove of their posts. If you assemble enough of their posts to create identifying clues, you are within your legal rights but ethically a bit sneaky.

Quoting part of what anyone writes or says is always risky if they think you've taken it out of context, but everyone does this every day. It requires judgment. You can get sued for libel if you use a partial quote misleadingly and bring someone into public contempt, even though you didn't realize you had done this. Get someone to proof-read your work for possible libel before publishing it.

Aged 66, lawyer, resident of Port Hope Ontario for 40 years, delegate to the founding convention of the NDP in 1961 and still a member.

Everything here is definitely public - for example, I googled something, and babble.ca came up in the search as one of the possibilities. That happens more often now.

Wilf Day wrote:

Public, no, no, no, no, no, no.

If I wanted privacy I wouldn't post on a public board in my own name.

I agree with Wilf.

_______________________________________

[b]Eleutherophobics of the World...Unite!!![/b]

Unionist wrote:

Oh, by the way, if you decide to include my posts, let me know and I'll send you the Swiss account number for royalties deposits. 

Tax Haven Sanctions

With any luck, perhaps your mattress account might be a wiser investment.

I'm cool with this as long as you dedicate a paragraph to how awesome I am.

At least I'm honest.

bariboh wrote:

I will post my results once my exams are finished.  I must say that I am a bit nervous about this, because there are so many strong critics in all of these forums.

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid. Just kidding! But as a recent newcomer myself, I think reading this entire thread would be an excellent resource and introduction to Babble, for anyone thinking of participating. It both poses, and answers many questions that are worth considering, and also beautifully demonstrates the reality of what happens, if you do participate.

As to "strong critics", my limited experiece, having originated just one post so far, is very positive in this regard. The thread I originated led me to posting a comment which I know, in retrospect, should have been included in my original post. I suspect I was fearful of expressing it, so this forum helped me be honest. I think, even with the best of intentions, we can all use a little help with that, sometimes.

Sometimes, fear points in the direction to go. Good luck with your paper and exams, bariboh. Oh, and I think everything on Babble is grist for the mill.

Breathe deep. Live shallow. Be brave.