schookids run amok on internet
US schookids run amok on internet | The Register
It all began last Autumn when the education authority supplied around 600 Apple iBook laptops to students at the high school. Naturally, they came complete with net-access-limiting filtering programme, and snooping software allowing the powers that be to see just what their charges were up to.
The administrators had not, however, reckoned on the sheer determination and machiavellian cunning of the students. They quickly found the admin password allowing unrestricted internet access - not by a keystoke logging black op or extracting it from the IT manager at the point of a gun - but rather because it was taped to the back of every machine.
Unsurprisingly, the miscreants immediately ran amok online, surfing with impunity and indulging in that most forbidden of fruits - iChat.
i am at a loss for words here. these students “stole” a password that administrators were stupid enough to tape to each student’s iBook??? and, the students downloaded iChat and now face potential felony charges. i think this is an example of gross negligence by administrators. they dropped the ball and now they’re trying to pass the buck! you know, i could live with the students getting into trouble for breaking the acceptable use policy and facing detention or loss of the use of technology, but a felony? oooh boy, this is silly. the school should chalk this up to a learning experience and . . . then they should actually learn from it.
and, i know that the article might not be telling me everything, but i think i get the gist: 1) passwords were ignorantly supplied to students, 2) students used passwords to access the web unlimitedly, and 3) they were caught. is it more complicated than i am seeing?
i think this is just a sign of the times in which we now live. kids are flocking to the technology world and the adults are trying to grasp hold of the various concepts. kids experiment with little regard for consequences and adults are pretty much failing to even experiment, let alone jump on board beyond the cursory levels. this creates a huge disconnect between generations. and, what the older generations do not understand, they fear. iChat is a wonderful communications tool. i use iChat AV and i can have live video chats with anyone around the world and the video is shown in full motion (30 frames/second). it’s awesome and it’s free (the kids downloaded a free app that comes standard on the machines they were using). iChat was used on CNN recently to talk with a guy in japan (from his home computer) and i think they plan to use it more. what a wonderful solution for communicating on the very cheap with anyone. ah well, i am sure this will play out better than it sounds right now.
August 28th, 2005 at 9:44 pm
well, i have been following this case to see how it played out. in the end, only one student will actually face criminal charges as he was a repeat offender. everyone else received a plea and will do community service and some other penalties that are pretty minor. here’s the write up:
http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2005/08/28/editorial/editorial/daily02.txt
September 12th, 2005 at 11:34 am
I think that this is an example of parents over reacting, because they are afraid of what they do not know. Many parents and teachers do not understand computing and assume that these kids are doing horrible activities on the internet. I am also under the assumption that many of these kids have the internet at the home and probably have unrestricted access to it. If kids can break the rules, be it “online” or “networking” rules and rules in general, the rule of thumb is that they will. I myself took part in such “mischievous” activity in my high school. I remember the days of windows 3.1 and even earlier version. Though experience at home I was able to get around the password protection, and in worst case scenarios, I would “break” (and I put it in quotes because the so called computer teacher was unable to understand that I was using easy methods, to make it look like the computer was broken so that I was able to change seats) the computer. The reason for me doing these felonious activities was because I could. I had little regard for what was right and I knew that I was not breaking anything but I was doing it in for the reasons may “hackers†on the internet hack into sites but do no damage…..to see if they can. I also agree with you Sean that this should be a lesson to the system administrators, and no criminal actions should be taken against the students, except ones that only come from the school administration. Kids are kids and as I stated earlier if they are restricted or told not to do something, they will try anything in their power to circumvent these precautions.
September 13th, 2005 at 4:45 pm
I think the kids should do community service for what they did. I was told “there is a time and place for everything.” and these kids need to know just that. Yes! it was stupid for the administrators to leave the codes where the kids can get to them, that is way the kids should do the community service and not get the penalties.
September 14th, 2005 at 7:30 pm
What these kids did was wrong, and they should be punished. I’m glad only one student is facing criminal charges, and they rest have to do community service. Criminal charges are a bit extreme just like devol commented in his response. devol also brought up a good point about parents not knowing a lot about the internet and “freaking out”. Some parents do not understand a lot about the internet and often assume many things are happening when in fact they aren’t.
The administrators…what were they thinking. This situation in my eyes was the fault of the administrators for leaving the codes visible and assessable for the students. I agree the students shouldn’t have used the codes, but the blame should be on the administrators. Hopefully the student with criminal charges isn’t punished too harshly!
September 16th, 2005 at 12:14 am
I actually find bits of humor in this story. I can only imagine how the administrators must feel. How smart was it to tape the passwords on the backs of computers?? I think they should be embarrassed. Although the school children took advantage of their mistake, it was surely the administrators who were at fault. Such an important password should have been stored in the office, or with the media specialist. I for one know that if I came across an important password at school, I would be tempted to test it out. What child wouldn’t?
On the other hand, I do feel that the kids should be held at least partly responsible for their actions. Punishments should have come from the school, and the school only. I feel that even community service is a bit harsh because I’m sure from now on the passwords will be stored in a safer place, and no student will risk trying it again.
September 18th, 2005 at 1:45 pm
I don’t think It is a good idea to give students laptops, due to the cost and lack of supervision. Some students will always be trying to get around the school set rules, and this case is no different. I don’t understand why the school put the password on the computers, seems stupid to me. It sounds like they need someone with more experience to head there IT departmnet.
September 18th, 2005 at 4:29 pm
This is the age old story of students outsmarting the teachers. Administration finds out and punishes kids and share none of the blame and move on. I thought the idea was to teach the students how to be successful in life. Yes they learned the lesson of being punished for breaking the rules but adminastration should do the right thing and admit to the community that they made a mistake. Instead they will let these kids think it’s ok to push the blame off on other people. I have seen this already and I am not even teaching yet. The administrators at the school I coach at love me because I am the first to admit when I made a mistake or handled a situation wrong.
I also am still astonished by how much energy admistrators put into making rules and enforcing them. And of coarse how much energy kids will put into getting around them or breaking them.
September 18th, 2005 at 5:34 pm
Something that Sean said really hit me, “kids are flocking to the technology world and the adults are trying to grasp hold of the various concepts.” This really seems true today. Adults seem to look towards their children or students to teach them about technology. It doesn’t surprise me that these students “ran amok” with their new computers. Even if they didn’t come across the passwords I’m sure they would have found a way around them and accessed everything anyway. I agree that this is far from a felony and the administration is to blame. We need to keep pushing for better tech. ed. for the ones who teach rather than from those who are taught.