[Action-40] Draft user defn language

Hi Tom,

I am happy with your suggestion. I would like to send it the mailing 
list for the review.

"A user is a human person. When user-agent software accesses online
resources, whether or not the user understands or has specific knowledge
of a particular request, that request is made "by" the user."


Bryan, thanks for your suggestion. The main reason to define user is 
because we talk in the document about user's data and she/he being 
identifiable. I think we adressed the issue of a setting a dnt default 
for a group elsewhere in the compliance document. So I don't mind adding 
to the definition that there can also be groups of users but I am not 
sure if there really is a need for this.

This was Bryan's suggestion:
"Individual users may be part of a user group, for which preferences for 
DNT may be managed and expressed on a per-group basis."

-Ninja

Am 31.01.2012 21:33, schrieb Tom Lowenthal:
> Looks like the ball is in your court on this one, Ninja. Are we due on
> Friday for this?
>
> On Wed 11 Jan 2012 05:07:31 PM PST, Tom Lowenthal wrote:
>> How about:
>>
>> A user is a human person. When user-agent software accesses online
>> resources, whether or not the user understands or has specific knowledge
>> of a particular request, that request is made "by" the user.
>>
>> On 01/11/2012 08:28 AM, Ninja Marnau wrote:
>>> Hi Tom,
>>>
>>> I am very sorry to keep you waiting. I have been sick since Christmas.
>>>
>>> Thank you for your suggestion. Unfortunately, I have not received any
>>> reply from Bryan.
>>>
>>> Regarding your suggestion:
>>>
>>>>> A user is any natural person. Users sometimes access online
>>>>> resources, often using user-agent software.
>>>
>>> "Natural person" is a legal term. Although it is synonymous with human
>>> being or human individual I would prefer avoiding distinct legal terms
>>> due to better understanding.
>>>
>>> "Users sometimes access online resources, often using user-agent software."
>>>
>>> Correct me if I am wrong but does "access" not imply a voluntary action
>>> of the user? I think this is the most crucial part of this definition.
>>>
>>> I try to combine our two suggestions:
>>>
>>> "A user is any human being accessing online resources - deliberately or
>>> unintentionally, (often) using user-agents."
>>>
>>> What meaning does this "often" have? Are there cases when the access to
>>> online ressources is not conveyed by a user agent?
>>>
>>> Best regards,
>>> Ninja
>>>
>>> Am 21.12.2011 17:54, schrieb Tom Lowenthal:
>>>> I propose the following alternate definition:
>>>>
>>>>> A user is any natural person. Users sometimes access online
>>>>> resources, often using user-agent software.
>>>>
>>>> On 12/21/2011 12:14 PM, Ninja Marnau wrote:
>>>>> Sorry, I copy/pasted the wrong user agent definition.
>>>>> This is the consensus version:
>>>>>
>>>>> "The term 'user agent' refers to any of the various client programs
>>>>> capable of initiating HTTP requests, including browsers, spiders
>>>>> (web-based robots), command-line tools, native applications, and mobile
>>>>> apps."
>>>>>
>>>>> Am 21.12.2011 12:56, schrieb Ninja Marnau:
>>>>>> Hi Tom, hi Bryan,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> you volunteered to work with me on a definition of user :-)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I think in the last call we agreed to keep the definition as simple as
>>>>>> possible. Based on the minutes http://www.w3.org/2011/12/14-dnt-minutes
>>>>>> I created a draft:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "A 'user' is a human individual, who accesses a computer or network
>>>>>> service - deliberately or unintentionally."
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The weak point in this definition is "accesses" - as it needs a
>>>>>> clarification that unintentional access is also included.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Another option is to reduce the definition to the user's intentional
>>>>>> interaction with the "user agent".
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "A 'user' is a human individual who uses a user agent, which interacts
>>>>>> with a computer or network service on behalf of the user."
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We agreed on the definition of "user agent" as follows:
>>>>>> "A 'user agent' retrieves, accesses, and/or renders, content or
>>>>>> services
>>>>>> on behalf of the user. Examples of user agents include browsers,
>>>>>> plug-ins for a particular media type, and assistive technologies."
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I would like to hear your opinions.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>> Ninja
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>

-- 

Ninja Marnau
mail: NMarnau@datenschutzzentrum.de - http://www.datenschutzzentrum.de
Telefon: +49 431/988-1285, Fax +49 431/988-1223
Unabhaengiges Landeszentrum fuer Datenschutz Schleswig-Holstein
Independent Centre for Privacy Protection Schleswig-Holstein

Received on Wednesday, 8 February 2012 17:11:36 UTC