Re: Automatic Entry and Forms

Hi Dan

On Fri, 23 Feb 1996, Daniel W. Connolly wrote:

> Enough of this sort of innuendo, Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt already!

What I wrote had none of the characteristics you mention.  However, I am 
definitely against the proposal and others like it.  Expressing an 
emptor caveat to the group is nothing of the sort.

> Cite your sources! 
> Give evidence!
> Present your argument!

I and others contributing to this thread have outlined our concerns. A
situation which the proponents haven't (they have made many an assertion
though on how it might be used, for example). 

I have put some argument on the ethics of the proposal, the practicality
of establishing the data set, the problems of confining it to what was
initally perceived as good for us, the relative weight to protecting
machine/system information compared to people, and more. 

> Phil's draft was a bit brief, but there's nothing wrong with the
> mechanism.

Maybe not.  However, my argument when replying to other posters is that it
is unsafe and we need to reinforce human values as well as promote
technological excellence.  It patently does not. 

> All it does is save ths user a little typing: it allows
> the browser to fill in the same info the user gave last time. Just
> like Quicken's QuickFill (TM?)  feature.

Actually, Dan I find this a spurious argument just like the con man 
saying this is good for you while he goes for your hip pocket.  Quicken 
is an inappropiate example since it's generally used in-house and data 
does not generally leave the local system; data is not uploaded without 
human intervention across a public network.

> But if you have a REAL problem with the proposed mechanism, please
> make your argument plainly.

I trust I have done better than making the assertion that this is really
good for you and that it will save a bit of typing. 

> [1] Proposals for Gathering Consumer Demographics
> http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/Demographics/Proposals.html
> $Id: Proposals.html,v 1.2 1995/11/06 20:05:28 macarthr Exp $ 

And on which side of the fence does this fall?

Rob...

Robert Hazeltine                    r.hazeltine@nepean.uws.edu.au
Library Web Support                 http://www.nepean.uws.edu.au/library/

Received on Saturday, 24 February 1996 21:36:53 UTC