Letters from alumni about Class Notes on the Web

May 13, 2004

In the May 12 issue of PAW a member of '55 and another from '72 complain about the difficulty in accessing the Class Web Sites. B. Beck Fisher '55 goes so far as to blame the " . . . politically correct string-pullers in Nassau Hall." Both these complaints should be addressed to their respective class officers and webdite managers — these folks (not Nassau Hall) determine whether, or not, to password-protect specific class websites. If they, or others do not receive satisfaction, come join the Class of 1950, and tune into our website, which is open for all to enjoy.

Henry A. Rentschler '50
Paoli, Pa.

Editor's Note: The letter-writers mentioned by Mr. Rentschler were referring not to class webpages, but to Class Notes in PAW.

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May 12, 2004

Regarding class notes on the web, there is an argument to be made for a certain level of security, inasmuch as digitized material is so easily disseminated. In my humble opinion, the over-reaching on this matter is an echo of the brouhaha and destruction of a couple of people's careers in the Admission Office a few years ago, when Yale's completely insecure April decisions were discovered online.

It is ironic that the question that tripped up Beck Fisher ’55 (type/nomenclature of server; might this be such as "Yahoo," "AOL," etc.?) is one that a presumed hacker into our precious class notes would be able to answer in a jiffy.

Rob Slocum ’71
Stamford, Conn.

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March 19, 2004

I have just attempted to access PAW Class Notes online, and the screen informs me they are now, out of privacy concerns, password protected. The requirement is to provide one’s TigerNet I.D. and password.

Not having these I attempted to register for them, and found the online procedure both intrusive and very user-unfriendly. The requirements include providing full name at the time of University residence, date of birth, grad year, degree, major, full home address, and then a question I could not answer: The type/nomenclature of server I have for both incoming and outgoing e-mail. I was therefore unscuccessfu7l in obtaining the necessary ID and password.

I cannot believe a publication with a global circulation in the tens of thousands feels a large part of its content is so privileged and private that it should not be readily available without such folderol. I sense this privacy issue is being manufactured by the politically correct string-pullers in Nassau Hall, for several years now the owners of the publication. It is ridiculous.

B. Beck Fisher Jr. ’55
Atlantis, Fla.

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February 18, 2004

I'm not sure what type of "privacy concerns" would reasonably suggest that the classnotes section of the PAW is not accessible without registration. After all, we currently print and distribute over 50,000 copies of the classnotes section in each PAW -- anything that is there is in no way "private" since it has already been mailed to 50,000 people.

Peter Wendell ’72
San Francisco, Calif.

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