Are we building Google loyalty in our students?

Earlier this week, my buddy Miguel raked me over the coals for not taking privacy issues seriously enough in my somewhat-tongue-in-cheek post Google and Privacy. I'm not really interested in debating the points he raises since my sense is that he approaches the issues from an ideological point of view and I approach them on a more pragmatic basis. It's not how we feel about privacy, but how we deal with reality that's at issue.  I very much admire the character of highly principled individuals (aka wack-jobs), but it's those of us who make compromises that get the work done.

I was a bit taken aback by one assertion Miguel made. Despite my quoting from the GoogleApps for Education privacy policy, he wrote:

There is NO assurance of privacy with this product that is available at no cost for schools and raising it only suggests that Doug's real aim may be to excuse K-12 institutions from the guilt of exposing children and staff to Google products in such a way as to ensure their continued usage at a later date (for students, when they are older and for adults to use what they are most comfortable with). Even so, there is no assurance of privacy since this is for WORK purposes and is irrelevant to personal use.

Really? My hidden aim as an educator is to build brand loyalty to Google? Is this also why we use Apple and Dell computers, Microsoft Office, and Charmin toilet paper in our schools? Are we all still usin' Ticonderoga pencils having been subliminally seduced by our second grade teachers?

Yes, Miguel, I can be bought - I readily admit this - but not only has Google not met my price, they haven't even made me an offer.

Here, is why I don't feel in the least bit guilty for using GAFE in our district:

• GAFE gives students and staff privacy and confidentiality rights that private Google users do not get. Read the damn policy. Have it vetted by your school lawyers. Look at how many other schools and colleges (80% of Ivy League schools) have adopted GAFE with its privacy policy. Get over it. Google is not selling student data to either the government or to corporations.
• Free or at cost, it's the best cloud-based e-mail, calendaring, file storage, document creation and collaboration system available to schools. It works, it's easy to maintain, and it's been giving a lot of kids in my district access to powerful tools for information creation and a means of sharing these creations with others. 
• With the possible exception of our high school seniors, any product we are using today will be irrelevant or obsolete by the time students graduate. (With the exception of Charmin.) How do you build brand loyalty for products not yet in existence? 

Dude, you don't like Google, fine. But don't ascribe evil intentions to those of us who believe the value of the resources Google provides students outweighs any possible security lapses resulting from its cooperation with NSA - or Martians or whatever.

Comments

[Matt Townsley]

"Free or at cost, it's the best cloud-based e-mail, calendaring, file storage, document creation and collaboration system available to schools. It works, it's easy to maintain, and it's been giving a lot of kids my district access to powerful tools for information creations and a means of sharing them with others."

Doug's t-shirt says..."I put the REAL in reality."

Preach it, Doug.

[Doug Johnson]

Hi Miguel,

I don't dance on coals (but I've been known to walk on water - especially here in MN in January).

I am still not understanding why/how Google was singled out as a co-consipirator with NSA to violate your freedoms. But you are free, despite Google, to use whatever services you choose.

Any acknowledgement from you black helicopter conspiracy theorists that some of this communication surveillance just may have thwarted a few terrorist attacks?

Doug

Thanks, Matt. If I am being deluded by Google and its privacy policy, so are about 7 million other education users.

Doug

[Nate]

Its not their words but their deeds.

Google began using SSL in email after engineers read Cory Doctorow's Little Brother. Recently, every Google service that I use has implemented Perfect Forward Secrecy. In short each secure transaction with Google is encrypted separately. Without it the NSA could use one encryption key to unlock a dossier of personal information.

[Doug Johnson]

Nate,

So I am confused (not being a security guru). Our email default is SSL. I don't remember hearing of PFS. It seems like you are saying these security measures would keep data OUT of the NSA's hands.

Doug

[Alicia Duell]

Doug,
Great post. I appreciate your well-reasoned and commonsense approach to this issue! I agree that the powerful tools we are giving to students, not to mention the practice with collaboration, etc. is invaluable. I don't completely understand the ins and outs of the security specifics, but I feel confident knowing that lawyers and those with more technical knowledge have approved GAFE's use in some of the most high profile school districts, colleges and universities. I am a regular Miguel reader as well, and appreciate his views and expertise on a variety of topics, but I'm with you on this one.

[Doug Johnson]

Hi Alice,

Thanks for the comment. I don't know exactly how to feel about this issue. Miguel raises legitimate concerns about privacy but I am not sure they outweigh the good of what Google and others do - nor do I know specifically what to do about the issue. Sort of like climate change, GM foods, the Syrian mess, etc. I will keep doing my best, operating in what Covey would call my Sphere of Influence!

Doug