The macosxhints Forums - Apps for secretly recording computer sessions.

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- Applications (http://hintsforums.macworld.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5)

- - Apps for secretly recording computer sessions. (http://hintsforums.macworld.com/showthread.php?t=124444)

Ah, a perfectly defined issue with all the markings of an entirely unsolvable resolution.

The right to privacy, property rights and law v. morality in a diverse, multi-cultural society set against the backdrop of loaning a laptop to a roommate ... perfect for a heated coat room discussion. Add exceptions for super heroes and what could be better?

Personal opinion is there should be no exceptions for Batman. Only lawyers, politicians and the clergy are intellectually prepared to know the differences between legal, moral, profitable, self serving and politically correct. Okay, throw in philosophers for the fun of it, though mostly their abstract thoughts are irrelevant to the real world. (Threw that last sentence in for TW :) )

Please move to the coat room.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aehurst (Post 626099)

Okay, throw in philosophers for the fun of it, though mostly their abstract thoughts are irrelevant to the real world. (Threw that last sentence in for TW :) )

No one who refuses to contemplate the conditions of their own existence can ever truly be free.

or in other words: :p:p:p

Quote:

Originally Posted by tw (Post 625582)

I love these kinds of discussions - basically they boil down to "How much can I invade my friend's/roommate's/girlfriend's/boyfriend's privacy without being discovered or getting in trouble?"

Dude; Grow up already! :rolleyes:

If you have suspicions about how whomever is using your computer, take away their access. You don't need to justify the act, just do it. You don't need to prove that they're doing something wrong, and you sure AS HELL don't need to be spying on them like a perv just make ourself feel better about taking away their access. You're an adult, act like one: just tell them you changed your mind and they have to get their own computer. Right now you have the moral high ground, but if you go spying on them you lose any trace of being in the right, and if you get whupped over it by a righteously pissed-off roommate… Damned sure serves you right.

…no moral compass whatsoever - how do you get through life? yeeEEeeeee.

First off, not "my" computer. Secondly, to accuse me of having no moral compass whatsoever is quite the grandiose claim, especially since you don't know me. I think I've been quite successful at maneuvering my way through life thus far, and plan to continue to do so.

Your opinion of the situation is a valid one, but definitely not definitive. There are way more than one way to skin a cat. To come in here and proclaim your stance as the end all be all is the surefire way of receiving a backlash from whomever you are attempting to berate and claim moral superiority to.

Once again, you opinion is a valid one but you could lose the holier than thou tone.

And, no one's whupping my ass, my friend, even if it was my computer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tw (Post 625640)

Somehow I doubt that you'd be entirely comfortable with your government reading all of your personal letters and emails, tapping your phone, hiding cameras in your house, and etc, all because they suspect you might be doing something they don't like in their country, but you seem to think this is appropriate for someone to do to someone else, so long as it's not you.

Yes, I would be very uncomfortable with this, but doesn't the Patriot Act allow this kind of surreptitious behavior?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ganbustein (Post 625672)

Not merely a right, but in some cases a duty. You can be found culpable for allowing illegal activity on/with your property and not using due diligence to prevent it.

For example, your home can be confiscated if it is used to grow, manufacture, or warehouse illegal drugs, even it wasn't you doing the growing, manufacturing, or warehousing, and even if you were unaware of it. It is your duty to police your own property, to be aware of what's happening on it.

Duty. Not right. Not privilege. Duty.

Similar examples can be found with allowing an unlicensed driver to drive your car, or even allowing inebriated guests to drive home from a party. You can be found liable for allowing illegal activity that you could have prevented.

Great points. Far as I know, when the cops or whatever investigative force shows up, the could give a damn about your moralistic stance on not invading your roommates privacy when using your computer. You'll be interrogated too. And, worst case scenario, implicated and prosecuted along with.

Well, as I can obviously see that I have been post-jacked and had my inquiry transformed into one of moral superiority, ultra-piety and other banter I care not to involve myself in post-philosophy 101 in undergrad, please do not move the post to the Coat Room as I truly don't want it to spiral any further.

I realize that I did make quite a few replies that help to further the downward spiral, but this was before I read trevor's alluding to the possibility of the thread being moved. My apologies.

Now, if anyone has anything to contribute in the way of "applications", I am open.

TW, you are more than welcome to begin your own separate post on the moral issues underlying my request, but please don't exile my post as a springboard.

Thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Remedial (Post 626133)

Yes, I would be very uncomfortable with this, but doesn't the Patriot Act allow this kind of surreptitious behavior?

Exactly my point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Remedial (Post 626135)

TW, you are more than welcome to begin your own separate post on the moral issues underlying my request, but please don't exile my post as a springboard.

You misunderstand. My explicit intention was to derail this post so that you did not get an effective answer. MacOSXHints is not in the business (I don't think) of supplying people with the information they need to engage in cyber-surveiilance. My advice to you - which is the advice others have given you as well, and the advice you should follow - is to advise your 'friend' they do one of the following:

Deny the roommate access to the computer (e.g. make a new login password and lock him out).
Have a direct talk with the roommate about respectful use of other people's property and make sure s/he is not doing anything untoward (e.g. go the above-board route rather than sinking to tawdry surveillance).
Take the risk, and give the roommate his own personal non-admin account on the machine which s/he can use as s/he likes (trusting that the account can be deleted in its entirety by you at a moment's notice, and that if the roommate does something illegal and gets caught at it, you can demonstrate - albeit marginally - in court the you had no control over, access to, or knowledge of what the account was used for.

If none of these satisfies 'your friend', who insists on some tool for surreptitious surveillance of his/her roommate, well… That is a bit telling about the ulterior motives here, isn't it?

I agree that this thread (being in the Help section of the forums) is not the place to debate ethics etc.

However, as with all help requests, one of the most important parts of the request is the explanation of why you are making the request and why any solutions suggested so far are not suitable.

And if we (the moderators of these forums and general forum members) don't like the reasons for the request, we will refuse to help. (And if as moderators we feel that the request/reason is something undesirable for these forums, we will close the thread.)

Remedial:
At the moment, in this particular thread, I think it is up to you to explain why the solutions suggested in post #47 by tw are not suitable.