Posted by Dr. Bob on January 27, 2001, at 0:36:09
In reply to Re: Institutional Review Board policies, posted by danf on January 25, 2001, at 5:19:05
> There are 2 very different issues here.
>
> The first: does an IRB need to decide if a support board is research, in & of itself ?
>
> The second question is: Does an IRB need to give consent when public information is used to write a paper that compiles information & draws conclusions.I was thinking something like that myself. I don't think I need their approval to make this board available, but I may need (should ask for) it to write about it.
> It would be interesting to compare PB with other like forums on the Internet. There would be many ways to go with that idea.I agree! What other boards would be good "guinea pigs"? Maybe Tapir is mentioned the most often?
> Dr. Bob, one would think this isn't necessary, but perhaps when people register, you could offer a brief, very prominent warning message about the benefits of choosing a non-identifying screen nameCurrently, under where you enter your "name", it says: "Does not have to be your real name; consider your privacy." "Not" is in bold, and "privacy" is a link to "How private are things here?" in the FAQ. This does fall short of *recommending* something other than your real name, however...
> the "intimacy" of the exchanges can sometimes create an illusion of being in a group with closer boundaries than are really there.
That's an excellent point. Some people refer to "disinhibition" online, but that makes me think of being drunk, whereas I think the key is a feeling of safety, so lately I've been thinking of it as "cybersecurity"...
> the involvement of more minds, and a diversity of viewpoints can improve collective activity.It pains me a little to admit it :-) but this reminds me of something I added to my home page after the big crash:
Now, how are we to recognize Nature's most excellent web sites? ... whatever does not kill them makes them stronger. --Ecce Homo (adapted), Friedrich Nietzsche, 1889
Bob
poster:Dr. Bob
thread:315
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20001124/msgs/358.html