Yale Tse-tung : ACADEMIC SELL-OUT OR BUY-OUT ?
Tse-ung, the last name of a famous Chinese leader, literally means " to beneficense the East."
Well, that may very well be what Yale thinks it's doing with its Yale/China campus and courses.
But listen up: Yale may be dancing with the very devil Google just dumped at the Junior Prom.
How can Academic Freedom exist in Yale courses in China if those same courses' students cannot use modern search engines to address the Tiananmen Square uprising?
That would be like Yale academic courses existing in Ohio whose students could not use Google to address the Kent State killings.
(That ALMOST happened before Google existed: the Ohio state legislature threatened to shut Kent State University permanently if there was any more student unrest there after the May 4, 1970 murders of four Kent State students by Ohio National Guardsmen who broke up a peaceful demonstration protected as freedom of expression by the First Amendment .)
What kind of Yale professors are going to agree to teach under such constraints and to give assignments which must avoid using the Google search engine since Google refuses to purge Tiananmen Square as a topic from its search repertoire?
Yale is heading down a dubious path here. And dare I say it may be more for money than for truth?
Bux et Veritas
Beneficense the Blue.
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ITS delays switch to Gmail
By David Tidmarsh
Staff Reporter
The Yale Daily News
Published Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The changeover to Google as Yale’s e-mail provider has been put on hold.
Information Technology Services has decided to postpone the University’s move from the Horde Webmail service to Google Apps for Education, a suite of communication and collaboration tools for universities, pending a University-wide review process to seek input from faculty and students. After a series of meetings with faculty and administrators in February, ITS officials decided to put the move on hold, Deputy Provost for Science and Technology Steven Girvin said.
“There were enough concerns expressed by...
#1 By Anon. 3:29a.m. on March 30, 2010
Horde is an embarrassment. It is far older and less functional that email systems at other universities, proof that it's not just the architecture at Yale that looks medieval. I don't know who on the faculty raised these objections, but it makes me think they should stick to research and teaching and stay away from IT policy.
#2 By EH 3:59a.m. on March 30, 2010
Debate is a nicety and is generally good in these types of things, but this is a simple decision that many universities like Brown have already wisely made. Let's not be stupid: maintaing Horde over Gmail costs Yale more for worse service.
All three listed reasons are stupid:
1) problems with “cloud computing" -- everything is moving to the cloud, even bank databases and financial institutions. It is cheaper due to economies of scale and it is more effective and reliable because of 24/7 effective support.
2) technological risks and downsides--the security risks are not nothing, but I'd rather entrust my information to Google's web security team than Yale's. Plus, Google has a business to keep: they're not going to sell of my information or let it leak.
3) and ideological issues--like what? Conservatives like privatization/outsourcing and liberals like change/progress. Both camps should be on board.
This is silly. Get rid of Horde.... NOW! I don't have 10 minutes to have my web email access load each time.
#3 By Censorship/Scholarship 5:09a.m. on March 30, 2010
The postponement of the word "Chinese" in this article until the final two sentences screams volumes here.
Sensitivity or self-censorship?
Yale's involvement with a country which obstructs academic freedom needs front and center analysis by a journal with as distinguished a record for courageous reporting as the YDN has had over the century plus of its own history.
Google may be telling Yale what Yale already knows but is too financially involved to admit:
Censorship and Scholarship do not a marriage make.
Paul Keane, M.Div.'80
M.A., M.Ed.
The Anti-Yale
#4 By Randy 8:39a.m. on March 30, 2010
The private university that I work for switched to Google Apps for Education last summer. The transition was relatively painless for our users as they had planned well in advance.
Before the change, Google assured us regarding the same concerns as Yale. Google Apps for Education is free, and the service is certainly better than they have now with Horde.
#5 By Ha 8:50a.m. on March 30, 2010
More concern/debate about an email program than we have seen in healthcare...
#6 By 2011 9:58a.m. on March 30, 2010
Horde is ancient technology, expensive to maintain, and difficult to use. But naturally, instead of making progress and creating positive change, Yale is confounded by a bunch of academics, upset that they had no input in a decision that they are not qualified to mediate. Other schools have used Gmail for years, and the supposedly evil Google doesn't seem to have stolen their data and used it for nefarious purposes--any suggestions to the contrary should correctly be labeled conspiracy theories.
#7 By Wha? 10:13a.m. on March 30, 2010
I don't see this as a problem for students. Everyone should already have their own gmail account, which by the way would still exist years after they graduate. And if the yale system had any kind of pop3 service, gmail could easily be configured to automatically check the yale account and even send back using the yale email address. Don't wait for the tech dinosaurs to catch up.
#8 By Jeremy 10:24a.m. on March 30, 2010
I work at a college that recently switched over to Gmail. I've got to say it was a complete success. Its a much easier system to use then any of the older programs.
#9 By otakucode 10:34a.m. on March 30, 2010
For those confused about the concerns, keep in mind that Google is presently the largest censor in the world. They also store email information unencrypted so that they can mine it for information. They frequently scan through the emails of everyone who uses gmail to determine the best advertisements to show those people. They also keep track of every single usage of the system. If Yale switches to using Google, they are handing their students over to Google and saying that Google has complete access to all of their personal data for whatever use Google ever dreams up. You might trust Google today, but in 15 years are you SURE that no executive will come to power in Google that, for instance, is great friends with the government of Iran and shares all email logs with them? Are you SURE that in the coming decades, Googles policy of bending over for any government that promises they can make a few bucks operating in their country if they just cooperate won't make something you said once upon a time look like a 'threat'?
#10 By Gomba 10:34a.m. on March 30, 2010
More liberal drivel.
#11 By Jennifer 10:38a.m. on March 30, 2010
Hello Google, goodbye privacy. Our e-mails will follow us for the rest of our lives.
#12 By DWhite04 10:42a.m. on March 30, 2010
I'm glad that Google's carbon footprint factored into this decision. Ideally, Yale will lead the effort of moving humanity back to a time when we were carbon neutral. Of course, every life-sustaining activity leaves an environmental impact. But the earth would be better off without us.
#13 By @#9 11:29a.m. on March 30, 2010
"But in 15 years are you SURE that no executive will come to power in Google that, for instance, is great friends with the government of Iran and shares all email logs with them?" YES. I am sure; you are ridiculous (and they would be tried for treason then).
"They frequently scan through the emails of everyone who uses gmail to determine the best advertisements to show those people." The academic version does NOT have advertisements.
#14 By Paranoia 11:31a.m. on March 30, 2010
Yes, yes... having Google own plaintext e-mails is a security risk if Google wishes to expose my private e-mail to my mom and, in doing so, risk losing their entire business. But if we're going to invent unlikely security scenarios, people do realize that using unencrypted e-mails at Yale means that IT people here could do the same? Ohmygod, what if in fifteen years, President Levin wants a Yale-in-Iran program, and delivers all of my e-mails to whoever is in charge there?!
Also, in terms of security, there's a risk assessment - Yale is a far easier target than Google, but Google is of bigger value. So which of the two is more likely to be compromised? I'm not sure.
In the end, if you're not encrypting your e-mails (and possibly using a one-time pad for access), I'd bet you're already placing a substantial benefit to your ease of use over a very minor security threat. This is more of the same.
#15 By JimBob Databender 12:01p.m. on March 30, 2010
remember the big deal when they announced this awhile back.. apparently the ducks were not lined up sufficently and the trouble makers came out of the woodwork to put a stop to this...
#16 By SjJr 12:09p.m. on March 30, 2010
Brilliant and thoughtful analysis by DWhite04, here. The cost of a Gmail account? Free. Seeing liberal use technology to complain about the evils of technology? Priceless.
#17 By Yale 08 12:17p.m. on March 30, 2010
After decades of enduring situations like this, you would think ITS would have realized that the mantra is "under promise, over deliver" ... not the other way around. :-)
#18 By ITSguy 12:28p.m. on March 30, 2010
It's funny that YDN is calling it an "ITS delay..." when in reality, the decision was NEVER made to begin with. This whole story started with a rumor that came from a group that is not as tightly knit with ITS as they think they are. In reality, ITS is evaluating Google and Microsoft email as a solution to our current student systems. A decision should be made later this year, but there is NOTHING definite yet. Also, faculty are expressing concerns as noted in the story, and they will be a factor in the decision.
#19 By nupet 12:29p.m. on March 30, 2010
Glad to see an acknowledgment that concern about Google's carbon footprint is "ideological", not scientific.
#20 By @DWhite04 12:34p.m. on March 30, 2010
I agree with DWhite04, who judging by the name doesn't have to deal with the behemoth that is Horde. Horde may be bad, but it's not nearly as bad as tacitly supporting Google's carbon footprint.
...
#21 By Greg Barton 12:54p.m. on March 30, 2010
If they were smart, they'd get out now while the getting is good. Google obviously cannot be trusted to do the right thing ever. Getting in bed with these morons is about as blind as it gets!
#22 By tin foil hat w/antenna 12:57p.m. on March 30, 2010
DONOT RESIST YALE. Just submit to Google. Resisting is pointless. Google is controlling your transmisions. Donot attempt to adjust the verticle. Google will own the world soon so just relax and allow them to infect your campus.
#23 By Martin 1:08p.m. on March 30, 2010
Mike Fischer's reported remarks are on target. Google has a great user experience, but you just don't know what's going to happen with your data. Of course, you don't know what Yale's going to do with your data either, but at least users have some leverage here. The smart thing to do is to download all your mail to your personal machine and keep it off the server and away from all those prying eyes and legal beagles.
The remark about carbon footprint is strange. Does anyone think Yale's footprint per email user is less than Google's?
#24 By yale 09 1:10p.m. on March 30, 2010
Gmail threads. Threading is not for everyone. Google is arrogant enough to not even give users the option of toggling off threading, even though its clear that there are many people out there who dislike this feature.
Does this mean that all yale mail will be threaded?
#25 By Yalie81 1:15p.m. on March 30, 2010
This is just how we roll at http://www.indoctrinate-u.com/
#26 By @ Yale 08 1:29p.m. on March 30, 2010
They do under-promise, but they also manage to consistently under-deliver. Consistency is good, right?
#27 By kuni lemmel 1:31p.m. on March 30, 2010
Why anyone would use an email client is beyond me. Every last bit of your email is stored and saved, like it or not; and at college it's all connected to your name, numbers (ss, license, school, credit cards), and your family. If you think that's for your benefit, youse a good lil democrat. If you think GOOG doesn't do it (place your own scathing remark about stupidity here).
#28 By joe thompson 2:26p.m. on March 30, 2010
if you have a private email that you don't want google to know about you can use another email service.
#29 By ofc2logic 2:42p.m. on March 30, 2010
Gmail and Google's apps are low-end, inexpensive alternatives to real software. The idea of Gmail pretending to be some kind of enterprise collaboration solution is hilarious to me.
#30 By Sean 2:48p.m. on March 30, 2010
From a business/financial point of view, going "free and hosted" certainly makes the most sense.
But you have to wonder: no company, including Google, can do something for free. They're making money off of this deal somehow, yet won't tell you how.
If something's too good to be true, it generally is.
What's more, the "cloud" is not a fait-accompli. Having all your data in a third-party location poses a huge security and business continuity risk. And given that Google won't tell you where your data is going to be is pretty crazy.
Limiting yourself to Google's cloud and apps also severely restricts your business processes. Want to streamline a process that Google can't accomodate? Tough luck. You could have developed something locally had you hosted your own apps, but since you're in the cloud you have to do everything the Google way.
But then again, I'm sure Google is confident they know how to do your job better than you do anyway.
Finally, Google had to give their code over to the Chinese in order to operate there. Once I heard that, Google has never seen me log into anything that they run.
#31 By oracle2world 2:54p.m. on March 30, 2010
You can't teach an old dog new tricks (or a new email system).
Anyone else here have a better explanation?
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