Why I might not want my biographical information to be in a public
electronic web database:
1) I'm NOT a lawyer seeking clients, licensed by the state, in a fiduciary
relationship with clients, or someone who wants to advertise my "wares",
so to speak.
2) Not all lawyers DO have biographical information available in the
public domain - we've all run across that library patron who wants to find
bio info on a government or private practice lawyer who isn't in any of
the commercial databases.
3) My "clients" aren't terribly concerned with my degrees and if they are
they can ask me.
4) The only people who might want to know bio info on me are employers (or
future employers), who can ask me for the information, people who want to
send me STUFF, which I do not want, or people who want to send begging
letters, and they can darn well pay AALL for its mailing list.
5) Information about me IS in various biographical sources, but those who
want to use the info, are either members of AALL, or, as in 4) above, THEY
CAN DARN WELL PAY AALL for its mailing list. Why shouldn't AALL, and we,
benefit from the trouble they go to to compile that list.
6) While my employer may have an argument to make in favor of posting my
educational qualifications, I don't see that argument working for anyone
else. If every organization to which I belong and every charity to which I
send money sees fit to post the contents of my "member profile", we're in
bigger trouble than I already imagine we are in.
7) Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean I'm not right :-)
With all due respect,
Laura
AALL, LLNE, SNELLA, AAA, JD, MLS, BS, WSHU, WNET, IU, TU, YUL-LIB, CDC,
NELLCO, WOPERSON, ARGGHHHHHHH!
Laura J. Orr-Waters
Senior Reference Librarian
Lillian Goldman Library
Yale Law School
P.O. Box 208215
New Haven, CT 06520-8215
203-432-7535
203-432-9692 (fax)
laura.orr@yale.edu (email)
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