After reading yesterday’s post on SafeAssign at least 31 times today, Blackboard Beyond Initiative product director Greg Ritter (who also blogs) called me to voice Blackboard’s objections over sharing information on the software flaw that broadcasts submitted students’ papers across the Internet. I thought a personal call from the company was much better than receiving an intimidating letter from Sutherland, Asbill, & Brennan (check out what they sent to others in the past!). Kudos go to Blackboard for this new approach to public engagement.
During our conversation, it occurred to me that due to the longstanding flaw, Blackboard might be violating students’ rights (inadvertently) under FERPA. Rather than become an accessory, I decided to temporarily redact information in the post until Blackboard implements a fix (next week, they promise). Once the problem is fixed, the redacted text will be restored.
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