The Auricle

Another Donald MacLeod polemic in the online Education Guardian article 'UK Universities owed 2.8 million in e-uni debacle' (26 July 2004). The article content is fair comment but for one thing … The Education Guardian article was based on documents 'leaked' to Computing magazine by which I think they mean the copy of the documents sent out by Smith and Williamson (who are winding up the company) to everyone who was employed or contracted by the company, no matter for how short a period. Now I think it's fair that a free press is free to comment and criticize but personally I think publishing John Beaumont's home address degrades the worth of the MacLeod article. What was the purpose of that? It merely provides those being so criticised with ammunition to complain that their privacy and family security is being compromised, so making it harder to report 'the facts' in future.