Blogs Feb 18, 2010 at 4:37 pm

This Week in Problems Only Rich People Have

Grant Brissey
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Comments

1
Bet this would never happen with a PC...
COMTE on February 18, 2010 at 4:46 PM Report this
2
This gives me an idea.
Baconcat on February 18, 2010 at 4:51 PM Report this
3
@1: Hmmm...

Grant, do you have an Apple? My idea hinges on that important detail.
Baconcat on February 18, 2010 at 4:52 PM Report this
4
you can totally watch my sixteen-year old son masturbate in his bedroom for the low low price of a fine apple product.
on February 18, 2010 at 4:53 PM Report this
5
So your take on this rather creepy invasion of privacy is to point out that this district has resources?

I wouldn't even take a free Apple laptop, least of which one that could spy on me.
giffy on February 18, 2010 at 4:54 PM Report this
6
There are lots of allegations being thrown around, but very few hard facts. Excuse me if I withhold judgment until there's a bit more to this story.

If it's indeed true, then they ought to throw the book at them.
Fifty-Two-Eighty on February 18, 2010 at 4:55 PM Report this
7
Throw the MacBook at them, you mean.
Fnarf on February 18, 2010 at 5:01 PM Report this
8
@7: Get out.

NOW.
Baconcat on February 18, 2010 at 5:02 PM Report this
9
Pervs.
keshmeshi on February 18, 2010 at 5:10 PM Report this
10
The Shoreline School district provides macbooks for 6th grade and up... and that place is a dump. I don't think that 'only rich people' are subject to this potential problem.
tkm on February 18, 2010 at 5:19 PM Report this
11
While being spied on at home with the free MacBook your school gave you is indeed a problem likely only visited upon the rich, the impulse to spy on students at home comes from the same place as strip searching a preteen to look for Advil or handcuffing a kindergartner for being unruly. And that impulse--and its unpleasant consequences--are visited upon the non-rich far more frequently.
krzysz on February 18, 2010 at 5:22 PM Report this
12
Spying on them in their bedrooms is what those damn kids deserve for having the gall to be accidentally born to rich folks.
gloomy gus on February 18, 2010 at 5:30 PM Report this
13
I think everyone needs to wait to comment on satirical articles until they have been home from work for at least an hour and have tied a couple on. It's just a little stuffy in here, don't you think?
talialinn on February 18, 2010 at 5:33 PM Report this
14
"school officials thought he had engaged in improper behavior at home."
That's for the parents to decide. And if the parents want to know they will have a nanny cam in the house.

"in violation of the Electronic Communication Privacy Act, the Computer Fraud Abuse Act, the Stored Communications Act, the Civil Rights Act, the Fourth Amendment, the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Act, and Pennsylvania common law."

Will the students get extra credit if they write a report on this?
Know your rights or they'll go away.
penny lane on February 18, 2010 at 5:37 PM Report this
15
Interesting that some non-affluent schools have similar programs and potential for such …. Do you not watch Frontline?!

I would argue that less-affluent students might be more at risk for privacy violations than your demonized rich people with laptops.
thename on February 18, 2010 at 5:40 PM Report this
16
How is it possible that any sane teacher or administrator could think this was in any way a good idea?
Reverse Polarity on February 18, 2010 at 5:42 PM Report this
17
@10: Shoreline is a dump? It's not Bellevue, but it's a long way from a dump. You need to go experience some poverty.
dwight moody on February 18, 2010 at 5:43 PM Report this
18
"Hey rich people, I want problems like yours."

hate to break this to you, dude, but you, having the ability to have the job you do, with at least SOME education (maybe even college, but it's hard to tell), while living in Seattle doesn't exactly make you impoverished.

only rich people can afford to live in a school district where some of the high schoolers are given laptops? you have not experienced much in your life yet outside of your comfy little shell, have you?

how many computers have been given by Microsoft to schools in Washington, again? right.
on February 18, 2010 at 5:45 PM Report this
19
@8, did I cross a line there? Nice kitty. Pat, pat.
Fnarf on February 18, 2010 at 5:46 PM Report this
20
@ "tom tom club exposer" Please, this is an affluent suburb in Philly that provides every one of their high school students with a up-to-date Macbook, not some charity move by the Gates foundation or Google's equivalent. If you can afford to live in such a district, you're rich. I may not be impoverished (not that I said I was), but I certainly wouldn't fall into the plaintiff's tax bracket.
Grant Brissey, Emeritus on February 18, 2010 at 5:56 PM Report this
21
@19: I was waiting for the first bad pun, and unfortunately I unloaded on you! Gotta take your blows sometime, Fnarfy.
Baconcat on February 18, 2010 at 5:58 PM Report this
23
Not as terrible as your handle, Maverick Biceps. Sorry. Had to say it.
Lincolnish on February 18, 2010 at 6:08 PM Report this
25
civil rights belong to rich folks and poor folks and black folks and white folks and apple lovin' folks and pc lovin folks. Thats kind of the cool thing about them. Everyone (even those icky undesirable ones) are entitled to them. This behavoir, if it is true, is despicable and illegal. Rich has nothing to do with it.
snorkeloo on February 18, 2010 at 6:10 PM Report this
26

Next problem:

Students sitting on iTabs, making copies of their rear ends for Flickr.
on February 18, 2010 at 6:19 PM Report this
27
@24: Nice!
Lincolnish on February 18, 2010 at 6:23 PM Report this
28
@21, I can take it. In fact, I like it. Go ahead, hit me. Make me rip my stockings.
Fnarf on February 18, 2010 at 6:36 PM Report this
29
What about the poor kids there on scholarship, don't they count too?
Will in Seattle on February 18, 2010 at 6:43 PM Report this
30
Its a public high school, Will.
snorkeloo on February 18, 2010 at 6:56 PM Report this
31
This needs to become a weekly column.
heywhatsit!? on February 18, 2010 at 7:00 PM Report this
32
I'm sure an enterprising student can find a picture that's been taken of them nude or partly undressed, getting ready for bed or whatever. Boom: Lindy Matsko is a child pornographer.
Fnarf on February 18, 2010 at 7:52 PM Report this
33
we're all missing the really important details! For instance, what, exactly, was this "inappropriate behavior"?
Faber on February 18, 2010 at 8:10 PM Report this
34
@11,

Eloquently put, and I totally agree.

Also, as much as it's unconstitutional, a felony, etc., I have to say that from what I know of Lower Merion (playing them in state basketball championships in high school), they're pretentious assholes with way too much money.

These guys should still get put away for a long time, though.
fletch on February 18, 2010 at 8:52 PM Report this
35
would they really tip their hand if there was any chance of underage porn allegations against the school? I'm guessing he was just sneaking a beer or a smoke.
on February 18, 2010 at 9:06 PM Report this
36
If your parents are rich, and live in certain areas, you deserve to be spied upon with your school-issued laptop! Bwaaaahahahahahah.
on February 18, 2010 at 10:03 PM Report this
37
@18: It says that the school gives each student a laptop, not that the laptops are given by the company to the schools. Very big difference there.

Interesting that this is on SLOG today. It seems all the most respectable news outlets are on Apple lately. I hope the EFF rips them to pieces.
Knat on February 18, 2010 at 10:20 PM Report this
38
Whatever, even if they are smug rich pricks, first world white people problems, etc., how could you not find this creepy and unacceptable? Someone peering in on kids' personal sex lives?

@36 lol.
on February 19, 2010 at 12:21 AM Report this
39
And people said I was paranoid for putting electrical tape over the lens of my Macbook...
drewl on February 19, 2010 at 2:18 AM Report this
40
Can't even whack off in private with PervCam watching.
jeffg166 on February 19, 2010 at 2:38 AM Report this
41
Ahhh man, these folks have to learn the successes of unsupervised kids that make our ghettos such splendid places!
on February 19, 2010 at 7:13 AM Report this
42
@17 I live in the CD and still think Shoreline is a dump.
tkm on February 19, 2010 at 10:19 AM Report this
43
@32: Exactly what I was thinking. That district is probably purging harddrives and trying to cover their @sses so hard right now. They should call the FBI.
Jigae on February 19, 2010 at 1:39 PM Report this

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