Question of Ethics: Tape Recording Class

[thesneezingbeauty]

Our history teacher just basically lectures to us; never writing ANYTHING on the board, so I got permission to tape-record the class from the teacher. It's a really good tape recorder, so it picks up EVERYTHING, including many good high-quality sneezes . And of course, when I listen to the recording at night to take notes from it, I linger over the spots where one of my classmates happens to sneeze. . But I feel like kind of a creeper. Is this wrong? Any thoughts?

[Lamborghini]

I did it last semester, and I continue to do it for this one, which just started. For me, as long as you don't post them publicly, there is no reason why you should not go ahead and enjoy them. You enjoy them "live" so to speak, and you feel no guilt. Why should you feel it when you listen to it later?

Lamborghini

[Guest]

If the main purpose is actually to hear the lecture, and you have permission from the lecturer (I plan to do this at Uni), then I'd say its fine. I question the ethics of deliberately recording a load of sneezes, but I know of those who are ok with it.

[krazykat]

As long as you have permission from the teacher to do this, and are prepared to stop if any other student objects to being recorded then there is no problem. I completely disagree with recording people's sneezing or any other thing they are doing without their consent, and would draw the line completely on posting things online.

[The Mute Poet]

I'm another one of those people who doesn't really have a problem with recording others' sneezing so long as you're not reposting it for other people to hear without their consent. And you've even got a legitimate reason to be recording as well, and capturing the sneezes wasn't even your primary goal at the outset. I'd say don't worry about it so long as you're not exploiting anyone.

[resolution]

I don't believe in "mind crimes". Taping that session (as students frequently do) in any other context would be considered fine. Well that dosen't change because of the way you happen to be thinking about it's content.

As mentioned however, reposting it is another matter.

[lalaland~]

this post is probably pointless, but I agree

recording the lecture is fine (you didn't try to record sneezes) and listening to the sneezes and enjoying them is like watching a youtube clip of a TV show where someone sneezes - that's not the main purpose, but noone really cares if you go back and listen to the sneeze again.

as long as you don't make clips out of it or post them anywhere without permission (and I imagine asking permission would be odd)

[count tiszula]

I don't know what "I feel like kind of a creeper" means, though it is true that I often feel like the Virginia kind of creeper, which is very pretty in autumn.

As ever, I can't really understand what the problem is, unless it is the usual assumption that our interest is somehow a terrible sin about which it is absolutely necessary that we should feel guilty all the time. Why should this be? Why is it worse than any other sexual turn-on?

After all, you would scarcely worry if you filmed a filmstar on a beach; you wouldn't ask them for permission. Why would it be all right if they were just scantily clad and moving lasciviously, but not if they happened to sneeze.

Why would you ask anyone for consent to this perfectly normal expedient, used throughout the world? And why would you stop if someone objected to it? It's not as if anyone has the right to prevent anyone else using their image or sounds. Except apparently in Germany.

Except of course if it is an artistic performance. Their remedy would seem to be obvious; as soon as yu start recording, they should start singing; preferably a copyright work [but they must be be careful ; in the US copyright can lapse if not renewed].

[sneezybreezy]

I basically agree with everyone on here especially the mute poet. That is fine to do that, just make sure that others that you live with/near don't catch you replaying the tape at those sneezes, or it may be awkward to explain.

[Pseudosneeze]

Yeah, I've done it before. Only really paid off once.

[Aceofblades]

Yup, have to agree with most here, you have permission from the professor to record, and the sneezes are just incidental things that happen during that period, so as long as you're not posting them online, I wouldn't have any qualms with listening to them personally

[Mirf]

I wouldn't see anything wrong with it either. I usually consider myself to have kind of high morality standards but i really don't see a problem with this one.

As others already said you didn't record it for that purpose in any way. You did get permission from your teacher and furthermore i kind of doubt you're doing it "secretly". I mean i guess when you're recording things the recorder is/was obvious for everyone to see. I dunno if you asked your teacher in front of your class but i doubt the rest of the class is clueless. So i don't see a reason to feel creepy about it.

After all, you would scarcely worry if you filmed a filmstar on a beach; you wouldn't ask them for permission. Why would it be all right if they were just scantily clad and moving lasciviously, but not if they happened to sneeze.

Why would you ask anyone for consent to this perfectly normal expedient, used throughout the world? And why would you stop if someone objected to it? It's not as if anyone has the right to prevent anyone else using their image or sounds. Except apparently in Germany.

Well i'll have to disagree with you here though count de tisza. You may blame it on my "German personality" or whatever but i wouldn't bluntly film a film star on a beach nor would i do it with anyone else. If i happened to film them while filming something/someone else i wouldn't mind. But i would purposely film another person without asking them for consent first. Film star or not. Not because of any law but because i do respect other peoples privacy and purposely filming or recording someone without their consent and or knowledge is invading their privacy for me and i don't like that. So if i were to see a film star on a beach and had my camera with me i would go there and ask them if i were allowed to take a picture or video of them.

Maybe i'm weird for that .. but well that's me

[Vetinari]

Well i'll have to disagree with you here though count de tisza. You may blame it on my "German personality" or whatever but i wouldn't bluntly film a film star on a beach nor would i do it with anyone else. If i happened to film them while filming something/someone else i wouldn't mind. But i would purposely film another person without asking them for consent first. Film star or not. Not because of any law but because i do respect other peoples privacy and purposely filming or recording someone without their consent and or knowledge is invading their privacy for me and i don't like that. So if i were to see a film star on a beach and had my camera with me i would go there and ask them if i were allowed to take a picture or video of them.

Maybe i'm weird for that .. but well that's me

I don't find that weird. I don't think I would feel comfortable filming or photographing someone without their consent unless it was in a situation where that was acceptable because they were working.

Although.......I'm not sure whether that is because I wouldn't want to do anything that would make them uncomfortable rather than that I have a personal issue with it. If I could do it from a distance, such that they were unaware of it and then not publish it anywhere public so it was purely for my own pleasure without being in any way disruptive to them then it might be slightly different. Asking them might actually be more disruptive to them, rather than less.

So back to the original question, fine to record the lecture and do with it what you will, as long as those people are not made uncomfortable about it by finding out.