(Canadian) Universities move to hide work from U.S. eyes

[Newsjock]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061111.wxuniversities11/BNStory/National/home

Concerned about the U.S. government's prying eyes, a number of Canadian universities are changing the way their professors and students conduct online research.

Many university libraries subscribe to RefWorks, a popular U.S.-based Internet tool that allows academics and students to create personal accounts and store research information, as well as generate citations and bibliographies.

But the Patriot Act — which grew out of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and which potentially allows U.S. authorities to sweep through databases such as RefWorks — has prompted Canadian postsecondary institutions to abandon the American server for one housed at the University of Toronto.

“There is certainly concern within Canadian university libraries. It's a concern about a foreign country having access to your personal information without good cause,” said William Maes, librarian at Dalhousie University in Halifax. “That's the devious thing of the Patriot Act, they can do this without letting anybody know.”

[aquart]

1. Good for them.

The Patriot Act is an abomination and I have not heard one word about repealing it.

[Hieronymus]

5. Hopefully the new Democratic Congress will

do something about the Patriot Act. Good for the Canadians for protecting their privacy.
:scared:

[LiberalFighter]

6. Even if Congress repeals the Patriot Act

the Canadians should continue to store THEIR research on their soil so it can't be retrieved illegally by another foreign country.

[nicknameless]

2. Good.

[ninkasi]

3. My daughter married a Canadian

I've never known a better man, or better person. Canada sure does something right, if my son-in-law is typical of Canadians. I wish we could get rid of all of this Patriot Act nonsense, and go back to being the America in was born in again.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Good for them. So glad they made this choice.

No reason they should have to settle for being intimidated, if they can avoid it.

There's no reason in the world they should allow this regime to continue intimidating them. This was the time to move, before they had gone past the point of no return. I hope these people will inspire others who need to see examples of people insisting upon their personal rights.

[donsu]

7. good move on Canada's part

nt

[Vidar]

8. Canada still values freedom.

[goforit]

9. WOW!!!.....I'm shocked this spying would carry over so far.

[Zodiak]

10. This makes me sad

Science has crossed international boarders for decades because scientists generally share information freely. Only things like industrial science and weapons science is carefully guarded. All other basic research has always been an open book. Collaboration across borders is necessary, and the only way a wealth of info can be provided is if all databases are linked.

There are very few countries that lock their borders to science. Canada's move will hinder research in the US. We are becoming China in that respect.

Although I perfectly understand the reasons, this still sucks. Another reason to hate the Patriot Act and despise BushCo.

[Bush_MUST_Go]

11. Are databases really safe from this corrupt admin?

I'm sure they have experts working for them who can get past any & all built in safeguards.

[Zodiak]

12. I have no idea how safe.

All I know is that I can search the journal databases of most countries, except a few countries like China.

I suppose Canada will be added to that list, now.

[Lisa]

14. I'm sad too, Zodiak

I work at a Canadian university, and just in the past couple of years we've had talented overseas grad students saying that they would not consider studying or working in the US now. A couple of people in my department have said that they are now reluctant even to visit the US for important scientific conferences, because they are afraid about what happened to Maher Arar (deported and tortured after he was picked up in a US airport on the way home to Canada). Another prof is American, but after receiving threatening calls from Bush administration officials while he was working for the UN recently (they had a number of requests which he felt were inappropriate and heavy-handed), he affiliated himself with the Canadian government instead.

The corrosion of trust can be fatal to anything that requires cooperation -- international aid projects, scientific collaboration, business relationships.

[earth mom]

13. Canada Rocks!

:yourock: