In my previous post about Web publishing security, I proposed the following security matrix:
While this is an oversimplification of the options, I think it gives a framework for making decisions on what web publishing software to deploy, when to deploy it as well as how. As an illustration of how this framework can be used and the potential complexity, we will examine the popular multiple blog platform WordPress MU. Another reason is that we have deployed WPMU in the past and there has been some debate about how it should be used if it should be used at all.
Out of the box, WPMU has two options for access to content: Open to the world and open, but blocking search engines and archivers. It has four options for moderation: Unmoderated, Posts only moderated, comments only moderated, and both posts and comments moderated. With WPMU, then, our matrix looks like this:
As one can see, there are already eight potential options in terms of access to publishing and content. While all the content can be accessed by anyone in the world through both choices, blocking search engines and archivers would significantly reduce access unless one has a link, or goes to the site directly.
WPMU has a plugin that I discussed in an earlier post called More Security Options. This plugin offers three more content access options: Community members (all users with accounts on the WPMU installation), Blog (People who are at least subscribers of an individual blog), and Administrators (only the administrators of an individual blog). The security matrix with this plugin appears:
There are now 20 options in terms of publishing and content access! Arguable, there are even more. For example one could choose to allow unmoderated comments, but restrict comments to logged in members of a blog. Clearly there is enough flexibility in WPMU to accommodate a wide range of Web Publishing Policies.
It is up to school tech committees to consider the ramifications of all of these options in terms of security, audience, and ownership and weigh the pros and cons of each before committing to a particular configuration. Teachers can then decide within the constraints of the school web publishing policy which option best suits their class. Publishing student content to the web is not simply as choice of yes or no. There are several shades of gray. These are not the only considerations and options for deploying this software. For further discussion, refer to my other posts about WPMU for more information on managing and securing the software.
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Tags: policy, security, students, wordpressmu, WPMU
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Security is and always be an issue but when I look at google street, I think that security is an issue everywhere and no matter how tight we think that the security is, we will can never get it 100%
The value of collaboration, connection and communication is lost in blogging etc unless the blogs are open to the world. Security can be taught in the classroom and the means of coping and dealing with any issues, becomes a valuable lesson. -
I agree. We never really will get it 100%, but whatever we do must pass muster with parents, school boards, community, etc.
By providing choice, I hope that all parents consent to blogging in some way shape or form. To do so extends their comfort zone. It is also better than nothing. My feeling, based upon experience, most parents will decide to let the blogs be open to the world on a moderated basis.
I will always advocate for the opportunity to make it open to the world. I will present what I hope are compelling arguments that prompt parents to allow the materials to be open. As a parent, I have provided blogs and even domains for my own children to which they have free access to publishing.
This work by Stephen J O’Connor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
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