Message-ID: <36AD3DE6.BBAF726B@his.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 23:00:38 -0500
From: Jeff Cook <jcook@his.com>
X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (Win98; U)
X-Accept-Language: en,gd
MIME-Version: 1.0
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.student
Subject: Re: Landings Pilot Database
References: <36ada428.652147551@netnews.worldnet.att.net> <36AAB863.8DB2E063@earthlink.com> <36AC84F9.52E2E5E4@sensor.com> <78iiv7$ce9@news.dx.net> <36af34ff.40375422@netnews.worldnet.att.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
NNTP-Posting-Host: pm15-133.his.com
Organization: Heller Information Services
Lines: 31
Path: news.jprc.com!dca1-feed2.news.digex.net!dca1-hub1.news.digex.net!digex!newspeer.monmouth.com!news.lightlink.com!news4.his.com!pm15-133.his.com
Xref: news.jprc.com rec.aviation.student:45379

"Roger L. Elowitz" wrote:
> The rest of us... who aren't bothered by such matters and who lead
> lives of far greater personal openness and security... should not be
> interfered with if it is our choice to have this information become


I can't agree with your take on much of this (personal openess AND
security?), but I would like to comment on both sides. First, it is by
no means difficult to get on as many mailing lists as you want, and it's
of course impossible to avoid it completely. Everytime you get junkmail,
at least two people are making money on it (the one who sold your info
and one who makes sales on the mailing list), so this business practice
will get stronger every year. Second, it is truly shocking how much
information I can collect on famous people who happen to be in the FAA
database. Truly shocking.

Third, I chose to update my info on one of the independent database
lists because it still had me listed as a student pilot. I suppose they
hadn't heard I passed the checkride before the FAA gravy train ran out.
I went in and updated it for one single reason. If I invite somebody on
a trip and they take it upon themselves to 'check my references' on the
master list of all pilots (as I might), I want them to find me there.
HOWEVER, the fact that I can upgrade my certificate on my own volition
(want an ATP today?) makes the existing list meaningless and even
dangerous (for my purpose). I believe the old lists should be deleted
from public access.

-- 
Jeff Cook
jcook@his.com
Washington DC area
