Purdue creates 'opt out' system tracking student movement on campus

I was all ready to come in and blast this for breaches of privacy etc etc, but then I read this:

>Forecast will show you your data and how your data compares with a University-wide picture of past and present Purdue students. Forecast also will point you to concrete steps, based on the data, which may help you improve your academic performance.

Oh man, could I have used this in college. All the other students talked so much about how their last essay sucked, or how they hardly studied at all for this upcoming exam. Bull. Shit. They've been spending 8+ hours a day in the library for the last two weeks preparing for that exam, and that all-nighter they moaned about so loudly was just icing on the cake. I want so much to go back and slap some sense into my younger self for believing all that 'modest' crap. (Or, I guess, for letting myself believe it. Look at all these people, how successful they are without even working! Guess I don't have to work either! Idiot.)

A system like this has the potential to be huge in terms of helping students wrap their heads around what's actually expected of them in a college environment. I'm thinking in particular here of "Big-Fish-Small-Pond" students such as those from lower income or small town backgrounds, who are used to programs pitched at a lower common denominator. As long as Purdue keeps their databases locked down, I'm totally on board with this.

Data collected:

Some data incorporated in Forecast are probably no surprise. For instance, student academic records are used, including grades, progress toward a degree, and use of the Blackboard course management system. But the system also incorporates some less obvious data, such as your use of Purdue’s wireless network and swipes of your Purdue ID card at the gym, residence halls and dining facilities.

Privacy policy:

Whether you use Forecast or not is entirely up to you. Students can formally opt out at any time by emailing tlt@purdue.edu. If you opt out, your data, while still collected, will not be individually displayed. You will still be able to see the University-wide analysis of behaviors that contribute to academic success at Purdue, which can offer some useful pointers, but you won’t be able to see your behaviors compared to everyone else’s.

Back in the 90's, I was the "minister of truth" for the student group "Purdue Libertarians". Since then, I've evolved into a socialist. Both my former and current selves are appalled at this. Never in my wildest nightmares would I think that Purdue, of all places, would implement student tracking.

This isn't like the techniques described in the novel 1984. This IS a technique described in the novel 1984.

Tracking of law-abiding citizens has no place in any free society.