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Comment by HarryHirsch | Hacker News Reader

It wasn't me, it's the computer that did it, that excuse is as old as dirt.

There is that version of the Monty Python "Dead Bishops" skit, where the murderer says "It was me, but society is at fault." Consequently the Church Policeman asks all the other people present: "Excuse me, are you a member of society?" - "Yes." - "Come with me, then."

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But the "it" here is "tell you the consequences of the vacancy". The "wrongdoing" is reminding the author of the roommate's death (which is out of the control of anyone who communicates to him about the vacancy). A human would do the exact same thing (to the extent of telling you about that), so nothing is being excused by virtue of the computer doing it.

The problem is with the wording. The "Friendly Campus System" "detected a vacancy". In the face of a sudden, unprepared death you offer condolences and give the bereaved person the customary 30 days. The email from the blogpost is completely inappropiate.

Mortality in college students is something around 15 in 100000, a campus of 10000 can expect a student death per year. It's surprising that there were no processes in place to act appropiately in that situation.

Isn’t that “solved” by the friend going to the administration and discussing the issue with a human to have the situation properly handled ?

I feel it’s like blaming your roomba for running over your graduation certificate when it could have recognized it and paid due respect. Automated systems are a thing now, and the mail was explicitely signed as coming from automation, with a neutral and polite enough language. We should accept it as it is IMHO.

No, we should not accept suboptimal outcomes from automation and we should insist on properly designed processes. Automation should serve the students and faculty, not university administration, who can say they've shaved so-and-so much off this cost center that is student housing. The most worrying thing is that the administration had student deaths before and still continues to give offense.

Offence can only be taken and is wholly subjective as this whole thread has proven. It is unfortunate that this caused her upset but it was neither the intent or at all cause of it. The cause of her upset is the fact that her friend had passed away. She could have been reminded of her bereavement from something entirely different.

I totally agree with you when it impacts people’s security, privacy, goods or money.

I am less intransigent when it comes to potentially hurt feelings.

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