Ghidenames replaces all student names in a grades file with a fixed string, to provide a minimal level of privacy for the students.
Usage
ghidenames [-?] [-9] [file]
Details
Ghidenames copies its input grades file to the standard output, after changing every student's name to a fixed name, such as "Hans Christian Andersen". It cannot directly change the contents of a file.
Ghidenames takes one option:
-9 |
Use nine-digit student numbers in the output, if possible. |
Only one file argument is accepted. If no file is specified, input comes from the standard input. Output always goes to the standard output. The reason for these restrictions is that ghidenames destroys data and should not be allowed to change grades files.
The reason for providing this command is that a grades file must be publicly readable if grades are to be made available on a web site. Even if the web-posting mechanism hides the grades file itself from web users, people with accounts on the computer where the grades file is kept can still read the file. This seems undesirable from the point of view of students' privacy.
Does this really help?
No. There must be bigger security and privacy risks than the ones solved by ghidenames. This program is provided by popular demand, not because your programmer thinks it's a major contribution to privacy.
Why isn't this just an option in, say, gpadnames?
Or gselect, maybe.
Because that would be silly. What ghidenames does has no relation to what any of the other programs are designed to do.