Selling the Sawdust

Selling Information By-Products

Sawmill operators are in the business of turning trees into lumber. Products include boards, plywood, and veneer. For as long as there have been sawmills, there have been sawmill operators who have tried to solve the problem of what to do with their principal by-product: sawdust. Numerous creative examples abound. Likewise, businesses often generate tremendous amounts of data. The challenge then becomes what to do with this by-product. Can a little additional effort turn it into a valuable product? Research the following:

a. What are your college's or university's policies regarding student directory data?

b. Does your college or university sell any of its student data? If your institution sells student data, what data do they sell, to whom, and for how much?

c. If your institution sells data, calculate the revenue earned per student. Would you be willing to pay this amount per year in exchange for maintaining your privacy?