My Chinese Lesson Online?

[Larry Language Lover]

One of the native Chinese teachers that I had a free online lesson with just sent me a Skype message with a clip from our lesson asking my permission to place the Zoom video clip on her company

webpage.   Is this good or bad?  I can see 2 possible angles to it, LOL....

The lesson was on pronunciation I should add I guess...

[mungouk]

You had a free lesson and she wants to use it as advertising?

 

IMHO you should at least get some payback... ask her if she will give you some free lessons in return?

 

I think you should feel free to refuse entirely, although being China this doesn't mean they won't use it anyway.

 

 

[Larry Language Lover]

I hadn't thought of that.  I was just thinking since she gave of her time for free to me, and I didn't sign up for further lessons, maybe I should say yes.

[NinjaTurtle]

Larry,

 

Did you give her permission beforehand to record the lesson? Does Zoom automatically record lessons?

[anonymoose]

Unless you have a specific objection, I would say yes. You got something for free. No reason why you shouldn't reciprocate (especially since it's not costing you anything extra to do so).

[Larry Language Lover]

52 minutes ago, NinjaTurtle said:

 

 

Did you give her permission beforehand to record the lesson? Does Zoom automatically record lessons?

 

Actually I didn't.  Didn't even know.  That can be pretty bad legally I think,  but it doesn't bother me in this case because I enjoyed her lesson and she was very helpful.

[NinjaTurtle]

17 minutes ago, Larry Language Lover said:

Actually I didn't.  Didn't even know. 

 

What she did was unethical. If you like working with her of course you can continue, just make it clear no more recording. Just say no (like those old T-shirts used to say). But if she asks you again or badgers you about it, that is a big red flag.

[mungouk]

21 hours ago, Larry Language Lover said:

I was just thinking since she gave of her time for free to me,

 

Well, not really... this wasn't an act of kindness.  It's marketing. 

 

Whether or not what she did was actually legal — recording you without your express permission — depends on your jurisdiction, and as usual online these things are debatable. 

 

 

[Weyland]

18 hours ago, NinjaTurtle said:

What she did was unethical.

 

27 minutes ago, mungouk said:

Whether or not what she did was actually legal — recording you without your express permission — depends on your jurisdiction, and as usual online these things are debatable. 

I think the people in this thread are using their western perspective on the value of privacy to judge the issue. Do take in mind that privacy in China is incompatible to our idea of privacy. If she approached you to ask whether or not she's able to use the recording already shows a level of understanding on her side when it comes to cultural differences.

Personally, I record all my interactions with my teachers/students. Because it helps revisiting the conversation and listen to yourself and them on differences in pronunciation. 

 

 

32 minutes ago, mungouk said:

Well, not really... this wasn't an act of kindness.  It's marketing. 

Do take in mind that what he supplied to the situation isn't exactly a leverage-able skill. I don't know what company he is speaking of, but I'm guessing that it isn't a well established one. What the teacher is doing is literally offering her services in return for exposure. 

 

23 hours ago, mungouk said:

IMHO you should at least get some payback... ask her if she will give you some free lessons in return?

This just sound like being a choosing beggar. If I had someone that was willing to get me to a level of Chinese fluency for free and all I had to do is be a poster child for their company in a couple of their promotional materials I see it as a mutually beneficial relationship.

[mungouk]

3 minutes ago, Weyland said:

If I had someone that was willing to get me to a level of Chinese fluency for free and all I had to do is be a poster child for their company in a couple of their promotional materials I see it as a mutually beneficial relationship.

 

which is exactly what I meant by "payback" ...

 

 

[Weyland]

1 minute ago, mungouk said:

which is exactly what I meant by "payback" ...

I think you're putting to much non-existent value behind being a student being taught to. He's not becoming the poster child of a company, it's just a video/audio recording of a lesson without any actual production value to it. If I post a video of me playing the guitar in a busy street and I have a friend zoom in on the reaction of someone in the crowd to put in a music video then I shouldn't give said person in the video part of the profits. Asking them beforehand if it's alright to put their likeness on Youtube/line is not legally required, it's merely valuing someone's privacy.

Unless you can make the case that  Larry Language Lover's likeness is marketable as opposed to some random stranger; him asking for payback just looks ungrateful. 

[Larry Language Lover]

5 hours ago, Weyland said:

Unless you can make the case that  Larry Language Lover's likeness is marketable as opposed to some random stranger

 

 

I wish!  Not the least bit marketable in my case  ?