I think /. users benefited from the rise of digg, 4chan, reddit, etc. The quality on /. had been going way downhill before they became popular. Those sites drew away most of the idiots, and /. learned what it's good at. After /. stopped trying to compete head-to-head in the more-news-faster-and-crazier game, they appear to have reached an impressive equilibrium.

Admittedly, I rarely read /. anymore. It seems to have grown more focused, which is good for the site.. but I'm not as interested in the topics it's focused on. OTOH, I absolutely never read digg or the main reddit anymore -- even though they theoretically cover my interests better.

Bring back JonKatz. Actually, hell.. I miss USENET.

I wouldn't be surprised at all. That's precisely what I was doing in class at 12 years old. We monitored our heart-rates by hand in fitness class for years specifically to optimize our own workout. We were taught about aerobic vs anaerobic exercise, maximum heart rates, how muscle grows, etc. I think we probably recorded them too - I know we recorded some info, although it was with pencil and paper.

If your concern with this is privacy, starting running around a track. Don't stop until you realize your folly.

I don't see why this'd be much more of a privacy concern than recording perfectly normal things like lap times, vertical jump height, or grip strength.. things that are routinely recorded to assess the students' progress and that could be used at least as well to adjust insurance premiums.

Also, I don't see why one needs the machines and straps and junk. So long as it's for the student's benefit, might as show them how to measure it them self by feeling their pulse, counting, and looking at a wall clock. I'm sure even my 4 year old could do it if I showed him how.