foreverserenity

Join Date 06/2004

+76

"Friends Don't Let Friends Join MySpace"

So says Helen A.S. Popkin in an article on MSNBC

Did you hear about the woman who was denied a teaching degree because of a questionable picture of her in a costume and posted on a MySpace page with what seemed to be at the time, a rather amusing caption!

The powers that be at the university she was supposed to get her teaching degree from thought the photo was "unprofessional" and "potentially offensive" because it seems to promote underage drinking and she's unfit to be in the teaching profession because of that! (read the link below). Thus she was denied her degree which she is suing for as well as claiming other damages!

Ms. Popkin believes that many people's lives will be interrupted or lost because of having a MySpace site. She also said a good friend of hers lost a well-paying and prominent job because of something the friend said in a post on someone else's MySpace page!

She goes on to say - [quote]"you can’t erase your Internet imprints with skin grafts. Or anything. Your innocent MySpace hijinx never go away. For the rest of your natural life, they remain just a few clicks away, waiting to be discovered, misinterpreted, and abused."[quote]

So should we be afraid, be very afraid, about what we say on our blogs and on online sites anywhere, even in jest? Ms. Popkin seems to think so!

The fact is we are talking about our personal lives, almost all of the time. There are strangers reading yes, but there are times when other family members as well as someone you know will find your page or blog and read it. So, if you don't want to stir a hornet's nest, be very careful what you say because remember your 'conversation' is not private, it's out there for anyone to read!

So if you're one of those people whose jobs or careers requires you to abstain, or to be a prude or to be of an unquestionable past or present, and you're posting Girls (or Boys) Gone Wild photos, and blogging about it; or you're kissing and telling; or even sharing your sexual fantasies...tongue in cheek or not...and you don't want some people to know...don't do it!

Think about it before you press that Enter key because there's no going back once it hits the blog site! And yes, I know there's an edit button and you can hide articles you've changed your mind about, but there are people out there at all hours who are reading everything! You do know how quickly your article posts don't you? Even with JU's wonkiness at times, it only takes one or two people to read what you shouldn't have posted!

So are ethics involved here, should they be involved when it comes to blogging? We're talking about people's lives or careers being ruined after all.

There are blog sites and websites with policies and rules, just like JoeUser. JU does provide a section to mark articles that are adult in nature not for a certain age group to read, and that makes it alright to post adult-oriented discussions and topics and I see nothing wrong with that!

We are also talking about a site like MySpace which is frequented by kids, some as young as 13 (am I right there?) who are exposed to a lot of images and words! They themselves go on and post their own pictures and say things that are no doubt suggestive and questionable.

Ms. Popkin suggests that it's not so much the people using MySpace who are abusing it by posting what they do, but rather the institutions and other 'big brother' types that are trying to stampede on the rights of the owners of the website in trying to force them to do things that are against their own policies, like the attorney generals did recently when they wanted them to hand over the names of any registered sex offenders who had a MySpace site! They, the site's owners refused to do so since it was against their policies. I'm not sure if I agree with them not giving up the names because we're talking about sex offenders here who knowingly go on a site knowingly frequented by teens!

The MySpace people eventually dropped all the offenders and that's a good thing! There definitely needs to be ethics involved here don't you think? Policies that the site owners have and which should be enforced. There are situations that will and do come up that will be questionable and which I'm sure will be regretted by someone at some point in their lives!

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I have a friend whose 10 year old daughter has a myspace account (I have one too). Her daughter asked me to add her as a friend, and I couldn't do it (my profile is set as private and only "friends" can view it) because I couldn't guarantee that she would not see or read adult content that would not be appropriate for her.

I'm probably as guilty as anyone when it comes to putting too much info out there. I am very comfortable with it, and I think younger generations are even more so because it seems so normal to them (they've grown up with it!).

I do think it's important to think about who may read or view what you post. Even if you delete or edit it, someone may have stored it away so it is there forever.

Don't post things you don't want the world to know.

My parents actually read my blog (my brother too) so I don't post things I wouldn't want them to read. There are times when I have posted things and thought maybe I shouldn't have because the person I wrote about might stumble across it.

But being a SAHM I don't have an employer to impress. I guess I might in the future. Maybe I should think about that.

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The powers that be at the university she was supposed to get her teaching degree from thought the photo was "unprofessional" and "potentially offensive" because it seems to promote underage drinking and she's unfit to be in the teaching profession because of that! (read the link below). Thus she was denied her degree which she is suing for as well as claiming other damages!

That is taking their powers too far, they deserve what the courts hand out to them now.

wishful thinking

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I think you just need to use some common sense. Realize that anyone, anywhere at anytime maybe able to see what you are putting out there. I think I have shared too much on occassion. Generally, when I think about it I'll go back and mark it private but I guess it's already out there by that time.

Oh and I think this woman definately have cause against the university. She may have been promoting drinking but I don't think she was particulary endorsing underage drinking. If they are going to deny degrees to any student who behaves that way, our percentage of college graduates will be in the single digits.

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I have a friend whose 10 year old daughter has a myspace account

I don't recall if the TOS when signing up specify this, but you can't display an age below 14 years old. I'd be concerned if my 10 year old had a MySpace account but was displaying a higher age.
edit: There it is, first bullet: Eligibility, 1(c). "You are 14 years of age or older... Your profile may be deleted and your Membership may be terminated without warning, if we believe that you are under 14 years of age."

Don't post things you don't want the world to know.

Anything that you post in a public forum is public information. Anything that you post in "private" is only as secure as how far you can trust the people who you allow to read it. If you post a written statement in public, or post a picture in public, it as if you said or did those things in front of anyone who is able to see it. Expect repercussions for your "virtual" actions and words.

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SirSmiley

Join Date 06/2005

+38

Ok, I read that specific case on the drudge report. Actually the powers that be made a decision based on specific laws within that state. Keep in mind that all the information out there so far is only the one side. If the information is 100% accurate in the affidavit then she has a strong case because of no prior warnings.

People need to think twice not just online but, also in the real world. Something stupid you do at a party(or anywhere) can easily end up on the net with all the camera phones, etc.

The internet is a great equalizer in that it works both ways. We can keep abreast of corrupt/unethical government and business practices but, also on the other side many people's flaws, etc are equally visible. Personally I don't want freedoms to be curtailed on the internet or elsewhere.

I can provide you plenty of examples of where some well intentioned laws have been exploited to the point of stupidity. Ultimately do you really want someone else determining what is right or wrong instead of actually making that choice for yourself?

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Denying someone a job based on their blogs is one thing. Denying a teaching degree is quite another.

Why do we not have good, qualified teachers? My guess is that one reason is because we set the standard so high that most people with all the qualifications wouldn't consider the profession. I mean, technically I could not become a teacher because of something that happened almost two decades ago. My life is totally different than back then but to a world where I'm nothing but a number, it matters little.

This woman did the course work to earn her degree. Denying her degree reflects badly on the college, and they should lose their accreditation status if they deny a degree to someone who earns it.

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google your name if you think you might not have something out there, I did and found lots of stuff. Family members have stuff too. You would be shocked at what you might find.

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google your name if you think you might not have something out there

No thanks. I don't wanna know what I did. I didn't do it. I was here the whole time.

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I have a friend whose 10 year old daughter has a myspace account

Wow, as young as 10! To be honest, my son has one, his sister set it up for him, but his is all about Anamae and Sonic. I've counseled them as to what not to do but what other people do is another thing.

Don't post things you don't want the world to know.

That's it right there!

That is taking their powers too far,

They have a right to do it I guess. Possibly might be in their bylaws, I don't know. But I do think it's extreme that they denied her a degree she paid for.

think I have shared too much on occassion.

Haven't we all?!

! When people get in an emotional mood, they do and say things they might regret later. I know if I followed through on some of the stuff I want to write from the things happening all the time, my blog would be quite interesting, or people would just get bored with my mess!

I don't recall if the TOS when signing up specify this, but you can't display an age below 14 years old

I believe you're right on this Pseudo, that is why my oldest had to create one for her brother. He's 12.

People need to think twice not just online but, also in the real world. Something stupid you do at a party(or anywhere) can easily end up on the net with all the camera phones, etc.

This very true!

Ultimately do you really want someone else determining what is right or wrong instead of actually making that choice for yourself?

True again!

This woman did the course work to earn her degree. Denying her degree reflects badly on the college, and they should lose their accreditation status if they deny a degree to someone who earns it.

I agree that they should give her the degree, she earned it! Regardless they should not interfere with her getting it!

google your name if you think you might not have something out there, I did and found lots of stuff. Family members have stuff too. You would be shocked at what you might find.

I've done that! Nothing on me...my real name that is....not at the moment!

! But there are other people with my name and they are busy!

No thanks. I don't wanna know what I did. I didn't do it. I was here the whole time.

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They have a right to do it I guess. Possibly might be in their bylaws, I don't know. But I do think it's extreme that they denied her a degree she paid for.

Actually, from what her suit alleges, at least, there was no such policy. I'll be interested to see how this one plays out.

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i use myspace to keep in contact with friends and family far away, but i have noticed several "annoying" features. Everytime i go, some annoying lil piece of spyware, some stupid ad, some dumb comment makes me wonder whether or not to leave.

It's not so bad, just a little irksome that the world's leading social site can't effectively maintain their own site, technical errors are embarrasingly common.i can't post into a forum without having some annoying error.

sign of Wincustomize's iminent demise...MySpace Layouts!

and the teaching degree thing? pure BS

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I'll be interested to see how this one plays out.

Me too!

i use myspace to keep in contact with friends and family far away

This is the reason for some people! It's better than IM and snail mail in that respect!

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starkers

Join Date 05/2004

+1153

google your name

Yeah, a mate did that and found he was wanted for 3 counts of grand larceny in one State and 2 counts of auto theft in another...all in a country he'd never been to (USA)

Obviously it was another person with the same name....but I had him worried for a while when I told him we have an extradition treaty with America and two U.S. Marshalls with warrants had been looking for him while he was at work.

I know, I'm a cruel mongrel, but watching him squirm felt good...payback for a practical joke he'd played on me some weeks earlier.

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I know, I'm a cruel mongrel, but watching him squirm felt good...payback for a practical joke he'd played on me some weeks earlier.

! OMG....payback's a bitch!

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