Blog 4 - Brydan Zbytovsky

I just finished reading the article that Schools creating new rules for social networking policies.

This article was about 27 college school in six major conferences that are creating new rules for social networking policies. Last fall, pictures emerged on Facebook of two 19-year old Hawkeye football players holding cash and liquor bottles. Also two LSU swimmers were removed from the team after making disparaging comments about their coaches on Facebook, and a Colorado football player and cross country runner were issued harassment tickets by campus police after sending a racially threatening Facebook message to a Hispanic cross country runner. This is just an example of one of the things that have happened on college campuses. So now more school are putting student leaders and coaches and administrators to monitor what goes on with their students, players, and friends in the world of social networking.

This article relates to me because I also am a athlete that uses Facebook and have seen status' myself that have been putting down coaches or teammates or other towns, which is all wrong this is seen by the public, all of this is considered bullying. Kids don't understand or realize what they are doing, I have heard of incidents that the sports league had to get involved and punish what was going on. Also I have seen pictures that are deemed inappropriate to most and advertising Alcohol to minors in pictures that are posted on Facebook. The kids have to realize everyone can see this, and I mean EVERYONE your friends, family, non- friends, colleagues, you have to respect and follow the rules of social networking. People have to show respect for themselves on here, and watch what they say because they might be hurting someone and they don't even know it.

I agree with these rules that these colleges have put into affect with social networking rules. This is way all of the situations and mistakes someone made can be taken up by a senior leader and if they cannot handle the situation they can take it up with an administrator. I do disagree a little bit with this policy because I think people use social networking to contact friends and family, and yes there are somethings that do not need to be on Facebook but i do think there needs to be some kind of privacy towards the people, some of these rules are kind of like spying don't you think? So yes i do agree with these rules but you still have to consideration of privacy towards people, everyone likes their own privacy.

Here is the link to this article:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2008-07-27-social-networks_N.htm