Facebook.com: “Social Hub” or “Stalker’s Paradise”?

Presented By:Teri Atkinson

Makesha HarrisJenesha Penn

History of facebook.com

Thefacebook was founded in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, then a sophomore at Harvard College.

Initially, the website only allowed Harvard University students to register. The website spread very quickly across the Harvard campus. Within a few weeks over half the undergraduate population had registered.

Thefacebook hosts facebooks for some 835 different colleges and universities throughout North America and in the British Isles, as of June 15 2005.

Currently, very few non-American universities are represented (five in Canada, four in the United Kingdom, and one in Ireland). The operators of the website have pledged to rectify the issue soon, adding more universities as time goes by. In April and May 2005, Thefacebook added its first community colleges.

Facts about facebook.com

A social networking website similar to sites like Friendster, Myspace, and orkut but specifically targeted at college and university students. The name is based on the paper facebooks that many colleges give to incoming students, faculty, and staff depicting members of the campus community.

As of 2005, it has the largest number of registrants among college networking sites. The site is open not only to students, but to university faculty, staff, and alumni as well.

The website has since expanded to many universities across the United States and is, as of 2004, in terms of sheer numbers of registrants, the leading social network website aimed at college students.

In November 2004, the number of registered users exceeded one million.

Features

Like other social networking websites, thefacebook.com users create an online identity and may upload a user picture. Then, users may search for people and select them as "friends." The site attempts to restrict access to its various facebooks for different institutions by requiring a validated school e-mail address. Also, the site limits the ability of students to access information between schools—though mutual friends from different schools may access each other's profiles.

However, Thefacebook offers an interesting advantage over other friendship websites in that it allows members to browse through students taking the same classes, living in the same buildings, or coming from the same high schools.

Members may search their local campus or search for friends in the Facebook's "global" network, which includes students at all universities on the Facebook.

Features Continued

The Facebook allows for members to message each other, which is a form of e-mail inside of the Facebook interface. Members may also "poke" each other. This feature posts a message on the login page saying that you have been "poked" by another Facebook member.

Members can create and join groups. These groups can be social, academic, or joke groups. Many clubs and fraternities/sororities also create Facebook groups to easily connect members. Facebook members may also list parties for their campus. These can be searched for by others. Facebook parties allow for public or private parties to be listed and include an RSVP feature.

The Facebook is regularly adding new features, both internal and external. Wirehog is an external application which can be incorporated with the Facebook.

Logistical criticisms of facebook.com

Some have argued that Thefacebook is not as user-friendly as other college-networking websites. criticized for not allowing users to view profiles of people

at other colleges who have not already listed them as a friend.

not well-suited to blogging or journal-keeping in the way other similar sites are; its only blog-like feature is a "wall" on each user's page that any friend can edit, but with no organization.

problems with maintenance have been an issue as many new accounts are made each day causing heavy traffic for the servers.

Logistical Criticisms Continued

Another criticism, which many claim as their reason for not using it, is its addictive nature to become a popularity contest Users often boast of their "friend" count, with

special emphasis going to the number of friends at other universities. With many users having friend counts of over 1000, it is highly unlikely that the user knows all of his or her "friends," let alone has met them in person.

A “Stalker’s Paradise”: Facebook as a Potential Liability

Not anonymous Potential for cyber-stalking and harassment

Facebook profiles contain students’ school, residence hall room numbers, interests, relationship statuses, photos, event invitations and the names of online groups they belong to.

Creating negative perceptions through profile postings (self-imposed and by others, e.g. “outing” oneself through a profile)

A “Social Hub”: Facebook as a Technological Advancement

Communicate with members of organizations Networking opportunities Reconnect with old friends Create RSVP lists for social gatherings Public Relations for organizations Work with other students in your classes

The “Future” Impact of Facebook

Kansas, students caught sharing coursework and violated honor code

Employers can use Facebook to do background “checks” on potential employees

The Washington Post recently reported some Washington-area private high schools have prohibited students from using their school e-mail addresses to register on Facebook. Revealing too much to strangers College recruiters using Facebook to do background

research on students, potentially influencing admission into college

Tasks of the Committee

Being Proactive in this Technological Age

Facebook Tutorial

Create online Facebook.com “tutorial” including, but not limited to: Students will be required to complete a facebook tutorial

before they can access the school’s computer system The tutorial will take approximately 20-30 minutes to

complete At the conclusion of the tutorial there will be an exam that

students must pass with a “B” grade, or repeat the exam must be repeated examination

Questions to Consider

1. Why is this presentation and tutorial necessary on your campus?

Facebook can be an incredible tool that not only unites students but can also be utilized to bond faculty with their students as well. Administrators are now joining facebook to: (1) disprove the perception that they are not as technically savvy as their students and (2) to make themselves more available to students. Teaching students and faculty to use facebook appropriately could promote positive relationships, improve mass communication, and assist students in acclimating to campus culture.

To promote the positive attributes of facebook a tutorial would assist students in: (1) understanding the consequences of misusing facebook, (2) advocate using the service appropriately, and (3) assist students in policing and governing their own use by empowering them to rectify any misuse by their peers.

Questions to Consider Continued

2. How did you decide which content and questions are to be utilized for the student presentation and tutorial?

Question’s were designed to educate students about the positive and negative consequences of facebook technology.

Many students are not aware that administrators, faculty, and employers are accessing their profiles to gain information.

Student’s could be using facebook to promote relationships with peers and faculty, display community service or philanthropy work, market campus events, etc. instead of posting pictures of their alcohol use or utilizing wall postings to display inappropriate content.

Among the most serious, a tutorial was designed to protect students from harm. Posting too much personal information permits others the ability to access information that may not be healthy and may be extremely unsafe.

Questions to Consider Continued

3. What questions will be asked as part of the exam for the tutorial?

[All quiz questions are included in the educational compentency for facebook users segment of this power point.]

Questions to Consider Continued

4. How will you ensure that the orientation and online programs areworthwhile and educational to the students?  Is there a way tomeasure their success?

Does the tutorial benefit students? Tutorial can be address and discussed in all freshman mandated courses

to promote dialogue as well as formal and informal evaluation. A component of the quiz will include student’s comments and suggestions. A mini poll will be posted on the university’s main web page to garner

student perception of the facebook tutorial.

Tutorial assessment? Record the number of misconduct reports to administration about

facebook misconduct. Evaluation of the number of judicial reviews regarding student misconduct

with facebook?

Questions to Consider Continued

5. When and how often will the feasibility of these programs be revisited?

Assessment of the tutorial regarding mini poll responses, freshman course discussion and evaluation, and misconduct reports will be assessed once each year during the summer term.

During the summer term feedback from students, misconduct reports, and administrator input will be reviewed to improve the facebook tutorial, ultimately creating a tutorial that may assist students in engaging in a popular online social network without compromising their integrity or safety.

Questions to Consider Continued

6. What are the issues faculty/staff need to be aware of when utilizing facebook.com? Faculty and staff are assuming facebook is a technology that should

be used primarily by students. Reluctant administrators sight student’s privacy for not wanting to engage in facebook. However, the opposite is true. Many student are encouraging their faculty and staff to use facebook. Students enjoy the connection and accessibility they have with their professors when they are able to communicate with them via facebook.

A pressing issue for administrators however is how much credence to give to information they learn from student postings on facebook when information students give verbally conflict with what they have posted on the internet.

Questions to Consider Continued

7. What did you and your committee learn from this project?

Through this project, we not only expanded our knowledge and experience with Facebook, but also enhanced our perspective on ethics, liability and legality. We now also understand the contemporary considerations we must take into account when dealing with the influx of technology in our institutions today. This is an issue that is becoming increasingly significant in our personal and professional lives. As a group, we are perplexed by the incredible impact technology, such as Facebook, has and will continue to have on generations who are immersed in this technological culture. We further contemplate legal ramifications of this technology on the realm of Higher Education.

Educational Competency for Facebook Users

Administrators, Faculty, & Students

Online Quiz Tutorial

Basic Instruction/Information: Questions (5 multiple choice, 5 T/F) Time—should take at least 20 minutes to complete (with

supplemental information, pictures, and case study) Procedure for pass/fail (must have at least 8/10 correct) Certification and who is required to take it (all students, staff,

administrators, and faculty) How to use quiz (available as a “firewall” of sorts when first log onto

facebook.com site, or hard copy of quiz/informational booklet for those who are visually impaired—cannot access site until successfully completed; password protected/username format)

Test must be taken by October 1st of every school year; take first year and then certified for all remaining years, but all who are sophomore to senior, including administrators/staff/faculty, should take it as well

Material Covered Before Test: Overview

Should cover what know about Facebook Laws: FERPA, review university policies regarding

alcohol, honor codes, etc. FERPA and Privacy Acts Sexual assault laws Alcohol Cheating/dishonesty Stalking Customer Support

In addition, a comments section at end of test will be available for participants to add input on what they liked/disliked about tutorial so that it can be improved upon

FERPA and Privacy Acts

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a U.S. federal law that provides for the protection of student records. (FERPA is also known as "the Buckley amendment.") The law gives students four specific rights:

The right to inspect and review their education records. The right to amend of their education records. The right to limit the disclosure of some of their personally

identifiable information (referred to as "directory information").

The right to file a complaint with the FERPA Office

Sexual Assault Laws

The United States Congress enacted the "Campus Sexual Assault Victims' Bill of Rights" in 1992 as a part of the Higher Education Amendments of 1992 (Public Law: 102-325, section 486(c)).

This law requires that all colleges and universities (both public and private) participating in federal student aid programs afford sexual assault victims certain basic rights.

You can find the specifics of your institutions regulations in your student handbook

Alcohol

The Higher Education Act requires institutions of higher learning to adopt and enforce policies aimed at preventing the illegal use of alcohol and other drugs. Policies are usually developed with input from students, faculty, administrators, and community members.

It is important for each student to read their school handbook and learn about their schools alcohol policy.

Cheating/ Plagiarism

copyright law The owner of the copyright could sue the plagiarist in federal court

for violation of the copyright. Any work created in the USA after 1 Mar 1989 is automatically protected by copyright, even if there is no copyright notice attached to the work. 17 USC §§ 102, 401, and 405.

fraud Beyond intellectual property issues (e.g., copyright and trademark),

the plagiarist committed fraud. The plagiarist knows that he is not the true author of the work, yet the plagiarist willfully and deliberately puts his name on the work (thereby concealing the true author's name), then the plagiarist submits the work as an inducement to some kind of reward (e.g., good grade on a term paper, awarding a graduate degree for a thesis or dissertation, obtaining a scholarship, winning a prize in a science fair, ...).

Stalking

In addition to 18 USC 875(c), Congress has also passed the Interstate Stalking Punishment and Prevention act of 1996[32]. Under this Act, it is illegal to travel across a state line with the intent to injure or harass another person or as a result of such travel to cause that person to reasonably fear for their safety.

The Interstate Stalking Act is limited because it requires that the perpetrator cross state lines. However, one could make the argument that Internet communication does cross state lines. Furthermore, 18 USC 875(c) requires an actual threat be made against the victim. As demonstrated by the Baker case, anything less that a direct threat made against the victim may fall short of the requirements needed to prosecute cyberstalking.

Customer Support

The Problem: You're receiving unwanted messages

The Solution: You can easily block any other user on Facebook

from seeing or contacting you by entering their login email address on the My Privacy Page.

Another option is to limit the people who can find you in searches to friends or "friends of friends." These options are also available on the My Privacy Page.

Customer Support Continued

The Problem: You're receiving unwanted wall postings.

The Solution: You can remove any offensive wall postings by

clicking on the "delete" button below the entry. If you would like to prevent the individual from

leaving any more abusive postings, just remove them as a friend (from the "My Friends" page). Only people on your friends list can post on your wall.

Customer Support Continued

The Problem: You find an explicit, hateful or otherwise

objectionable profile on Facebook.

The Solution: You can anonymously report offensive profile

pictures and content by clicking on the "Report this Person" button (located under the profile's picture). You will be asked to specify the offensive content. Facebook will review your complaint and act accordingly.

Customer Support Continued

The Problem: Someone has posted an objectionable photo on

Facebook.

The Solution: You can anonymously report photos that violate

the terms of service (i.e. pornography or copyrighted images) by clicking on the "Report This Photo" button below the picture. Facebook monitors complaints and takes down photos as necessary. It is not a violation of the terms of service to post a photo that is unflattering.

Customer Support Continued

The Problem: Someone has posted a photo of you that you don't like.

The Solution: Simply view the photo and click the "remove tag" link next

to your name. It will no longer be linked to your profile. Remember that you can only tag your friends. If you are

having problems with someone constantly tagging you in embarrassing photos, just remove them as a friend (from the "My Friends" page).

If you don't want the photo to be shown at all, please talk to the person who posted it. They should be respectful enough to remove unwanted photos. Unfortunately, Facebook cannot make users remove photos that do not violate terms of service.

Customer Support Continued

The Problem: Someone has identified you as being in a photo

that you're not in.

The Solution: Simply view the photo and click the "remove tag"

link next to your name. It will no longer be linked to your profile.

Customer Support Continued

The Problem: You find an explicit, hateful or otherwise

objectionable ad on Facebook.

The Solution: Email announce@facebook.com to report the ad.

Student Quiz

Multiple Choice 1. What is facebook?

A. a book given to students at the beginning of the year with student information B. a web-based social network C. a yearbook D. a blog

2. Who has access to facebook? A. students B. university faculty C. university staff D. alumni E. anyone with a university/college-affiliated email address F. all of the above

3. What are ethical considerations with facebook? A. Posting personal details which create discomfort or are “unwanted” by a person (e.g. “outing” a

person on their wall) B. A student is viewed by their RA with weapons or drugs in their pictures in a facebook album C. An administrator sees a student staff member drinking underage in a picture posted by a friend

on facebook D. none of the above

Student Quiz Continued

4. When posting a profile, the following information may pose a threat to the individual’s safety: A. cell phone number B. an IM/screen name C. an address D. class schedule E. all of the above F. A and B F. none of the above

5. Which of the following is a major concern of university faculty regarding facebook usage: A. Social networking B. Plagiarism C. Lack of accountability among students when dealing with

personal/interpersonal issues D. Efficiency in communication

Student Quiz Continued

True/False 1. You can be held liable for any information posted on your facebook profile. 2. University officials cannot check your facebook profile. 3. Future employers check facebook to do “background” checks on students. 4. Writing inappropriate comments on another person’s wall cannot be considered harassment. 5. Facebook has not impacted the culture of higher education.

Case Study 1Three students in a particular residence hall are

distressed to discover that some of their neighbors have been receiving fliers with their pictures in the mail. The flyers make denigrating comments about private matters, inclusing their sexual orientations. There is a rumor in the hall that the flyers will be distributed at a campus concert that does not come to fruition. The pictures on the flyers were obtained from the women’s profiles on facebook.com

Case Studies[To be Used by RAs During Meetings in First Week

of Class as Orientation Material]

Case Studies Continued

Case Study 2

An RA confronts a student in the lobby who is being belligerent towards the desk staff. The RA documents the situation. The student, in turn, leaves a threatening message on the RA’s wall on facebook.com

Administrator/Faculty Quiz

Multiple Choice 1. What is facebook?

A. a book given to students at the beginning of the year with student information B. a web-based social network C. a yearbook D. a blog

2. Who has access to facebook? A. students B. university faculty C. university staff D. alumni E. anyone with a university/college-affiliated email address F. all of the above

3. What are ethical considerations with facebook? A. Posting personal details which create discomfort or are “unwanted” by a person (e.g. “outing” a

person on their wall) B. A student is viewed by their RA with weapons or drugs in their pictures in a facebook album C. An administrator sees a student staff member drinking underage in a picture posted by a friend

on facebook D. none of the above

Administrator/Faculty Quiz Continued

4. When posting a profile, the following information may pose a threat to the individual’s safety:

A. cell phone number B. an IM/screen name C. an address D. class schedule E. all of the above F. A and B F. none of the above

5. Which of the following is a major concern of university faculty regarding facebook usage:

A. Social networking B. Plagiarism C. Lack of accountability among students when dealing with personal/interpersonal issues D. Efficiency in communication

True/False 1. You can be held liable for any information posted on your facebook profile. 2. University officials cannot check your facebook profile. 3. Future employers check facebook to do “background” checks on students. 4. Writing inappropriate comments on another person’s wall cannot be considered

harassment. 5. Facebook has not impacted the culture of higher education.

Case Studies [To Be Used by Facilitators in Professional Staff Training]

Case Study 1

Two sets of parents call the Housing office to demand room changes for their children based on the profiles the assigned roommates have posted on facebook.com. The students have yet to meet or communicate with each other.

Case Studies Continued

Case Study 2An RA is upset that a resident has called her

on her cell phone and shown her other forms of unwanted attention. She and another RA confront him and he stops the undesired behavior. Initially, she is mystified as to how the resident obtained her number, but then she realized that he obtained it on her profile on facebook. Her supervisor encourages her to remove her number from the profile or adjust the settings. Three months later, her profile still contains the number as well as her daily work schedule and work location.

References

Fogler, Maggie. Facebook.com: A whole new can of worms. TRENDS, September 2005, 14-16.

www.ask.comwww.batchmates.com (online dating safety tips)

www.dictionary.comwww.facebook.comwww.facebook.com/help.php?tab=abusewww.gsulaw.gsu.edu/lawand/papers/su98/

cyberstalking/#federal_statuteswww.rbs2.com/plag.htm#anchor333333www.securityoncampus.org/victims/billofrights.html