Post written by: Nan Pasquarello

Facebook and MySpace are not just examples of cool new technology. In just a couple of years they have become ways of life for many college students. They offer a means for self-expression, a place in which to share information and common interests, a medium in which one can vent or have fun, and a way to create and maintain friendships and community.

One of the things that seems to go along with the many positives of social networking is a false sense of privacy that many individuals feel they have online. Subsequently, there are possible unintended consequences that may result from making a great deal of information accessible to anyone who might find it. The fact is that the Internet is not a private space. Unless a user sets her or his privacy settings or permissions such that only trusted viewers have access to content, the way one expresses her/himself or others on a social networking site could have some pretty important consequences, and they are worth considering.

For example, someone’s “drunk and passed out” photo tagged by a friend and labeled with a name might come up when that person is “Googled” by a potential employer. Including personal information on a profile like a residence hall room number, cell phone number, birth date, etc. along with posting a “status,” which tells the world exactly what a person is doing at a given moment can set up a would-be stalker, harasser, or identity thief with otherwise private information. I recommend that you do NOT include personal information on your profile for all to see. Keep in mind that the groups that one joins sends a message to viewers, and interpretations can lead to unintended consequences.

A few things to keep in mind:

• SUNY Cortland’s approach to Facebook and other social networking sites is that the Judicial Affairs Office is not going to actively seek out apparent policy infractions. We are not trolling the Internet looking for violations. That being said, however, if an alleged policy violation is brought to our attention or to the attention of a college official, Judicial Affairs will proceed as it would with any other allegation and will evaluate each report on a case-by-case basis with the potential of initiating the disciplinary process. It is helpful for students to “know the Code,” and use good judgment when it comes to posting items on social networking sites.

• While some entities, grad schools, and employers may tell students that they check Facebook and MySpace, others may not. Applying for a campus job? Remember that some campus personnel have Facebook accounts and may just check out profiles when narrowing it down between finalists for a position on campus or beyond.

• Anything posted on the Internet is cached, which means that even after the information is taken off a web site, it is still available in an Internet cache and can be retrieved unless you request that the information be permanently removed from a search engine. What that typically involves is sending a written request to various search engines like Google and others, and it usually means going through a lot of extra work to guarantee that the information that was impulsively posted – for a laugh – won’t create a problem for you or someone else.

• While the Internet is not in and of itself a private space, remember that there are fairly complex legal considerations when it comes to the privacy of others and how a person represents other people. Be sure that you understand the consequences for defaming another’s character or for libel.

Think about who you want the world to see when they type your name into a search engine. Are you presenting yourself in a way that will help you achieve your goals, not just this weekend, but five years from now? Ask yourself as we facetiously ask at our Orientation presentations…”Would grandma like what she sees?”

I will conclude with a reflection on the “Golden Rule” from Tracy Mitrano, who has written an excellent guide, Thoughts on Facebook, linked below, because it can’t be said better than this: “Don’t say anything about someone else that you would not want said about yourself. And be gentle with yourself too! What might seem fun or spontaneous at 18, given caching technologies, might prove to be a liability to an on-going sense of your identity over the longer course of history. Have fun and make productive use of these new, exciting technologies, but remember that technology does not absolve one of responsibility. Behind every device, behind every new program, behind every technology is a law, a social norm, a business practice that warrants thoughtful consequences.”

When it comes to social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, enjoy the good, beware of the bad, and think ahead to avoid unintended consequences!

Reference: Thoughts on Facebook, by Tracy Mitrano, Director of IT Policy and Computer Policy & Law Program, Cornell University; http://www.cit.cornell.edu/policy/memos/facebook.html, April 2006.