What is considered crossing the line in internet gossip, or is there even a line? Should people's reputations, lives and families be ruined due to internet gossip? Websites like postsecret.com, where "bloggers" send in their deepest secret written on a postcard prove that anonymous gossip is okay, since it is one of the top ten visited websites by college aged females. The creator of the site also publishes books with the same concept. Postsecret.com does not post the person's name who submits the postcard, and postcards with names on them are not posted online or published in the book.
But a new wave of internet gossip is hitting the internet, especially for college aged students. Recently CNN.com posted an article about juicycampus.com; a college Web site that enables students to blog about sex, drugs and gossip. While postsecret.com is completely anonymous, juicycampus.com is not. After visiting the website I was able to facebook search one of the names featured in a title of a blog on the homepage of the website. Is this considered an invasion of privacy, to have embarrassing information posted on a website devoted to campus gossip? Duke, UCLA and Loyola Marymount are just a few of the schools involved. Normally, students fight for internet freedom but in this case student editorials, student leaders, newspaper editorials and posters on the site are fighting against it. Administrators are appalled by the site but can do nothing about it, since it can be viewed outside the student computer network. If employers, siblings or parents were to read the information posted, futures could be ruined and reputations demolished. Besides damaging a student's reputation the site enables dangerous threats to become more widely known. A now former Loyola Marymount student was arrested after allegedly posting a school wide shooting threat on Juicycampus.com. Student leaders and administrators believe the website will die down after the shock value is gone. Is there a line that can be crossed when dealing with internet privacy and gossip and is Juicycampus.com crossing it?
WOW!!! I just visited the sight for myself and I couldn't believe my eyes. The first blog I read was titled Stephanie Smith. When I clicked on her name to read the blog it was so horrible I could not repeat the words. The sight is full of such perversion and hate. I don't understand why college students would waist their time on it and stoop to such a low level. I would never want KU to become a part of this virtual reality and it will be very very sad if we ever do. I don't think there is a privacy issue that can be battled here. I think the key to eliminating gossip sights like this one is to ignore it. Check it out for yourself once, but not to become a part of it. Thanks Inga for showing us this sight. It's shocking.
WOW!!! I just visited the sight for myself and I couldn't believe my eyes. The first blog I read was titled Stephanie Smith. When I clicked on her name to read the blog it was so horrible I could not repeat the words. The sight is full of such perversion and hate. I don't understand why college students would waist their time on it and stoop to such a low level. I would never want KU to become a part of this virtual reality and it will be very very sad if we ever do. I don't think there is a privacy issue that can be battled here. I think the key to eliminating gossip sights like this one is to ignore it. Check it out for yourself once, but not to become a part of it. Thanks Inga for showing us this sight. It's shocking.
WOW!!! I just visited the sight for myself and I couldn't believe my eyes. The first blog I read was titled Stephanie Smith. When I clicked on her name to read the blog it was so horrible I could not repeat the words. The sight is full of such perversion and hate. I don't understand why college students would waist their time on it and stoop to such a low level. I would never want KU to become a part of this virtual reality and it will be very very sad if we ever do. I don't think there is a privacy issue that can be battled here. I think the key to eliminating gossip sights like this one is to ignore it. Check it out for yourself once, but not to become a part of it. Thanks Inga for showing us this sight. It's shocking.
One of the Internet's most beneficial features is also it's biggest downfall: easy access. The fact that anyone, any where can write whatever they what and post it into cyber world forever is really scary, and quite frankly, dangerous. It's hard enough finding truth on the Internet. Any site asking for gossip is asking for trouble.
I have been to the postsecret Web site and read parts of the book that they sell at Urban Outfitters. I have always been shocked when I read that book at the secrets that people tell. It never seemed too bad since it was anonymous. After visiting the juicycampus Web site I couldn't believe my eyes. I feel like this is ridiculous, but at the same time these people know that the site isn't anonymous. These people are chosing to be apart of this. If they don't want their friends or families knowing these secrets they shouldn't be posting them online. I do feel that this site is inappropriate and will cause further harm, but as I said its their choice.