Transcript Facebook.com: “Social Hub” or “Stalker’s Paradise”? Presented By: Teri Atkinson Makesha Harris Jenesha Penn History of facebook.com  Thefacebook was founded in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg,

Facebook.com: “Social Hub” or
“Stalker’s Paradise”?
Presented By:
Teri Atkinson
Makesha Harris
Jenesha 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.
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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
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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.
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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
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Some have argued that Thefacebook is not as
user-friendly as other college-networking websites.
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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
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Not anonymous
Potential for cyber-stalking and harassment
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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
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The “Future” Impact of Facebook
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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.
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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:
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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?
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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.
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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 are
worthwhile and educational to the students? Is there a way to
measure their success?
Does the tutorial benefit students?
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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?
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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?
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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
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Basic Instruction/Information:
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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
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Should cover what know about Facebook
Laws: FERPA, review university policies regarding
alcohol, honor codes, etc.
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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
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Sexual Assault Laws
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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.
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Cheating/ Plagiarism
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copyright law
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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
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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:
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You can remove any offensive wall postings by
clicking on the "delete" button below the entry.
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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:
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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:
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Simply view the photo and click the "remove tag" link next
to your name. It will no longer be linked to your profile.
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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).
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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:
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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:
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You find an explicit, hateful or otherwise
objectionable ad on Facebook.
The Solution:
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Email [email protected] to report the ad.
Student Quiz
Multiple Choice
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1. What is facebook?
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2. Who has access to facebook?
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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
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?
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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
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4. When posting a profile, the following information may
pose a threat to the individual’s safety:
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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:
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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 Studies
[To be Used by RAs During Meetings in First Week
of Class as Orientation Material]
Case Study 1
Three 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 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
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1. What is facebook?
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2. Who has access to facebook?
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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
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?
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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
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4. When posting a profile, the following information may pose a threat to the individual’s
safety:
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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:
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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.
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2. University officials cannot check your facebook profile.
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3. Future employers check facebook to do “background” checks on students.
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4. Writing inappropriate comments on another person’s wall cannot be considered
harassment.
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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 2
An 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.com
www.batchmates.com (online dating safety tips)
www.dictionary.com
www.facebook.com
www.facebook.com/help.php?tab=abuse
www.gsulaw.gsu.edu/lawand/papers/su98/
cyberstalking/#federal_statutes
www.rbs2.com/plag.htm#anchor333333
www.securityoncampus.org/victims/billofrights.html