I'd like to note here that I have (a) a security clearance and (b) lots of pictures of me drinking in morally questionable clothing on my MySpace profile.

Every security interview and polygraph has included a statement that effectively says, "We understand you're in your 20s and you have friends and you go out occasionally."

What they're worried about is illegal activity. And I'm not worried about a picture of me smoking a joint surfacing, because I don't smoke them.

Don't worry. Just don't post pictures of yourself giving blowjobs, snorting a line of coke, or posting pictures of your new boob implants. I was looking at the GC myspace profiles a couple of days ago, and one GCer had a friend with a picture of her big ass boobies. :eek:

I understand where you're coming from and that's great that you work at a company where they get that a 20-something is going to do questionable stuff from time-to-time. Unfortunately, not every company is that understanding and it's because of this that people need to be careful as to what is on their personal profiles.

oops, i better take off that whip cream licking photo i have on myspace ;)

just use common sense. either turn yourself into a 14 year old and make it private or quit being such a skank.

Those were my big ass boobies.

Actually, that was kind of my point - the security clearance is through the gov't, so this is MULTIPLE companies, defense contractors, gov't agencies, etc. Not just one itty bitty liberal company.

I guess my point is, this kind of falls under 33girl's thing she always brings up when people talk about drinking in letters. If it's THAT BAD that the people at work can't possibly know you're doing it, maybe you shouldn't be doing it. Your collegues probably expect that you're out drinking every once in awhile. They probably do not expect that you're out smoking pot every once in awhile.

my livejournal and facebook are only visible to friends and I don't put my whole life out on those things. You have to keep some things private.

Not sure what campus wrote this article but got it throught he AFA listserv.


Facebook displays questionable activities
Eyes watch as students describe drinking, weapons possession
By Susie Wahrman/Correspondent
Published: 3/21/06 DailyTargum
Students can join groups on Facebook that express their every thought and desire, without considering who can read the information, which is why The New York Times in January labeled college students as the "Tell-All Generation."

With Facebook's party feature, students can advertise the times and locations of big parties, or advertise underage drinking and drug-use.

But there are consequences to these "Tell-All" Web sites.

The Rutgers Facebook group entitled "Weed is Good," for example, boasts 602 members. In addition, there are 10 Rutgers Facebook groups that support marijuana use and dozens more that support other forms of illegal substances.

In January, The Pennslyvania State University's campus police used Facebook information to close down a party, and many attendees were penalized for underage drinking. Similarly, in Alabama, three students were suspected earlier this month of setting fires to churches as a result of a Facebook message that said it was "time to reconvene the season of evil."

According Facebook's main page, "Facebook is an online directory that connects people through social networks at schools." It was created to help students get to know each other, and not as a security device.

Along with peer site MySpace, Facebook has recently been used for security purposes - in Colorado, a 16-year-old boy was arrested earlier this month when police saw pictures on MySpace of the teenager holding handguns. The weapons were later found in the boy's home.

To a lesser degree, University users also advertise their misdemeanors, complete with vulgarity.

For example, one University Facebook group has a student commenting on a message board, "Drunk and disorderly … it happens."

Other students, including underage ones, have Facebook profile pictures with them holding alcoholic beverages. This trend has become so popular one University Facebook group is entitled "Holding a Drink in Your Facebook Picture Does Not Make You Cool."

Users of Facebook can be punished not just for illegal activities, but also for their indiscretion as well.

John Brown University student Michael Guinn, for example, was recently kicked out of his college because of pictures he posted on Facebook of himself dressed in drag. John Brown is a private religious college, and watchful of its student population.

No disciplinary action of this kind has occurred at the University.

Anyone with a University email address can read any other University profile - and 115 faculty members and 333 staff members have Rutgers Facebook accounts, which means faculty members can easily access the profiles of their students.

With a few clicks and Facebook's Advanced Search option, any University can read a full report of any given student, possibly including pictures of a student or a link to his or her personal blog.

Many Facebook groups discuss lusting after certain professors and hating others, and the professors can easily read stories written about them that are never written anonymously.

Last spring, after criticizing their coaches on Facebook, two Louisiana State swimmers were kicked off the team.

A Rutgers Facebook group entitled "Facebook Stalkers" describes how students look up profiles of random people and keep up on all of their personal information. "Facebook makes it possible," the group's description reads.

Many students at the University feel they should not be punished for what they put online, since they consider the site is a private domain that should not be censored.

But other students said people should watch what they post. These students, such as Douglass College first-year Samantha Ehrlich, said anyone who does not realize how easy it is to access information on Facebook is "ignorant."

Ehrlich - who does not post her phone number or address on Facebook or the blog option on her MySpace profile - added, "People who would put personal information online for public viewing are naive."

"Why would they want other people reading their personal thoughts?" she asked.

Here's my question. What ever happened to code words? I mean, I think back and we could have easily had facebook groups with school or sorority specific code words that everyone there would have gotten and known what it was, but no one else would.

Use imagination people! :)

Ah, code words. At my work we actually do use code words when referring to certain things that may seem unbecoming of us.

So in other words, don't use your real name or identifying information.

btw, I'm realy a Delta Gamma from U of O :)

Awesome S & S, that's what my dad would look like blogging.

I agree with you here. I have a myspace account but it's a private profile & the pics I have are all mild (not that I have any crazy ones) but I would never post a pic of myself drinking if I did drink. That's just wrong. I don't get people that have semi-naked pics of themselves all over the place & have over 300 friends of which only about 20 are people they actually know.

Barnhart warns athletes about Facebook photos
Athletic director 'definitely not kidding,' athlete says
By: Tim Wiseman and Adam Sichko
Issue date: 1/30/06 Section: Campus News
The Kentucky Kernel (The University of Kentucky)

UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart gathered all of UK's student-athletes in Memorial Coliseum in a late-night meeting Wednesday and warned them about posting inappropriate photos on the Internet Web site Facebook.com.

Barnhart had been planning the meeting for a couple of weeks, said UK Athletics spokesman Scott Stricklin. UK has about 500 student-athletes, counting scholarship athletes and walk-ons, he said.

"This was not spur-of-the-moment," Stricklin said.

"He wanted to make sure they knew what was expected of them and that they understood what their responsibilities were as far as wearing the Blue and White," he said. "As much as there may have been problems, he wanted to make sure there weren't any problems, to make sure they know people are watching.

"He wanted to make sure he had their attention."

The Kernel first reported this story Friday afternoon on its Web site, www.kykernel.com.

Facebook is a social network Web site that allows students, faculty and staff of colleges across the nation to post profiles and pictures, link themselves to "friends" and join social groups. In its Dec. 9 issue, The Kernel reported how UK's administration has been using incriminating Facebook photos to convict students of alcohol-related violations.

"(Barnhart) had some things he shared with them to make sure they knew how he felt about it," Stricklin said. "He keeps pretty good tabs on what's going on, both good and bad."

Softball junior Brooke Marnitz said Barnhart's message carried a serious tone.

"He didn't give any specifics other than he can take away your financial aid or suspend you indefinitely," Marnitz said. "No matter what the coaches say, he said it's under his discretion.

"He made it seem like he was definitely not kidding around," she said.

Barnhart expressed concerns about the bad publicity that could result from misconduct displayed on the Internet, Marnitz said.

"I think some people, their conduct is not what it should be, and that upset him the most," Marnitz said. "He doesn't want the athletic department to become a headline. You see a lot of people jump on, 'Oh, an athlete did this.'

"He's just trying to protect the athletes, the school and the department," she said.

Student-athletes should respond to this warning, Marnitz said.

"I hope people take him seriously," she said. "I hope they open their eyes."

Gymnastics senior Staci O'Keefe said Barnhart told the student-athletes he doesn't want to ban their use of such Internet sites as Facebook.com.

"He just doesn't want anything portrayed that shouldn't be," O'Keefe said. "He told us to look at what's on the Internet, and if it's not representing UK well, then it shouldn't be out there."

O'Keefe said she doesn't think many people are having to make major changes.

"It's not like people are erasing everything," she said. "I'm not changing anything."

Stricklin said the meeting served as a reminder of the responsibilities that come with being a student-athlete at UK.

"Five hundred individuals between 18 and 22, there's always the need to remind all of them," Stricklin said.

"We have people who are monitoring these sites. So don't put anything up there you don't want us to know."