Some thoughts on board decorum and image

[Greekgrrl]

So DeltAlum's post in chit chat got me thinking.

My advice to my fellow Greeks and especially Thetas: Posting in 'smutty' threads can (and some may debate me on this, that's ok) associate your organization with the topic at hand.

Maybe that PNM your chapter has its heart set on is VERY conservative and comes to GC to see whether or not she can go Greek and still keep her beliefs intact -- only to see your organization's name all over a topic on drunkenness or unusual or free sexual practices; maybe that PNM will think twice about wanting to be associated with you! (Note: Even if you're writing to say you don't agree, you're still going to be associated. Seeing in the thread index that "TriNuGirl" posted on "Who likes sex with monkeys?" is still going to make an impression, even if the actual post was "You people are horribly wrong and I'm going to pray for you")

We're all adults here (or close to it, anyway), I'm not saying that we can't think these things or even say/type them -- but are they really relevant for a Greek life board?

Any non-Greek that comes to the boards and sees 17 threads in Chitchat about this or that hookup or drunken habit or drug use or whatever may only have stereotypes confirmed for them. (This includes moms, dads, and ever-increasingly-online grandparents.)

Just my 2 cents to support DeltAlum's decision.

[ThetaGrrl]

Good point!! I'm really glad that you posted this in the Theta forums.

[dzrose93]

Sorry to crash your board, but I just wanted to say that you make a lot of sense. If more Greeks did as you suggested, we wouldn't have some of the public relations nightmares that so many GLO's are currently facing.

[James]

Do you have any cognitive dissonance between your real lives and what you advertise?

I think people should write about who they are, and how they behave.

If that is going to dissauade a potential member . . then it does because that is how some people are.

You really owe it to people not to blow sunshine up their asses (their donkeys so you don't think ass is an unforgiveable word).

If they are going to generalize all Thetas or whomever from a few posters, you are going to be in trouble anyway because they will be swayed by whatever rumours they hear prior to going to your campus.

With all due respect to the commenters: Fasle advertising is just another way to lie about who you are.

[Greekgrrl]

James, I think there's a difference between false advertising and tact.

Would you talk about going out to the club on Saturday nights at a job interview? Do you discuss wacky schooltime hijinks at church? No, because they're irrelevant and may make people around you uncomfortable, as well as representing you in a poor light. There's nothing wrong with discussing some things in their proper context, and only in the appropriate context.

I'm not asking anyone to misrepresent herself, I'm just asking everyone to please keep the public status of the board in mind.

[adduncan]

Pardon the thread crash folks; I'd like to throw in two cents on this.

When I first came on GC as a PNAM a year ago, I was just beginning to re - learn about NPC and NPHC orgs. Like any collegiate newbie, I was a total sponge--absorbing everything and very sensitive to whatever was posted.

Occasionally I run across a thread where emotions got out of control and people posted comments that were highly offensive to my faith, my personal politics, etc. Some were outright attacks of what I saw as an ignorant, malicious, slanderous, etc nature.

Now if the signature happened to have the person's letters in it, or if I knew what their org was from other posts, it planted a seed of doubt in my mind as to whether this org was one I wanted to meet with and discuss an AI pursuit.

It is easy to say, "Oh, well, one person is not representative of the org...." if YOU are not the one on the vulnerable side, looking for your home. Even if you can rationalize logically, there is still a subconscious/emotional question, is this opinion typical of the members of this org?

So to bolster Greegrrl's and DeltAlum's posts on this topic, keep in mind what is posted (I'm directing this to myself as well as my husband's letters are in my sig) and remember WORDS MEAN THINGS. From the outside looking in, I've learned that one of the positive learning experiences of Greek life is that each person's actions affect other people. It's easy to dismiss that idea if you can't immediately see that result yourself but forums like this make it obvious is one person screws up, they affect the image not only of their own org, but other GLOs as well. Ditto for positive actions by an individual.

Adrienne