Facebook - Privacy Violation?

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

This may have been mentioned before, but the other option is to not mention your affiliation with your GLO group on facebook. Personally, I'd still hope that people who keep their postings and photos within the boundaries of good taste, but if you don't really wholeheartedly accept a group's attitude about alcohol, you could limited the issue by not having letters, symbols, greek crests, family trees, etc in your profile.

While I don't think it's a big hardship to not have photos boozing it up online, I also don't think anyone should take the effort to Puritanical extremes. For instance, and this is totally hypothetical since I have no authority in this area, I don't think I'd try to take action against a member who was above the legal drinking age who posted no photos of herself with alcohol connected to her page, but who appeared to be drinking a photo tagged by others. The effort not to connect GLO signs, symbols, or letters with alcohol doesn't extend to requiring that members of legal age not drink in public ever, so I'm not sure why a photo, which wasn't otherwise inappropriate in content, of a person with something that appeared to be alcohol generally being on the internet would be a big problem, tagged on facebook or otherwise.

I suspect that having a outright ban on alcohol images connected with GLOs is just a whole lot easier than making the repeated judgment calls about, well, this photo with a beer bottle is fine but this one isn't because you look drunk, etc.

I doubt anyone would get that upset about a tagged photo...just de tag it, no big deal.

It is definitely easier to just say don't do it then have to figure out what situation is ok. And leaving it open also leaves room to discriminate against one girl versus another.

It IS an option for a woman of legal age to choose between being affiliated online with her letters or posting pictures of booze. What I can't wrap my head around is why anyone would choose the booze.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl

I doubt anyone would get that upset about a tagged photo...just de tag it, no big deal.

It is definitely easier to just say don't do it then have to figure out what situation is ok. And leaving it open also leaves room to discriminate against one girl versus another.

It IS an option for a woman of legal age to choose between being affiliated online with her letters or posting pictures of booze. What I can't wrap my head around is why anyone would choose the booze.

I can't imagine consciously choosing booze, but I can see deciding that I wanted to be free to post pretty close to whatever I wanted rather than having to filter it though someone else's group standards, especially when I was 21 or so.

Even here and now when I'm a lot older and not posting photos, I have enjoyed not having the GLO reference in user name more that I would have guessed when I started.

I didn't get the feeling that Taualumna had the big personal investment in the issue that some people were reading in her posts, but I understand some of what she's feeling in terms of not seeing much fundamentally wrong with alcoholic drinks and therefore finding any strict absolute policy a little rigid. I think it can also be irritating when folks latch onto certain rules about how the group looks while ignoring or promoting images that might be equally distressing to some group members: Barbie chapters, etc, (which I'm not trying to suggest anyone in this thread would do, just that messages about image are trickier than maybe they'd first seem).

ETA: In practice one probably should de-tag a photo like we discussed. In theoretical terms, I don't think she should have to. If it's not illegal or embarrassing and she was drinking in public at the time the photo was taken, it seems a little silly and maybe even hypocritical to worry about de-tagging it. People should think carefully about what they have in their profiles, but in cases where there's nothing wrong with a photo. . .

[SWTXBelle]

I think the reason for the all-out ban on alcohol in pictures is because while you can trust most members to use common sense, the few idiots would spoil it for everyone. So, a lovely shot of a bride and groom toasting each other with champagne would not be a problem for me, but any of the horrible drunken antics shots that we've all seen would be a BIG problem. As usual, the few ruin it for the many.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I think the reason for the all-out ban on alcohol in pictures is because while you can trust most members to use common sense, the few idiots would spoil it for everyone. So, a lovely shot of a bride and groom toasting each other with champagne would not be a problem for me, but any of the horrible drunken antics shots that we've all seen would be a BIG problem. As usual, the few ruin it for the many.

Yep.

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I can't imagine consciously choosing booze, but I can see deciding that I wanted to be free to post pretty close to whatever I wanted rather than having to filter it though someone else's group standards, especially when I was 21 or so.

Even here and now when I'm a lot older and not posting photos, I have enjoyed not having the GLO reference in user name more that I would have guessed when I started.

I didn't get the feeling that Taualumna had the big personal investment in the issue that some people were reading in her posts, but I understand some of what she's feeling in terms of not seeing much fundamentally wrong with alcoholic drinks and therefore finding any strict absolute policy a little rigid. I think it can also be irritating when folks latch onto certain rules about how the group looks while ignoring or promoting images that might be equally distressing to some group members: Barbie chapters, etc, (which I'm not trying to suggest anyone in this thread would do, just that messages about image are trickier than maybe they'd first seem).

ETA: In practice one probably should de-tag a photo like we discussed. In theoretical terms, I don't think she should have to. If it's not illegal or embarrassing and she was drinking in public at the time the photo was taken, it seems a little silly and maybe even hypocritical to worry about de-tagging it. People should think carefully about what they have in their profiles, but in cases where there's nothing wrong with a photo. . .

Rules are there for a reason. And in this case, they are up for change. If your chapter has a rule you don't like, why complain about it instead of change it? My chapter doesn't seem to have a problem with it, fortunately. We all love facebook, but I'm thankful my girls don't take it so seriously that they would take issue with just refraining from posting pictures with alcohol.

I just don't really care. If someone were telling me I couldn't drink, I would raise hell, because that's a right the government actually gives me...it's one of the few you are automatically given. But I wouldn't choose to have alcohol on my profiles either way. If I've got really amazing pictures from a party and there's a beer in my hand I'll leave that for my picture board in my apartment, no big. I'd rather choose that than leave pictures up that might give future employers the wrong impression.

And as I've said, the few ruin it for the whole. It would cause WAY more problems to leave the rule open to interpretation of situations than to just say hey...don't do it.

I guess I'll just never understand what the big deal is. Being part of a group means compromise. It's just not a big thing to ask.

And lastly, I don't think people focus on this "rule". It was made the focus of this thread, but for my chapter at least it's not something we often have a problem with in the first place. With very few exceptions our girls are cooperative and mature enough to just do the small things they are asked to do, like keep their pictures with booze to themselves.

If people in the past hadn't acted ridiculous (not saying they still don't do it, but it came with the times) and Greeks didn't have such a bad name and weren't pelted with negative publicity then alcohol wouldn't be such a big deal. But it is, and it comes with the territory. Oh well.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl

Rules are there for a reason. And in this case, they are up for change. If your chapter has a rule you don't like, why complain about it instead of change it? My chapter doesn't seem to have a problem with it, fortunately. We all love facebook, but I'm thankful my girls don't take it so seriously that they would take issue with just refraining from posting pictures with alcohol.

I just don't really care. If someone were telling me I couldn't drink, I would raise hell, because that's a right the government actually gives me...it's one of the few you are automatically given. But I wouldn't choose to have alcohol on my profiles either way. If I've got really amazing pictures from a party and there's a beer in my hand I'll leave that for my picture board in my apartment, no big. I'd rather choose that than leave pictures up that might give future employers the wrong impression.

And as I've said, the few ruin it for the whole. It would cause WAY more problems to leave the rule open to interpretation of situations than to just say hey...don't do it.

I guess I'll just never understand what the big deal is. Being part of a group means compromise. It's just not a big thing to ask.

And lastly, I don't think people focus on this "rule". It was made the focus of this thread, but for my chapter at least it's not something we often have a problem with in the first place. With very few exceptions our girls are cooperative and mature enough to just do the small things they are asked to do, like keep their pictures with booze to themselves.

If people in the past hadn't acted ridiculous (not saying they still don't do it, but it came with the times) and Greeks didn't have such a bad name and weren't pelted with negative publicity then alcohol wouldn't be such a big deal. But it is, and it comes with the territory. Oh well.

I can't really imagine caring that much about the policy that much either, but I can see why the option to not display the letters might appeal to some folks more than having to accept someone else's standards for a medium designed for personal expression like Facebook.

On a slightly different note, isn't Alpha Gamma Delta's policy an international one? I don't think that this is a change-the-rule-through-your-chapter-level thing, but I agree that I don't think enough people are really bothered by it to matter at any level.

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I can't really imagine caring that much about the policy that much either, but I can see why the option to not display the letters might appeal to some folks more than having to accept someone else's standards for a medium designed for personal expression like Facebook.

On a slightly different note, isn't Alpha Gamma Delta's policy an international one? I don't think that this is a change-the-rule-through-your-chapter-level thing, but I agree that I don't think enough people are really bothered by it to matter at any level.

I guess I think if you feel like that you shouldn't be Greek at all. I told my PNM's as a gamma rho...if you're going to have a huge problem with people telling you what to do sometimes, this is NOT for you.

I'm not sure because I lost my password to the site and my paperwork isn't with me...even at a national level...there's always room for change. Or people could just follow the rules.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl

I guess I think if you feel like that you shouldn't be Greek at all. I told my PNM's as a gamma rho...if you're going to have a huge problem with people telling you what to do sometimes, this is NOT for you.

I'm not sure because I lost my password to the site and my paperwork isn't with me...even at a national level...there's always room for change. Or people could just follow the rules.

I don't believe, and many other people don't, that when you become Greek you have to give up your rights. There's a big difference between "you have to wear a style of shirt you hate for rush" and "you have to censor what you say because you're Greek."

Facebook, myspace, etc are seen by many people as personal expression. The difference is that they're out there for everyone to see.

Do we as Greeks really want to pander to the lowest common denominator who believes that if one member or one chapter of a group does something, the whole group does it? This isn't about underage drinking - if people want to fight that they can (as showed in the story I posted). It's all about image.

Britney Spears is from Louisiana. I think she's a trashy tramp. That doesn't mean everyone from Louisiana is a trashy tramp. That's because I'm not stupid.

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I don't believe, and many other people don't, that when you become Greek you have to give up your rights. There's a big difference between "you have to wear a style of shirt you hate for rush" and "you have to censor what you say because you're Greek."

Facebook, myspace, etc are seen by many people as personal expression. The difference is that they're out there for everyone to see.

Do we as Greeks really want to pander to the lowest common denominator who believes that if one member or one chapter of a group does something, the whole group does it? This isn't about underage drinking - if people want to fight that they can (as showed in the story I posted). It's all about image.

Britney Spears is from Louisiana. I think she's a trashy tramp. That doesn't mean everyone from Louisiana is a trashy tramp. That's because I'm not stupid.

No one's giving up rights. They're being asked not to post pictures of them DRINKING online. Who cares? Ever heard of pick your battles? Save it for the chapters that tell their girls what to wear week to week, tell them they can't join certain groups, tell them they can't say certain things or can't hang out with certain people, or make them lose weight or take the purple steak out of their hair, or make them remove a piercing. This stuff DOES happen. That is censorship.

Fortunately I am not stupid either...I see reality. Reality is that because drinking became such an issue within the Greek system (and though college students drink, Greek or not, where there is smoke there is fire) we DO have to worry about image. Underage drinking is illegal. Just because a lot of people do it doesn't mean the law changed somewhere along the line. And binge drinking IS a horrible habit for a million reasons. Again, because some people do it doesn't mean it's not something to be concerned about. For all of the chapters and houses of Greek organizations that made their pledges do shots, or drink a whole pitcher in a certain amount of time, or bought alcohol for all of the 18 year olds, there are chapters that discourage that. BUT reality is that the media focuses on the negative, NOT the positive. No one is willing to give Greeks a break for alcohol abuse, regardless of the fact that it's not just a Greek problem. To show a good faith effort to combat the abuses of drinking, Greek organizations are forced to make blanket rules. They cannot possibly go through every single facebook profile and decide if Suzy's bar picture with a beer is ok or not. That's life.

If you join a sports team in college, you'll have a curfew. You're sometimes told you can't drink or do drugs-regardless of age (as applies to alcohol, not drugs). Sometimes you have to dress a certain way or use certain products. You might have to do community service if you break these rules. Why? There's a purpose...you have a curfew to make sure you stay on a regular schedule and stay healthy. You don't drink or do drugs so that you can stay in the best physical condition. You might have to present a certain image when you represent the university that you play for. And in the same way there is a purpose for these rules in Greek life.

Being part of ANY group, club, society, or team means doing things you don't want to do sometimes. People who aren't willing to make these SMALL sacrifices don't need to join.


And lastly, people use the internet as "personal expression" too often. There's no need to post EVERY detail of your life online. a) most people just don't care and b) it's dangerous. Not only does that provide a starting point for any unbalanced characters out there, it can hurt future employment prospects.