Facebook - Privacy Violation?

[FSUZeta]

this is just coming up with your chapter? numerous chapters of all npc sororities have been policing facebook for several years now. usually the executive officers divide up the chapter and are responsible for periodically checking a certain number of the members facebook accounts.

many npc sororities have national policies concerning what is appropriate to post on facebook,myspace, etc. yours may too.

protest if you want, but you are probably beating a dead horse. since you are 22, you may be approaching the end of your college career and it might be time to do some facebook housecleaning, in case a potential employer makes a habit of checking facebook accounts of prospective employees.

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

this is just coming up with your chapter? numerous chapters of all npc sororities have been policing facebook for several years now. usually the executive officers divide up the chapter and are responsible for periodically checking a certain number of the members facebook accounts.

many npc sororities have national policies concerning what is appropriate to post on facebook,myspace, etc. yours may too.

protest if you want, but you are probably beating a dead horse. since you are 22, you may be approaching the end of your college career and it might be time to do some facebook housecleaning, in case a potential employer makes a habit of checking facebook accounts of prospective employees.

It'd be a good idea to extend this to MySpace as well. If you're going to leave your profile public, it might not be a good idea to have every picture of you with a red Solo cup in hand...or passed out drunk on the floor.

Just 'sayin.

[cuteASAbug]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

this is just coming up with your chapter? numerous chapters of all npc sororities have been policing facebook for several years now. usually the executive officers divide up the chapter and are responsible for periodically checking a certain number of the members facebook accounts.

I've also heard of school Greek Life advisors policing facebook accounts and fining chapters for having anything drug or alcohol-related on their members' facebook accounts.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by cuteASAbug

I've also heard of school Greek Life advisors policing facebook accounts and fining chapters for having anything drug or alcohol-related on their members' facebook accounts.

University cops at my school use Facebook & MySpace to figure out which houses (Greek and non-Greek) where students are underage drinking.

[ktbug10474]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

University cops at my school use Facebook & MySpace to figure out which houses (Greek and non-Greek) where students are underage drinking.

yeah that's what the cops @ KSU (kennesaw not kansas state) did too ... but since KSU doesn't have greek housing it was mainly used for the on campus apartments... it sucked but i see the reasoning of them doing that ( i understand the RAs doing it because that's their job)

and last time i checked isn't facebook something you can join willingly??

and there is no invasion of privacy or free rights here, you're part of a selective group.. they have the right to say what you can and can't have on your facebook/myspace/whatever account because they're not run by the feds.

and i agree.. if you're 22..... start cleaning up facebook now because potential employers DO check facebook and myspace and they're more likely to hire somebody that has a cleaned up profile that says I like to go to sporting events and spend time with my friends rather than somebody that has a picture of them with a solo cup and says I like to party and GET WASTED... duuuude!!! * even if the party person has a better resume etc... it's bound to happen because employers don't want to run a risk with somebody that has a party reputation*

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by cuteASAbug

I've also heard of school Greek Life advisors policing facebook accounts and fining chapters for having anything drug or alcohol-related on their members' facebook accounts.

Apparently at Virginia Tech the Greek Life office is doing some investigating, too, according to a story posted on a Roanoke NBC affiliate's site:

http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/n..._avenger/6433/

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

We have a similar issue with the exception that it's not a RULE that we cannot post the pictures. I would have no problem pointing out to EC that you can't use disciplinary action against something you just don't like. There has to be precedent. You could fight that battle if you want.

On the other hand, it IS a rule that we can't associate our letters with alcohol. The solution older girls gave in the past was to say that if you really feel strongly that you NEED to have your beer in the picture, then remove your letters from your facebook page and we'll call it even (IF you are of age of course). Obviously no one wants to remove their affiliation just to put up booze pictures, so that took care of the problem.

Here's what I would say...I'm 21. There's only one picture of me on the internet with an alcoholic drink in my hand (one that can be definitely identified as such anyway) and that was an accident. I'm not tagged in it. This isn't because I don't go out...I do that a lot. But it's because I don't want to advertise stuff that I know some people (namely future employers) find offensive, even though it's legal and not offensive to me. It's my right to drink now, but no one is taking that from me by asking me not to post photographic proof of it. I don't want to anyway. Look at it that way. They may just be doing you a favor, in the long run.


Another solution is, if you KNOW you're going to be somewhere where there are cameras AND alcohol is to order drinks in plastic cups and remove the straw. It's not so blatantly alcohol that way.

Or put down your drink when you take a picture!

PS-It's not an invasion of privacy. What you need to understand about the internet is that ANYONE can see it. Even if you make it private, you never know. Once you've posted it, it's out there. It's public. They didn't go through your diary or bust up into your apartment unannounced. Another thing to consider is that part of a sorority is having to lose a little privacy and to sacrifice a little for the greater good. My mom told me that when I joined and has been reminding me every time I get irritated since. She's right, though.

[MandyPepperidge]

I haven't read through the entire thread, so I might be repeating...

Our chapter, and also the Panhellenic Council, has been adamant about what is appropriate and not appropriate for Facebook. This stems from wanting to avoid perpetuating the "drunk Greek"-stereotype and also because a number of chapters have been targeted by their Nationals for showing underage drinking, drinking in letters, and so forth in their pictures.

My chapter has been pretty vigilant about calling people out for inappropriate pictures, but we have also been reasonable if people are of age. For example, I could have a picture with a wine glass or even a beer probably, but I could not have a picture of myself funneling a beer or doing a body shot.

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by MandyPepperidge

I haven't read through the entire thread, so I might be repeating...

Our chapter, and also the Panhellenic Council, has been adamant about what is appropriate and not appropriate for Facebook. This stems from wanting to avoid perpetuating the "drunk Greek"-stereotype and also because a number of chapters have been targeted by their Nationals for showing underage drinking, drinking in letters, and so forth in their pictures.

My chapter has been pretty vigilant about calling people out for inappropriate pictures, but we have also been reasonable if people are of age. For example, I could have a picture with a wine glass or even a beer probably, but I could not have a picture of myself funneling a beer or doing a body shot.

That's perfectly reasonable. I think people should just take into consideration what is appropriate to polite society, because when they want to get a "real" job, they're going to have to behave like they're in polite society. No future employer is going to be impressed by funneling skills or law breaking.

[Thetagirl218]

I think the whole point is that your facebook or myspace may be a reflection of who you are to the outside world. If you have pictures of you drinking on one section of the page, and on the other side have a section for "A proud member of XYZ!" it sends a mixed message!

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by Thetagirl218

I think the whole point is that your facebook or myspace may be a reflection of who you are to the outside world. If you have pictures of you drinking on one section of the page, and on the other side have a section for "A proud member of XYZ!" it sends a mixed message!

I don't think that is the whole problem so much...if you are of legal age there's absolutely nothing wrong with drinking. The problem is when people drink too much. Not saying I've never done it, but it's not all that classy and we all know it.

Like I've said, it's in our code of standards that we can't associate our letters with alcohol. I understand this, even for those of legal age, because of the stereotypes surrounding greek life. It's one way of combating those. So our solution is to say that if you've got alcohol on your page, you have to remove your letters. Of course, no one is going to choose the beer bottle over the letters. Problem solved.

[Taualumna]

Originally Posted by ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl

I don't think that is the whole problem so much...if you are of legal age there's absolutely nothing wrong with drinking. The problem is when people drink too much. Not saying I've never done it, but it's not all that classy and we all know it.

Like I've said, it's in our code of standards that we can't associate our letters with alcohol. I understand this, even for those of legal age, because of the stereotypes surrounding greek life. It's one way of combating those. So our solution is to say that if you've got alcohol on your page, you have to remove your letters. Of course, no one is going to choose the beer bottle over the letters. Problem solved.

OK, but what if you have an album of your vineyard trip to France or Italy (which happened WITH YOUR PARENTS) and then a sister writes on your wall, reminding you of a meeting? Does that count or not? What if you mention communion wine or the alcohol in medication?

By the way, I'm pretty sure alcohol and letters rule is an active thing and does not apply to alumnae.

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

OK, but what if you have an album of your vineyard trip to France or Italy (which happened WITH YOUR PARENTS) and then a sister writes on your wall, reminding you of a meeting? Does that count or not? What if you mention communion wine or the alcohol in medication?

By the way, I'm pretty sure alcohol and letters rule is an active thing and does not apply to alumnae.

Technically that falls into the category and shouldn't be posted. Though I doubt anyone is going to report someone to EC for being around a bunch of grapes. Why in the world would you be writing about communion wine or alcohol in medication on facebook or myspace?

I never said it applied to alums.

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl

I don't think that is the whole problem so much...if you are of legal age there's absolutely nothing wrong with drinking. The problem is when people drink too much. Not saying I've never done it, but it's not all that classy and we all know it.

Like I've said, it's in our code of standards that we can't associate our letters with alcohol. I understand this, even for those of legal age, because of the stereotypes surrounding greek life. It's one way of combating those. So our solution is to say that if you've got alcohol on your page, you have to remove your letters. Of course, no one is going to choose the beer bottle over the letters. Problem solved.

I agree with you...in the fact that if the rules say so, we have to do it. What I disagree with is the fact that even if your profile is set to private, you STILL cannot have them up.

And I fail to see the point of the rule if it's okay for alumnae to do it; I know it's only because we can't really police alumnae like we can actives, or hold their membership up for behavior, etc, but it just seems like trying to fix the stereotype won't work if the majority of Greeks can still drink in letters and put alcohol pix on Facebook.

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

I agree with you...in the fact that if the rules say so, we have to do it. What I disagree with is the fact that even if your profile is set to private, you STILL cannot have them up.

And I fail to see the point of the rule if it's okay for alumnae to do it; I know it's only because we can't really police alumnae like we can actives, or hold their membership up for behavior, etc, but it just seems like trying to fix the stereotype won't work if the majority of Greeks can still drink in letters and put alcohol pix on Facebook.

Private profiles don't do any good. Most of the time, the picture wasn't posted by the person with the drink in hand, but by someone else and was tagged. Unless they can get their friend to remove the photo, it's up their for all of THEIR friends to see. Private profiles are also only as good as the friends you add. Pictures can just be reposted somewhere else. And last but not least, you're supposed to be in Recruitment mode year round. Unless your ONLY friends are in your sorority, it's likely a PNM will see the pictures. Why is it such a big deal? PUT THE BEER DOWN. Wah.

I have no idea what the rules are for alums in my organization. I'm not one and I have a year left. But it doesn't miss the point at all. The REASON that organizations have these all encompassing rules is that COLLEGIANS tend to binge drink and drink under age. It's a problem for all college students...I don't buy that it's a Greek issue, but the rules are a necessary response to show the world that our organizations don't support these behaviors. As a college graduate and an adult, people are much less likely to comment on your behavior in that manner.