Facebook - Privacy Violation?

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*

[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.

[lisarpotter]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

Rule of thumb for the young 'uns, treat all your online stuff like it's your resume because more and more, it's looked at that way.

Being in the Human Resources field, I can definitely vouch for this. I am an employer and I DO check facebook and myspace accounts on all of our applicants. It is a way that we can get some insight into your personality and see who will best fit the company culture. While we do not discriminate solely on the fact that we didn't like something on your facebook/myspace page, we are allowed to take it into consideration when choosing who to hire.

Companies like to protray a certain public image just like most Fraternities and Sororities do.

[Stef the Pef]

If your group's letters are on that page, they have an interest in making sure it shows the group in a good light.

It's like the issue of not drinking in letters. Your drunk pics--legal or not--on your facebook with your letters in your activities, interests, residence, groups, etc. is a lot like drinking in letters. You're seen with that and your letters at the same time. Deserved or not, people make associations based on those two items showing up on someone's profile. Bad, bad idea.


And seriously, if the picture in question is that important, spend a little time on some creative cropping and photoshopping. I don't know, stick a bunny over the bottle or something. You said you're 22--do you really want to be associated with all the freshmen who don't know any better and put up every pic they have of them with booze in the frame just to say "WHOOOOO NO PARENTS!!!?"

[rufio]

pick your battles...

[FSUZeta]

as regards to the "have all your drinks served in a plastic cup"-again-even that violates some inter/national policies. just put the bottle, glass, cup down when photos are being taken.

which is more important, the alcohol or your sorority? if you choose the alcohol then maybe you should join another group-AA.

[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/

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

Kahlua mudslide?

Rule of thumb for the young 'uns, treat all your online stuff like it's your resume because more and more, it's looked at that way. So besides the whole "what would your Mom/Grandma think", imagine every employer you ever want to work with (or graduate school you want to attend) looking at your profile.

. . .

I don't go on those sites but people check them for me and I'm floored by the stories of what they find online.

Another reminder, sadly, because more concerns about pics posted on Facebook have surfaced, this time at the U. of North Dakota:

http://www.grandforksherald.com/arti...3&section=News

Excerpts from much longer article:

A group of American Indian students plans to file a discrimination complaint with UND’s affirmative action office Monday about a Gamma Phi Beta sorority party in November during which students dressed up in American Indian costumes and slathered their faces and bodies with red makeup. . . .

. . . Photos from the party were posted on the Facebook site of . . . the sorority’s current president, including one as her profile photo, visible to all Facebook users. . . .

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by exlurker

Another reminder, sadly, because more concerns about pics posted on Facebook have surfaced, this time at the U. of North Dakota:

http://www.grandforksherald.com/arti...3&section=News

Excerpts from much longer article:

A group of American Indian students plans to file a discrimination complaint with UND’s affirmative action office Monday about a Gamma Phi Beta sorority party in November during which students dressed up in American Indian costumes and slathered their faces and bodies with red makeup. . . .

. . . Photos from the party were posted on the Facebook site of . . . the sorority’s current president, including one as her profile photo, visible to all Facebook users. . . .

I guess the red body paint was a bad idea...I've been to Indian Parties though. One of our fraternities has one every year. I don't know that that's so offensive unless there is some kind of negative stigma attached to it.

They should've just had cute indian princess costumes and left off the body paint.

[SOPi_Jawbreaker]

Originally Posted by ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl

I guess the red body paint was a bad idea...I've been to Indian Parties though. One of our fraternities has one every year. I don't know that that's so offensive unless there is some kind of negative stigma attached to it.

They should've just had cute indian princess costumes and left off the body paint.

I don't know. I think it could still be seen as kinda offensive, because it still looks like dressing up like Indians without understanding the culture behind it. It could possibly be seen as perpetuating the stereotype that all Indians wear deerskin clothing, live in teepees, wear feather headdresses, etc. when in actuality, there are many different Native American groups with differing cultural dress, differing traditional types of homes, differing religious/spiritual beliefs, different cultural practices, etc. And it could possibly be seen as cultural misappropriation of a historically oppressed people. I'm not saying that that's what fraternity and sorority members are trying to do when they have Indian parties. But if someone wanted to get offended, they still could.

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by SOPi_Jawbreaker

I don't know. I think it could still be seen as kinda offensive, because it still looks like dressing up like Indians without understanding the culture behind it. It could possibly be seen as perpetuating the stereotype that all Indians wear deerskin clothing, live in teepees, wear feather headdresses, etc. when in actuality, there are many different Native American groups with differing cultural dress, differing traditional types of homes, differing religious/spiritual beliefs, different cultural practices, etc. And it could possibly be seen as cultural misappropriation of a historically oppressed people. I'm not saying that that's what fraternity and sorority members are trying to do when they have Indian parties. But if someone wanted to get offended, they still could.

I just think that's a little over the top. People dress up bare foot, pregnant, and in overalls for "White Trash" parties all the time...it never really bothered me enough to report them for it.

I guess the red paint thing was the last straw. That's pretty tacky.

[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.