an article on blogging

[Aegis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj_venom Well for my experience, it's a private school (I got a scholarship, leave me alone). And we have to sign a contract each year relating to inappropriate behaviour. As such, these terms were breached, so they were liable to face the consequences... being expullsion. I agree with you about the being able to say what they want, but I'm talking about these guys that were in trouble, it was because they breached the contract, and breached the school's privacy as part of that. I would take a look at what we had to sign, however it has been the end of the year and I have ripped up the book containing that.

You will also notice I stated public school. You will also notice that the instance cited in the article is also in a public school. Private schools have no bearing on this discussion. Even as such, the forms I have seen for private schools (three seperate ones being in St. Catharines alone), none outline punishment or jurisdiction over online behaviour, unless said behaviour occured on school equipment/grounds.

[dj_venom]

Yeah, but I just love how everytime they do stories relating to children and problems, there are people everywhere just blaming other people.

No, I was talking about my particular example.

I agree completely schools should not monitor internet sites, and when they do find ones by students, they have no control, well, at least no more power relating to it than a common man would, such as the slander cases etc.

It's not that it's about online behaivour, it's about certain liberties being exercised too much, and inappropriate content on the site.

[Aegis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj_venom It's not that it's about online behaivour, it's about certain liberties being exercised too much, and inappropriate content on the site.

Freedom of speech clearly states that anyone may speak what they wish, as long as it does not infringe upon anothers freedoms and rights. This being said, online blogs are in no way infringing on others freedoms and rights, as a person makes a conscious effort to access and read such a blog. I could go on some neo-nazi fascist rant on my personal space, and be completely within my rights, because of the conscious effort required by those reading it.

Arguing appropriate and inappropriate content online is a moot point, as inappropriate content has already found a permanent place in cyberspace. You cannot shut one site down, or discipline it's owner, and not make the same effort to attack others that are inappropriate.

The case of schools disciplining students who write comments in blogs that are inappropriate while on school grounds is simply an example of a school excercising too much authority, and attempting to be superior. It is a bully tactic.

[Hill-Shatar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragon wench One thing I have found is that schools are generally overstretching their jurisdiction. My son's school is actively attempting to control what types of lunches the kids bring, and they are truly overzealous about "junkfood." Now, we tend to be food 'purists' so we strictly limit the amount of junk our son is allowed anyway. But, I frankly think that it really is not the school's business to stick its nose into kid's lunchbags. And that is just one example.. So, sadly, the situation in relation to blogging does not come as any surprise to me.

While in London, I was the community member that was on the School Council for a time. It surprised me when they began thinking that students should carry aroundless to lower strain on the back, to which both the student representatives (and some of the adults) stated that it would help if you didn't drop this restriction on children when they have to carry around that much to finish of their homework.

For a while, they tried to get parents to drill holes into children's skateboards so that they could be locked to the bycicle rack. Mentioning that perhaps the school would like to help drill the holes in some fairly expensive pieces of equipement, they quickly backed out of the idea, and let student's leave the skateboards, which took up little room anyways, in their room.

There are things on the internet that some find offenseive, true, but it is far outside the jurisdiction of the school. The internet is, in a sense, a public area for an international basis of people to communicate. If I wrote something in my blog and they disliked it, then why would they suspend me, if I still went to school? I remember some teachers making remarks that were rude, and yet was never brought to attention, and students getting into spats, who were never suspended or, to my knowledge, even punished. Yet a simple comment, such as "Damn, that ass dropped another pound of homework on me!" or worse, perhaps only slightly, gets them suspended?

Personally, if they are getting into the act of removing kids education time due to the fact that a student was angered at a teacher for an incident in class, I can see that privacy tools, such as blocking IPs from webpages, will soon become common practice. Get over it. Your valled a moron by a student at a high school you teach at for driving badly and, if you right it in your blog, it could become grounds for suspension?

[dj_venom]

Well I'm not sure of the full details here, as I'm only going on what I have heard, however perhaps they did do it at school, but as I say, I'm not 100% sure on the dteails.

Quote:

The case of schools disciplining students who write comments in blogs that are inappropriate while on school grounds is simply an example of a school excercising too much authority, and attempting to be superior. It is a bully tactic.

Amen.

Quote:

Yet a simple comment, such as "Damn, that ass dropped another pound of homework on me!" or worse, perhaps only slightly, gets them suspended?

I think it's a bit more than that...

But I do get what you mean, and it is quite ludicrous.

[Aegis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj_venom Well I'm not sure of the full details here, as I'm only going on what I have heard, however perhaps they did do it at school, but as I say, I'm not 100% sure on the dteails.

All the details are in the articles cited above. The same article this entire discussion has been based off of

[Hill-Shatar]

Quote:

I think it's a bit more than that... But I do get what you mean, and it is quite ludicrous.

How often have you insulted someone or been insulted that lead to some sort of legal consequence or educational problems? Very rarely, I believe? Teacher's may have my respect, but they loose a lot of power the second they walk off the school grounds in anything with regards to students.

The phone is on grounds, the phone leads off grounds, the student is off grounds. Same with the internet. *shrug*

Just speaking out loud here, just continuing something we both agree on.

[Aqua-chan]

I admit to keeping a blog somewhere on the net, which is private with the exception of maybe four close friends who are allowed to read my entries.

I think it was last year, however, when I encountered a problem when a virtual no-name SYM member matched up my screen name and read up on some material about me that one friend wrote in his entirely public journal. Suddenly a total stranger knew things about me that I most certainly did not want them knowing. It encouraged me to mostly avoid the Banshee until this person became appeased with my discomfort and presumably left the board.

So, can blogs be used against you? Absolutely. Perhaps not always in the tangible world, but the sheer insecurity of it all can be quite damaging in many aspects.