University Moves to Police Troublesome Facebook Groups
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Shisha Debate: Hangover C Has your favourite LS2 tries out th hobby gone up in smoke? classic rernedi :Leeds Newspaper Friday, October 26, 2007 volume:38 issue:5 Faceblocked? University moves to police troublesome Facebook groups by on l'aeekook, criticises the lectuter's teaching Virginia Newman and ;tile and the mu Rink: rauehr. The wall Charlotte Griffiths comments were made by a student who felt that they had been tinfairlv -marked by the lecturer, The boundaries between Facebook use and The lecturer has asked f..,ed.t Straw; to keep the rules of the university have caused her sehot ti and name .an inymous. She stud: controversy after groups have been shut do respect the student's right to criticise clown following action taken by the my module,.but I would rather that it is dime I ;nivel-sat ro protect students and lecturers through the formal process." She added: from perceived hull ving. "Personal comments about my appearance or In one ease, a Facebook group has shut comments about na) research. ychich down after a complaint was made to the endanger me personally due to the sensitive university. A meeting took place between the nature if the research, are not acceptable." groeip's creator and .1 Pro Vice Chancellor, The lecturer was distressed and raised the one of the must senior professors at Leeds, issue. with both the Universal and l'acebook. where the creator was advised tai think about _As a. result of her complaint the University the consequences of his creation of the asked Facebook and the students to rake group. The group's creator, said: "They said 1 down die offensive material Irian the site, could potentially bring the Untversit) into which thee did, although most of the disrepute, given the all access' nature of Comments were raken down befon: she had baccht Kok. and said that it was not fair?' the chance to use them as evidence, The He iustified the group by explaining that it lecturer said that she had felt confident that was inspired the idea of someone else and the Universin would be successful in taking had only been set up as a result of a Shared acti on against: such material. joke saying: "My intention was nothing more I line! 1lassan, a student made prominent by than to make fun.- her position as an officer in the Exec. has Ln regards ro the comments posted to his also become the subject of a Facebook group, the creator said: "1 said that I had group, entitled: "Hind Hassan is a baby taken no action whatsoever since setting up eating es agent tit Saddam 1 lussein-. But she the group_ People are free to act of their own has taken the group in jest and has even free will. My opinion is if they arc smart joined it herself. She said: "ln my case, the enough to get into university, then they are -group did not have :env rout in reality. On smart enough to predict the consequences of harm could have come of it on a real level comments made. 1 said that I don't control around campus.1'he majority of these groups people and 1 didn't feel responsible for tend to be light hearted, a bit of a joke, but somebody else's potential actions.- there is a line that can be crossed." A University lecturer has also been subject She. continued: "The university does have a to bullying through a Facebook group and role to play in ensuring that people can get 'wall to wall' posts. The group. which is still Story continued on page 2. 1 ...1 1 11111•11111111LL. - I-. • Friday, October 26, 2007 Leeds Student lie 'lair to them, this year's wehtitti, first year is perceptive en, tugh to realise Or dr. ,st wil have:WE heen Nying lot more p...Ative than this is a cult nut +VC, 3a, ll'd have thougOt that ,lasi ycle., Q,20 imillatteniu 11-11S.W1.1 your this would have been acknowledged After oppin-tuniol to hive N,,ur twice- hi tutRu ccorc"13r ighl rill'aFN t:clecliii3"kutk. ./.5 all. the Union's own wikipedia entry iec'csitiviciliecy. ready -.as bat The ['Ilion be-laws aver 'hie SI been the victim of repeated c• vandalism, , Mitlet. The public's should be doing. "-Whoosh!" r slonserticti.triv„animm,1(ycriticlsns4 r4clet 1rsttetcrendz, with the insistent and repeated Insertion of rhar's the ,ound of dubious• eft-et-rive Se, fictitious l'.xectitie Pt isunan, DayeN' Paso progress passing 5.4 1)1. 1 it case 1iiU tee 11,14; rules on electronic eampaigungd,,th is into the otherwise serious entry. curious, bored or masochistic cuough tai make sense were” answer-La by an implicit want tnore information on the referenda, The fact • OW, as of going RI press, several conflicting key dates for the referendum the Union's lurid. 'shrooni trip of a w•bsite n7otit of chi: rules make Scnsc, toil nai is suggested a, die logical place ro sum. have been }oven across- the w•lisrte sinT• makes clear the huge lengths that the tit Liw, an animal sacntiee and n lot of lurk ''that might be an ill-oinsidered move isn't neces..s.',31art,:ct,c:eactituisacl.ta on their part is opening their "what is websitc's creators have p.inc to to ensure tekleisp.a.inanvtiiing, referendum?" section with A quote from accuracy. Perhaps the violent colours and it'sIt ataht eit'si far easier to invent a crinbistezt Wikipedia - seeing as every single srtitit•l in bright lights have simpby distracted whoever fiction, than IL , rcuil in a consistent fact. chic university ILLS 1,een told, from day one, was paid to write the content, leaving them that this is a horriblv unreliable source. If a too dazed to actually check that what theY've lafy, drunk and quite possibly drugged-up written made sense. Who knows? II lu.s-tration: Mark Maeigly OO f a * 44 * s • • *••••••••0*****OZ004004•4•*4 b • *" 444 4 Facebook groups (Continued from front page) signitig and posting sornethiag on the i roc In notice board. The University %Int,to hieing on with university lit• u ithout ensure that students understand thar roup about me is harassed. I think the .i., responsibilities and liabilities as well as citric hilarious. Sometimes_ then: is a problem freedorrts. The agreed process is one of about being too rigid, pc,,ple should lighten gir."Ing guidance and not instructing students tip and have a laugh. I think it can actually be ,ua w hat they can and cannot say, quite flattering". -1:Itimarely we can reserve the right to The prt,Vict, Chancaut Students and the I lniv•rsity disciplinary pmeesics, Staff, Stephen Scott laid our the I nu.ersity's however this would be seen as a failure ,I1 official position saving, "The Univtrsaiv's the above process and nit as a natural OM on Ihe use of social nett .,rking oinsequence.- sites hke Facebocik has been de, eloped aceb(H 1k spokesperson has-saki -WhL alongsic le. IA In line with this the we believe users should be able to cspres University tS Tibt monitoring Facebe ink or themselves and their point of view, etatull any other similar site: However, if an issue is kinds of speech simply do not bdong in a mised with us, we have a duo- of care to both o mitnunitv like Facel),,iik, ynu may not pits, our Nraffgoad students and the ti crap or share .content that makes threats of ant reputation of the I nivel-say to consider and kind sir that intimidates, harasses, or- hullio respond to the issue raised, "We arc- not in any, tae or is derogatory, demeaning. :Inc way wanting to limit individuals' Freedom inalicitius, defamatory, abusive, offensive ,71t of expression and their entitlement Ii, liateful." additional reporting by criticise as these :ire vet) muds a part of the Chris Stevenson. University values. lb owever, individuals arc reminded that s mutual respect Network is also a ke) Reader of the week ctemerit Of the Univrtity values." User Corcouct He continued: og r Star& ' "We are as Yc,'J ursbelstitai treat exCept Spir advandogantsiftr. 0 0, tetra% Serofte and tare SIR are available Contents concerned with tharketpiAtte. no materials of entflumi 501111 pnaecting cat' agItt that trough tie 5rng Atatrata arid Of News 2-7 students who are transmittal. or shated by you on povtcy. 901411 the math/ its of PM. mewling) corripolit_ tadetnaftuntawlui tasto4 The Big Debate 8 such sites AS well defamatory or othenstse AS those who axe Ubttirits.. featured in them. LS Extra 9-13 In 3464016. You Wee not to use Me Senate 04 IM People tviit ■are or OW to addasses producing any such collact emasi Comment 14-15 Its! PeiP~e .gyoups., need to he • W1'04 Of Posted I" by efettromc or Offer means for aware that these are LS Chat '11 Notes murucatiores. 10/1131 16 cffr•etivcly com public use ibt Senice or chi Sae ho ;of 10 documents and • LS2 17 avecburder, or impair Me 54te subiect to all the use autom4ted scups 10 toffee inforrobool basic legal limits, In Sport • oPload. post. trans:fist, sham. more ooYo 43 effect it is lust uctodiut.citfamattfry. • oublioel `h,talenaff4. — or LS1. Editor - Charlotte Griffiths / Associate Editors - James Haddon Gardiner, Matt Andrews, Laurie Whitwell / News - Chris Stevenson, Jessica Geen and Laura Mackenzie / Extra - Vivien King Macdona, Jessica Parker, Lizzie Sinner & Paul Raymond / Comment - Marvam Ahmad & Virginia Newman / Sport - Owen Bradley, Ahran Symonds-Baig, Joe Hibbert Photos - John Puddephatt & Maria Garbutt-Lucero / Onfire - the Bazbomb / Advertising assistant - Kate Bevan/ Advert design - Rebecca Edlin / Clare Morley, Ellen Paine, Tracy Towner / Copy editors - Staff Co-ordinator Leeds Student Newspaper, Leeds University Union, PO Box 157, Leeds, LSi 1UH; (0113) 3801- Christine450; [email protected] Cooper Advertisement enquiries: [email protected] it Leeds Student Friday, October 26, 2007 3 Speaking out breaks the Guiness World Record by Laura Gardiner wearing red and white formed a giant 'mouth' similar events, and succeeded in breaking the against.