Schools Checking Myspaces

[gisellebebegirl 0]

Ok so ive heard some rummors going around school, that principals & staff were going to check everyones myspace's for offending material etc. do you think that is right?i mean isnt it invasion of privacy? i think that is the whole point about myspace, its called My SPACE which i think should be respected and kept private, dont you think? post your ideas here. in my opinion i think they should not check myspaces like that.another thing are job interviews, there are rummors that employers are going to start requiring you to show them your myspace profile before hiring you, which i think is completely ridiculous.

[shadowx 0]

It would seem you are part of the myspace generation, eh?Schools may or may not check social networking sites. However, if they do check them they cant do anything against you if you use swearing or anything like that because their power is only INSIDE the school walls. Its quite interesting how once you leave school you realize what little power they have...As for employers looking at myspace... I highly doubt this. Myspace is for teenagers, and anyone over the age of 20 who has myspacve should be banned from the internet for eternity. Not only that but employers really couldn't care less about myspace or your personal life so long as you behave in the workplace!

[rvalkass 5]

Ok so ive heard some rummors going around school, that principals & staff were going to check everyones myspace's for offending material etc. do you think that is right?

That depends on what action they take on it. Staff only have power within the school and for events which occur in school. My school once tried to stop students on the street, walking home at the end of the day, if their uniform was incorrect. The backlash from parents was immense. They have no control over events outside of the school grounds, and if they start taking action depending on what students get up to in the evening or at weekends, then that is completely wrong.

i mean isnt it invasion of privacy? i think that is the whole point about myspace, its called My SPACE which i think should be respected and kept private, dont you think? post your ideas here. in my opinion i think they should not check myspaces like that.

If you're posting every detail of your life on a publicly accessible website, then surely you can only expect people to see it?!?! Calling it an invasion of privacy is laughable. Teachers and employers have as much right as anyone else to look at what you've put on the Internet. If you've decided to put up photos of you drunk at parties or whatever, then that is the image of yourself you are presenting to the world. That is entirely your choice to do that, but you have no control over who sees it.

another thing are job interviews, there are rummors that employers are going to start requiring you to show them your myspace profile before hiring you, which i think is completely ridiculous.

It is the same as with teachers. They have as much right as your best mate or whoever else to read what you put on the Internet. You are under no obligation to tell them the address, but you can't stop them from tapping your name into a search engine.

As for employers looking at myspace... I highly doubt this.

Tell that to my mate who wasn't even asked to be interviewed at two jobs she applied for. The reason why? Her MySpace and Facebook pages.

[...] employers really couldn't care less about myspace or your personal life so long as you behave in the workplace!

Well, if you are an employee, then you are representing the company. If you are in a position when you are meeting with people, or dealing with customers, there is nothing to stop those customers tapping your name into a search engine and seeing what you get up to. That could reflect very negatively on the company if they are seen to employ people who party too much or do whatever else they've put up for the world to see.

Personally I don't use these social networking sites because I see no point. Everyone of my friends who uses them, I see pretty much every day, and have email addresses and phone numbers for them. I don't need videos of them doing donuts with their car in a carpark somewhere, or photos of them getting drunk with their mates at the weekend.

[t3jem 0]

I actually completely agree with the schools and the employers, especially the employers. When you put something on the internet, it isn't just for you, even on myspace, unless you set it to private (and even then) any one can see what you post, it's internet, the information is readily available to everyone. I wouldn't push for the schools to do it, unless it's a private school, but I would suggest an employer to check, that way they know who they are employing before they employ them, most myspace pages show a persons personality when they aren't trying to cover the bad parts (such as what one does in an interview), so I agree with the checking of myspaces and if you don't want someone to see it, you can delete it or change to be acceptable to employers and schools.

[Fleet 0]

Schools checking MySpace? What's next? Searching you before you walk into class?MySpace is a personal site, where you can get your own SPACE and customize it to your likes. (Obviously, obeying any MySpace Rules). Of course some people are going to swear on their MySpace, or even put some pictures that may seem 'Explicit'. Maybe even the music has explicit content in it. But it's up to the owners of that space, and the parent's of the owner, whether they're allowed to listen, read, or look at various things. School Headteacher's searching people's MySpace is like someone asking to check your website for explicit content. Completely obscene.

[KainRacure 0]

First off YES both schools and employers are checking myspace and facebook and probably many other social networking sites for your profiles.

Second you can't stop them, You put it on the internet for people to see and so people will see it, ALWAYS REMEMBER once you put something on the net you give it pretty much freely to anyone who knows how to take it no matter what you do (this includes copyrighted stuff)

3rd, Schools CAN NOT legally do anything about bad behavior outside of school unless it relates to in school activities (like saying you are going to beat someone up, giving out answers to a test, bomb threats and other things) HOWEVER, this does not stop them from doing things such as making a list of all the kids who profess to have used drugs and then randomly locker checking them or other round a bout ways to use your words (and stupidity) against you

4th, Unless you are part of a labor union your stupid antics that make your friends laugh when they see it on myspace could cost you your job. Most companies that have no union have a clause in your contract (the crap u signed when u applied and/or got hired but never read(including your application)) that states that either party can terminate this contract at any time for any reason. So in short say you passed the drug test and were a model employees but have video you you on myspace hitting a bong and acting like a moron, your employer can look at that and fire you for it.

OH and about that "privacy" thing with the MY space bit, 2 things apply here, first off you published it to the net, that says free game right there. Second you also authorized your employer to authenticate (make sure it is not a lie) any information you gave them, what better way to do it then to go and check your myspace where you have the EXACT SAME INFO!

Also this is from myspace's privacy policy:

Chat Rooms, Journals and WebLogs, Message Boards, Classifieds and Public ForumsPlease be aware that whenever you voluntarily post public information to Journals, WebLogs, Message Boards, Classifieds or any other Public Forums that that information can be accessed by the public

5th, How dumb do you have to be to put a log of everything you do on the net anyways? Especially the dumb crap. It has NEVER been easier for peopel to get information on other people in the history of the world, now days you don't need a private detective, you just need the internet and a name. Search myspace, facebook, xanga and others, google the name, look it up on places like whitepages.com and you can have an almost complete bio on the person. (try it some day and see, it might scare you)

Oh yeah and

Myspace is for teenagers, and anyone over the age of 20 who has myspacve should be banned from the internet for eternity.

Almost every band in the world has a myspace and 90% of them are over 20, also there are games (like World of Warcraft) that have a myspace and I am pretty sure that teenagers did not create and do not run those games. Myspace is a huge phenomenon and with things like that come all sorts of people thinking outside the box (most with dollar signs in their eyes) Hell, even playboy playmates have myspace pages (and play boy was NOT made for teens)
Edited February 17, 2008 by KainRacure (see edit history)

[Revan 0]

I personally think that schools have no rights to read the myspace of teens simply because it isn't their business. I personally had a friend in high school that posted a bulletin about one of her peers and was expelled for the things she said. She was pissed off but they simply made the case that what they were doing effected her in school. The things she had said about her peers were all true, and simply telling them that it wasn't related to school did nothing. In retrospect, I really wonder if a lawsuit would have gone anywhere. However, the girl I knew simply took the consequences and the worst thing I can remember reading was that she said that the girl cheated on her boyfriend. Which she did. But that was the main reason why it went so far, because of sexual harassment and things of that nature.Anyway, I guess this story is somewhat different because the conflict was initiated by the victim going into the office and reporting everything. I don't know how much truth there is to them actually reading myspaces for insights into their students or employees. Then again you always have the option to make your profile entirely private, which I remember many of my friends opting to do back in the day. I simply don't use myspace anymore because facebook has all of the things I need, and is way easier to use.

[Bluebear 0]

No no no... that is wrong. What students do on their private time, is their own business. I do not use myspace, and all my old piczo sites are closed and they will not be re-opened. So I am not one of "them." If for example the principal gets a tip that someone is posting something against the law of the country on their myspace, piczo++, even though it is wrong. Or well they should not try to do something about the problem, then it would be a matter for the police to handle.But I think it is wrong. What people do on their spare time at home is their own business.

Edited February 19, 2008 by Bluebear (see edit history)

[disneyreporter 0]

I've heard about this. I don't think it is right for children in high school or younger. This is their private life, and I feel that it is up to the parents of these children to monitor what they post on Myspace. From what I understand, colleges are very strict on Myspace accounts. Colleges check Myspace and similiar online communities when students apply to keep their campus ideal. Because most colleges are not public and children are not required to attend (unlike grade school), I think they do have a right to analyze your Myspace activity. The safest bet is to not have one at all.

[dre 0]

i mean isnt it invasion of privacy?

Privacy? If you use a computer, you have no privacy, Big Brother is more than happy to look through the sites you visit.

[husker 0]

I don't see why this is a problem. People shouldn't have that much to hide as far as their myspace goes, correct? As far as I know, I don't think people have raunchy stuff on there. If your myspace is clean, then why should you worry? I'm not sure why this is any of the school's business, but whatever. Privacy has just about disappeared, heck, just watch all that stupid news on the celebrities.

[EngrJayze 0]

schools should not invade their privacy even they are their own students.. they might block access to myspace but to snoop on their personal accounts is a great invasion to their privacy..

[dre 0]

I don't see why this is a problem. People shouldn't have that much to hide as far as their myspace goes, correct? As far as I know, I don't think people have raunchy stuff on there. If your myspace is clean, then why should you worry? I'm not sure why this is any of the school's business, but whatever.

I think you missed the point. It doesn't matter what one has on their myspace, it's information shouldn't be used against them, which is, of course, the only reason why school would look in the first place. People can set their profile to private, but I highly doubt that's a problem schools can't overcome.

Privacy has just about disappeared, heck, just watch all that stupid news on the celebrities.

They chose to have publicity, everyday people don't. Edited April 6, 2008 by dre (see edit history)

[r0b-dog 0]

im not going to make my post long and meaningful, instead i make it short and simple.schools/teachers check it now for online bullying in the case, cyber bullying, like there was a recent online bullying band at our school and a student got supsend.people looking at it, i have no problem, as long as you people dont forgot dont post any important information onto ur bebo and set your private or public status.and why would employeers look at your myspace profile? to see if your eligable for myspace work? as one of the posters say, work is work and personal life is personal life. and i dont think they need your myspace for a resume, but they probably ask you if you have a social network profile, but in that case they probably ask, in case you breach any business privacy. and privacy.. dont argue pirvacy, unless your a legal or law student, anything thats on the on a social network profile, is regarded for the internet users unless you set it on private. you have no pirvacy on the internet, everybody views it regardless.

[KansukeKojima 0]

Here is my take on it. If you are so concerned about people viewing your information, and you feel that it is an invasion of privacy, why are you placing that information their in the first place? Regardless of whether or not they have the right to look at it, your still providing it.