Facebook co-founder addresses concerns
Eighteen students attended the first presentation of MU's Facebook Task Force on Wednesday night to hear about the potential perils of online profiles.
Published March 10, 2006
Eighteen students attended the first presentation sponsored by MU's Facebook Task Force on Wednesday night to hear about the potential perils of posting information on the Internet.
Chris Hughes, a Harvard University undergraduate and co-founder of Facebook.com, also was available to answer students' questions via Internet videoconference.
Facebook.com is a social-networking Web site where students can post photos and contact and personal information that other students can view.
Donell Young, Student Life judicial coordinator and a member of the task force, said the task force was established to educate students about Internet safety.
"I want to clear up that we are not here to patrol, but to assist," Young said.
Journalism professor Clyde Bentley told students that along with the 24,998 other MU students registered on Facebook.com, faculty, alumni and guests — such as consultants and visiting professors — have access to students' profiles.
Graduate student Jonthon Coulson, the only student member of the task force, said employers are turning to Facebook.com to screen potential employees.
"If you can't defend something on your profile to an employer, don't put it up because they will find it," Coulson said.
Becky Thurmond of Information and Access Technology Services also told students they could face legal trouble for libelous statements they post on profiles or other online communications.
"You may intend it as a joke, but it can happen easily," Bentley said. "If you say something like 'I'm working on damn professor so and so's paper,' that's libel."
MU Police Department officer Adam Duncan, who is a member of the task force, said photos and other information in online profiles are permissible as evidence in court. But he said MUPD primarily uses Facebook.com is to get up-to-date contact information on students.
"Addresses and phone numbers tend to change and are not always recorded on the registrar," Duncan said. "We use Facebook so we can get in touch with students more quickly."
Thurmond also discussed online harassment and stalking. She passed along an e-mail address, abuse@missouri.edu that students could use to report abuse.
"If you feel threatened, it's OK to take it seriously and report it," she said.
Hughes said the Web site employs 25 full-time staff members to review profiles that users report as threatening or offensive.
"If a student or faculty member is being misrepresented, they should let us know about it and the offender will be off Facebook," Hughes said. "We don't give second chances."
Hughes said Facebook.com is designed to keep students' information secure. He said students could change account settings to regulate access to profiles.
Senior Kelly Kulaitis expressed concern that online networking Web sites such as Facebook.com might hinder students' social lives.
"I think it's kind of sad that you don't have to go out to meet real people and can just stay in your room on Thursday nights," Kulaitis said.
Hughes said Facebook.com is meant to re-enforce social connections.