Friday, May 26, 2006

Roy: Students' blogging may get them suspended

The Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 board has voted to suspend students for "maintaining or being identified on a blog site (that) depicts illegal or inappropriate behavior."

Is this for real? I don't see how this can be enforced, and it is easy to see how it can be abused. I am publishing this blog under the name "Roy". Say I called myself Roy Johnson. I could get the real Roy J. in a lot of trouble with the school.

Do you think the real Roy Johnson would sign a blog or a comment under his real name? It seems to me that most blogs are de-identified in this manner. And who defines what is "inappropriate"?

Kids have enough to worry about without having to worry about getting suspended for a blog. How about some education or counseling about online risks? This isn't easy, I know. I called the parent of my child's friend to warn him that his daughter has her cell phone number readily available on another friend's MySpace page. He treated me like I was the Volunteer Fire Department calling at dinner time on a Friday night. I even emailed him the link. The number is still there.

Maybe I should have emailed her school principal. Got her suspended. That would teach her not to blog inappropriately. Of course, what would she do at home while suspended? IM and blog with all the other homebound blogging convicts.

At least the NSA isn't going after them. Yet.

7 comments:

Dinah said...

Roy--No Pic? No Link to the article? You're slipping...

Steve & Barb said...

The title links to the article. No pic yet.

Spiritual Emergency said...
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Steve & Barb said...

Thanks for the links.

Spiritual Emergency said...
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Sarebear said...

Wow. I had the urge to delete an old post or two, which I still might despite the caching.

I've also wondered, from time to time, the wisdom of my blogging, given my problems with impulsivity, and some problems with impaired ability to discern/choose appropriately.

It's kinda gotten me in trouble with family, from time to time. I pulled down a post from Feb that led to this SIL sending me the most horrific letter, in which she says, "You're a waste of a life and a human being." Like you want to know that! Mebbe I'm proving my point, here.

But my archives contain other instances of lashing out at my in-laws. Pretty much the same SIL who I have a hard time with.

My ologist thinks that blogging is . . . well, it's got alot of issues. I more than have the impression he doesn't think much of it, but then again more recently he had exclaimed, Oh! I didn't think of it as a way to stay in touch with a social network (cause I have few to no friends, offline.)

There's alot to be cautious about, although the place I've created for others to learn about what being mentally ill can be like, as well as a place where others with problems can come and talk with others who might understand, I feel is a large good (finding some purpose in this is one of the only things that gives me any sense of meaning whatsoever; and I cannot say if that is a good or a bad thing).

Some parents (many!) need to get a clue about blogs and the dangers thereof. Heck, haven't they seen Dateline NBC's thing where they go with the police to a house they set up, that they pretend to be teens online and arrange for the predators to come to?

Spiritual Emergency said...
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