If you are one of 400 million, use caution
By: Beth Mello
Issue date: 3/8/10 Section: Entertainment
I have recently read an article about a University professor in Pennsylvania who was suspended indefinitely from her job for statuses she had posted on her Facebook. The comments were not particularly offensive, and when I read this I was absolutely disgusted with what it had resulted in.
It would be nice to go on a rant about how terrible it is that this happened to her, and it really is terrible. However, I feel that this is more of a warning than a misunderstanding. The administrators and dean of East Stroudsburg University are not morons, and they must have some agenda of their own. This only brings me to believe that with all of the technology we are producing, we must take extreme caution.
The professor that was suspended, Gloria Gadsden, had her Facebook status set as "Does anyone know where I can find a very discrete hit man? Yes, it's been that kind of day..." Friends of Gadsden responded with ROFL, and other signs recognizing that she was joking around. However, work and play are never okay to mix the way we do.
It is time for network users and people choosing to use technology to be responsible for what they are doing. This vastly includes college students. The case of Gloria Gadsden, no matter the outcome, is a very evident example for professors and students alike. It must be taken seriously, and I am sure everyone has already heard the speeches about not posting pictures of you surrounded by your friends doing a keg stand, or anything of the sort. Whether a profile is private or not, if a potential employer wants to know what you are up to, they will be able to see, and that is precisely what they are looking for. After warnings as obvious as Gadsden's, anyone would look silly to even do anything of the sort.
When it comes to Gadsden's case in particular, I do not believe she should be fired from her job. However, I do think she should at least show that she is taking what happened seriously and plans to change immediately, beginning with deleting her Facebook. Looking from the perspective of the dean of the University, this is simply a matter of student safety, and it should not be taken lightly.
I suppose it doesn't help her that there have recently been hate crimes involving student shootings, and that is just poor timing for her. A good way to suck up, make a comeback, or help her fellow professors and people all around would be to campaign the fact that we must be careful. I learned throughout high school and past jobs that if you want to be successful, lie low, do what you are told and MORE.
It would be nice to go on a rant about how terrible it is that this happened to her, and it really is terrible. However, I feel that this is more of a warning than a misunderstanding. The administrators and dean of East Stroudsburg University are not morons, and they must have some agenda of their own. This only brings me to believe that with all of the technology we are producing, we must take extreme caution.
The professor that was suspended, Gloria Gadsden, had her Facebook status set as "Does anyone know where I can find a very discrete hit man? Yes, it's been that kind of day..." Friends of Gadsden responded with ROFL, and other signs recognizing that she was joking around. However, work and play are never okay to mix the way we do.
It is time for network users and people choosing to use technology to be responsible for what they are doing. This vastly includes college students. The case of Gloria Gadsden, no matter the outcome, is a very evident example for professors and students alike. It must be taken seriously, and I am sure everyone has already heard the speeches about not posting pictures of you surrounded by your friends doing a keg stand, or anything of the sort. Whether a profile is private or not, if a potential employer wants to know what you are up to, they will be able to see, and that is precisely what they are looking for. After warnings as obvious as Gadsden's, anyone would look silly to even do anything of the sort.
When it comes to Gadsden's case in particular, I do not believe she should be fired from her job. However, I do think she should at least show that she is taking what happened seriously and plans to change immediately, beginning with deleting her Facebook. Looking from the perspective of the dean of the University, this is simply a matter of student safety, and it should not be taken lightly.
I suppose it doesn't help her that there have recently been hate crimes involving student shootings, and that is just poor timing for her. A good way to suck up, make a comeback, or help her fellow professors and people all around would be to campaign the fact that we must be careful. I learned throughout high school and past jobs that if you want to be successful, lie low, do what you are told and MORE.