p2pnet - rss feed: Students ordered off Myspace.com
p2p news / p2pnet: Effective immediately, students at New Jersey’s Pope John XIII Regional High School have been banned from posting on Myspace.com accounts or similar sites.
“Defy the order and face suspension,” they’ve been told, says the Daily Record.
But, "If a public school did something like this, we would be all over them," it has EFF staff lawyer Kevin Bankston stating.
Behind the ban is a desire to protect students, according to school principal the Reverend Kieran McHugh.
“In the arena of unregulated online communities, which has largely escaped the reach of schools, Pope John appears to be breaking new ground,” says the story, going on, “While public and private schools routinely block access to non-educational Web sites on school computers, Pope John’s order seeks to reach into students’ homes.
However, "I don’t see this as censorship," McHugh states. "I believe we are teaching common civility, courtesy and respect."
The sites, “appeared on the school’s radar when administrators learned a student was communicating online with someone who wasnt truthful about who they were, their age and where they lived, said McHugh, who declined to elaborate,” the Daily Record says, going on:
“Students, who asked to remain anonymous out of concern for disciplinary action, said the majority of the student body protested the new rule. They tried to argue that they have freedom of speech and the school should not control what they do at home.”
A student who identified himself as a senior who was expelled posted, "pope john kicks you out once you think freely,” the story continues.
“Students also blog about everything from the music they listen to, their Halloween costumes, the sports they play to what they want to study in college,” says the Daily Record. “They also identify the towns they live in, their ages, what they look like, their sexual orientation and whether or not they smoke or drink.”
A dozen Pope John parents said they supported the school’s decisio, but if a public school tried such a ban, organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) would, “mobilize against it,” adds the story.
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See:-
Daily Record - Blogging ban provokes a debate over cyberspace, October 24, 2005
October 26th, 2005 at 2:16 pm
If we accept that schools exsist to teach young people about the world they live in, the school should include an “internet safety” component to it’s curriculum.
In anyone’s book it’s probably not a good idea for young (and vulnerable) people to be posting big “My name is Sue and I live at…” signs all over the net, but is an outright ban on blogging the best way to stop that from happening?
Making kids aware of the dangers is the best thing the school could do, and if the kids still decide to do it…well, there’s no law against being stupid - just look at the Darwin Awards. Or perhaps the RIAA.
October 26th, 2005 at 2:39 pm
On school property, maybe [ I understand the school’s right on their property but still feel uncomfortable with banning blogging]….but in a student’s home or outside of school? Definitely not. Do civil liberties mean ANYTHING to these people? I was brought up in a Catholic school system and luckily I was never subjected to this blanketing with ignorance of young people’s minds.
October 26th, 2005 at 2:59 pm
Its not censorship since its not their computer. I dont let plenty of people use my computer…is that censorship? My employer wont allow me to visit certain websites…should I sue? Not at all…
They probably wouldnt have a case against public schools anyway…a lot of fluff and puff from the ACLU and EFF since they really cant do much in this circumstance.
October 26th, 2005 at 4:23 pm
Did you read anything in the article? The order is, use or post on MySpace from home, and you’ll be suspended. The school is telling them they can’t use their own computers. Sheesh. Higher learning eh?
October 26th, 2005 at 4:24 pm
“A student who identified himself as a senior who was expelled posted, “pope john kicks you out once you think freely,” the story continues.”
So tell the truth and be expelled. This sucks ass if you ask me. Anyways, an ip addresse is equivalent to your phone number so why not just ban the internet all together?
October 26th, 2005 at 4:57 pm
I am a resident of Sparta, NJ. My anonymity is requested in an effort to protect friends that attend and work at Pope John High School. I have been informed by current students that this is probably the least of the school’s civil rights violations. A few months ago, a student was suspended for receiving an abortion. The school reserves a lot of privileges because it is a private institution, so it has enacted a plethora of ridiculous rules. Students with cell phones in the parking lot can recieve suspensions, students with untucked shirts can recieve detentions, and students arrested for illegal activities outside of school can be punished and reprimanded by the school. I have heard rumors that the principal (the role model who dictates and enforces the schools moral integrity) has a history of DUIs (though I have never seen proof personally). It seems ironic that a school who’s mission statement says something to the effect of wanting to develop students into mature Christian adults does not allow them any space to actually mature. Instead, it generates a repressive environment with a student body that is forbidden to think or speak freely. It is simply ridiculous that students (many of whom are forced to go there by parents, and some of whom are 18) be educated in an institution that suppresses any form free thought. If the school receives any sort of federal funding at all (and I don’t know if it does), these students should have a means to communicate their dissatisfaction and demand some rights. In response to parents that advocate in the Daily Record that students “go elsewhere” if they disagree with the school’s policy, I believe than many probably would if given the option. Do minors (and certain 18 year olds) have any rights?
October 26th, 2005 at 4:59 pm
I am a resident of Sparta, NJ. My anonymity is requested in an effort to protect friends that attend and work at Pope John High School. I have been informed by current students that this is probably the least of the school’s civil rights violations. A few months ago, a student was suspended for receiving an abortion. The school reserves a lot of privileges because it is a private institution, so it has enacted a plethora of ridiculous rules. Students with cell phones in the parking lot can recieve suspensions, students with untucked shirts can recieve detentions, and students arrested for illegal activities outside of school can be punished and reprimanded by the school. I have heard rumors that the principal (the role model who dictates and enforces the schools moral integrity) has a history of DUIs (though I have never seen proof personally). It seems ironic that a school who’s mission statement says something to the effect of wanting to develop students into mature Christian adults does not allow them any space to actually mature. Instead, it generates a repressive environment with a student body that is forbidden to think or speak freely. It is simply ridiculous that students (many of whom are forced to go there by parents, and some of whom are 18) be educated in an institution that suppresses any form free thought. If the school receives any sort of federal funding at all (and I don’t know if it does), these students should have a means to communicate their dissatisfaction and demand some rights. In response to parents that advocate in the Daily Record that students “go elsewhere” if they disagree with the school’s policy, I believe than many probably would if given the option. Do minors (and certain 18 year olds) have any rights?
October 26th, 2005 at 5:45 pm
I honestly dont see a difference… and I dont beleive a Private school has any more write to do this to them, than an Public school does…
Anyway, I really hope most of the students don’t follow this… I’m sure there are enough students using it, that if they all got suspended, it would lose that school a lot of money. (besides, good luck finding everyone on the internet XD)
Seriously… how do they even think they have the right to take away the students writes like that… its a community website and not harmful to them, its very important to most of them…
Next they’ll try to ban IM programs and cut them off from all their friends that didn’t go to that school… sheeeesh…
I hope this school gets whats coming to them. >=[
October 26th, 2005 at 8:55 pm
are they blogging at school or at home?
October 26th, 2005 at 10:59 pm
“I don’t see this as censorship,” McHugh states. He continues, “If some yahoo trys to ban me from the porn sites I visit when I’m at home, now THAT would be censorship!”
October 27th, 2005 at 3:45 am
“Pope John’s order seeks to reach into students’ homes”
wow hope the students sue them and not a class action suit either.
October 27th, 2005 at 3:56 am
Both…the point of the article is that the school has the nerve to tell it’s students not to blog to the website from anywhere. Someone should shove a first amendment violation up their ass.
October 27th, 2005 at 4:01 am
I figure you have a fifth grade reading level and an even lower comprehension level.
You were probably more interested in getting in a cheap shot against the ACLU and EFF than in actually understanding the article. Your brains….talk about fluff and puff.
Go back into the living room and watch TV and stay away from the computer as it is a perfect barometer of your ignorance.
October 28th, 2005 at 10:29 pm
this is just bull shit what do u want your kids in the strees or at home communicating with friends and another kind or race lerning about others because MySpace.com is only a safe place because tom is always on the looking what is going on if theres something bad his on top if you guys dont have one get one so u see what your kids are doing become there friend and comment theme for there good pictures or stuff that they do because i am a mother that have a my space to see what my kids are doing
October 29th, 2005 at 5:00 pm
They don’t understand that not EVERYONE is stupid enough to post exactly where they live. Some people don’t even put their real name, what school they actually go to. Not everyone on the website is getting stalked. And definately not everyone is getting bullied or is being a bully to others. Some people don’t add people they have never met. They really need to think about things like this.
Myspace recently added a new security option where you can make your profile private and only people who you have added as friends can view your profile. There is also a new option where no one listed age 18 or above can view your profile. They obviously don’t know much about the website if they banned every student. I think more investigation needs to be done on this.
It definately is a violation to the student’s rights. Seriously, it’s quite stupid of them to ban their students from the website or face suspension.
They need to open their eyes. They really do.