posted by cldnails May 01st, 2007.4 Comments
Another case has surfaced where an individual has been affected due to content on a MySpace profile.
Millersville University denied Stacy Snyder a teaching certificate on the eve of her graduation after finding a picture of her on MySpace with the caption "Drunken Pirate." The case looks like it could be a landmark for internet privacy rights.
Users must remember that MySpace is a public forum, just like any place else, where your actions speak. In this case it happened to be a picture of Stacy Snyder enjoying an adult beverage, which in turn has been spun into her 'encouraging' underage drinking. Although that may not be the case, there are still ramifications for allowing that picture to end up in a public realm. But who's responsibility is it to keep private images/information off of MySpace?
Industry experts believe that this case could possibly become the benchmark, which regulates MySpace (amongst other social networks) privacy. BloggingStocks asks the question, if the court rules that you could lose your job/diploma over what's on MySpace, would you have YourSpace?
#2 cldnails - 01 May, 2:20 PM
I’m with you all the way Lori. It’s a sad state of affairs that our personal life is being judged, before we have a right to defend. The lady hasn’t even had time to defend herself before being denied her certificate!
Hopefully the case will be thrown out and the individuals involved with scoping out the teachers profile will get a life.
#3 MTran - 02 May, 8:10 AM
“Hopefully the case will be thrown out”
Do you really mean to say this? When a case is “thrown out” of court, it generally means the case phas no merit or, less often, no admissable evidence that supports it.
I hope, instead, that the case is not thrown out but that the university has its head delivered on a platter to the student who seems to have been treated unjustly.
#4 cldnails - 02 May, 1:53 PM
Your right MTran, I had a poor choice of words there. Essentially, my belief is that pictures can be misleading, in either direction. Simply denying someone a degree/job based on a picture/article from an unverifiable source is the problem I have.
#1 Lori Jo Salomon - 01 May, 2:17 PM
Oh, please. I totally understand if something on MySpace is showing illegal or immoral activity and having that affect a person’s education and business prospects. But where do you draw the line??? This girl was doing NOTHING wrong…and even if she did have alcohol in that cup, she was of legal age. Do you know that Millersville’s mascot is the Maurader?? Look up Maurader in the dictionary.
What is next? Being denied an education, a job, a degree because you posted a political blog that your school or employer disagrees with? Or a religions blog? Or a blog in favor of gay rights? Who is going to draw the line and WHERE?