"Oh, excuse me *Ethel. Someone's listening in on the other line. *Sally, *Freida, is that you, listening in! You, hang up, now!" That was the usual dialog my grandmother had when she used the old party line telephone, and detected someone listening in. In those days (pre – 1970s) to have a private line meant paying almost double the phone rates as opposed to a four, three, or two party line telephone. I had two great aunts that knew just about everyone's telephone signal. Ours was three rings: one short, one long, and one short. They would get on the line and sometimes join the conversation. Funny, yes (on The Andy Griffith Show), but not when you were trying to have a "private" conversation. And, definitely not, when you had to make a phone call, but couldn't, because someone else on the party line was using it.
Well, YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook are just like the old telephone party line. You never know who's "listening in," or reading/watching. Lowering the privacy bar on your life and mine has its draw backs. For a generation that never experienced the old party line, it's understandable that they don't understand. To experience a real private telephone conversation, without interruptions or someone eavesdropping, was very gratifying. But, I'm afraid society has lowered the privacy bar at the expense of security.
Too much of us is "out there." It seems that where there is no challenge to human behavior, human conduct pushes the boundaries and tries to blur the lines. With on-line cyber communities there seems to be no face-to-face blame, shame, ridicule, criticism, harshness, bullying, disrespect, judgment, commentary, critique, analysis, review, or remarks. I feel when there are no face-to-face confrontations for bad behavior, limits are somehow ignored. It's like the 55 mile-an-hour speed limit on the interstate highways during the 1970s and 80s. Most people, including myself, ignored it and went 5 to 10 miles over it. Why? Because, most people got away with it. And, today, who keeps to the 65 mile-an-hour speed limit? I try to, because I like to save gas. And, as an old dude (almost 50, maaaan) I'm not in so much of a hurry.
It may be that kids feel "safe" on MySpace, and Facebook, because the web site says so. Oh, please. I was taught to always question stuff like that. Bad behavior anywhere (YouTube, MySpace, Facebook) always hold consequences down the road. Behavior that is recorded stays recorded (encoded/encrypted) and is hard to expunge. There's no doubt that we all have freedom of speech, but how secure is it. Yes, kids have a right to live for the moment, but how many sexual predators prowl YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook hunting their next victim? Law enforcement officers use MySpace to lure these guys into arrestable situations.
My take, after reading the USA Today and The Australian about universities banning or putting limits on MySpace or Facebook accounts is that there are responsibilities to this form of freedom of speech. The greater good for the general welfare of the school and its students must come first, in my opinion. Remember VT (Virginia Tech). What online policies does PSU have? Are they upheld and obeyed? I hope they are. Remember the common good is for the whole. Remember VT. Nuff said.
Dang bust it.
Yosemite
*names changed
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