Not a Blogging Review Board, but a Policy Statement...

I agree with Dr. Jerz. This is more than an issue of basic censorship; this is an issue of abusing the blogs to post libelous (and might I add illegal) material. I see nothing wrong with regulating actions that you could get taken to court over. I especially think the issue of flaming should be addressed.

These issues affect the whole community. I see nothing wrong with expressing feelings on the blog, just so long as it is not derogatory or discriminatory to an individual or oppressed group.

I agree with Lori, but in a different way. I know that if I couldn't use my blog to vent in whatever way I want I would probably have to force myself to use my blog. However, I agree with you too Dr. Jerz. SHU is in an interesting situation. If in the event that something did occur to another student because of the blogs they would have to deal with a lot of bad PR. I like your idea of alowing rebuttles on things said in anothers blog, but I also think that some list of guidelines would not be a terrible thing. We would have to change the way we write a little bit yes, however at the same time the administration would not have to worry about things that are said reflecting badly on the school.

Tiffany

Thanks for your reactions, Lori. I don't think this is a simple issue of vulgarity, but rather how the university can protect itself if a SHU blogger slanders or defames another, or a student links to or posts racist material or pedophilia or bestiality or something else, and the victim takes SHU to court, on the grounds since the illegal action happened on a website sponsored by SHU, that SHU should be responsible. Whether it is ethical or sensible to sue SHU because of something a student blogger writes is beside the point -- it's the administration's job to think of a worst-case scenario. Just as a privately-owned shopping mall does not have to permit you to exercise your right to the freedom of speech in the middle of the food court (they can throw you out or have you arrested for trespassing), SHU does have the right to say how we use the comptuer resources (including the blogs) it provides. But in order to be taken seriously in the world of academia, and in order for a SHU degree to mean anyting, SHU has to ensure academic freedom, which means pretty much what Lori said -- that students and faculty should be free to explore unconventional ideas and to express views that may upset certain people, as long as such activity is in the service of the search for truth.

I don't think this should be allowed. When we write papers for class, we often watch our language or our usage, for fear of getting in trouble for anything deemed inappropriate. Our blogs are our online journals, a journal is something where you express your innermost thoughts uncensored. Our blogs are where we can vent, or cry, or express our happiness, if they were censored, it wouldn't be any fun, or near as creative, and i think perhaps that if there were restrictions, people wouldn't write in them as much because of not being able to fully express themselves. I also don't think we have expressed any need for any concern...to my knowledge, no one has written anything particularly vulgar of offensive. Sure most of us have cursed, but if its a particularly bad, in rare instances, its edited anyways with symbols or dashes. I don't think its fair to ask us to censor our blogs. First of all, we have done nothing inappropriate to deserve to be told this, and second, we are college students, we are respectful, mature, somewhat adults....we deserve a chance to express ourselves, our true selves, not...oh my gosh watch what you say, you are being censored. Personally, if i couldn't say whatever the hell i wanted in my blog, i don't think i would write in it....if i had to cautiously wonder if i was going to get in trouble for something.....no.......wouldn't like that....