Sorry if this is in the wrong section, I felt it didn't fit in any of the specific ones.
I'm in the uk so what we call college is age 16-18. Anyway, my college reads through our social media outlets. It reads through our tweets and facebook status' to check that we are not saying anything bad about it.
I discovered this because one of my friends tweeted something quite offensive about college which they received two days exclusion for, which you could argue is fair enough, but they did not mention the name of the college and block the official college page meaning that college have a secret account which they monitor us with. The tweet wasn't at anyone particular, just questioning college.
Later, another friends tweeted something which wasn't even offensive, just questioning some of the rules which college has, again, he has the official page blocked and did not mention the name of the college in his tweet and received a one day suspension.
I myself have received a "talking to" because of something which I put on twitter. I resembled college to a paranoid dictatorship, like the red scare of America. As a result I have a "file note" and am on a warning.
I questioned a teacher which I have a good relationship with and she confirmed that college do monitor our social media accounts.
Is there anything that I can do? I want to be able to criticise an establishment without the fear of being denied an education. For obvious reasons my facebook and twitter are under my real name, I shouldn't have to use an alias to question a state funded college.
Don't use social media, it is the easiest way. Use a phone and email.
While what you say is pretty damn funny, it may not be the best course of action. Unfortunately, employers now look at your social media and judge you based on it.
Most people don't want to be labelled as the midget scat BDSM guy.
Most school networks monitor all traffic and they probabley have something in place that watches for certen words. Not much you can do but use a VPN or a cell hot spot.
They're looking through our stuff though. Searching our names and reading our shit. Not every day but frequently enough to be creepy.
Jesus christ that's fucking hilarious. I wouldn't do that, but my god image the conversation with your teachers and friends!
That's why you don't use your real name on the internet. and restrict stuff to you're friends.
I guess my friends are the kind of idiots. My facebook is private, I'm as private as possible without excluding myself from my friends.
Personally I see it as a matter of principle that college shouldn't monitor our private life.
unfortunately, your faceboook, whether set to public or private, is still considered public domain. I think it is crap as well to not allow you a certain opinion about your school, and I think it is reprehensible for schools to think what they teach is ALWAYS beyond reproach.
Simple solution, don't go on the net if the spying hysteria is haunting you.
Do not use any social media that has your real name. That way the school will not monitor it. Other than that, if they have a human reading through the messages, then start a nice long scat discussion with as many other students as possible. Or create new accounts, but use the old accounts as an almost mirror for the WTF section of reddit, and once in a while post something nice about the college. e.g., The college has acceptable lighting, or that it has running water.
just in case they have any filters that look for key words relating to the college, that will get the workers looking at the student feeds, and then enjoying the other content (primarily the scat, and WTF from reddit)
They should have no recourse for inappropriate content unrelated to the college, as the UK's article 10 of their bill or rights, protect the freedom of speech, furthermore the education act applied the freedom of speech rights, within institutions of further education and institutions of higher education, so if the college suspends anyone, then the legal storm clouts can form nicely and rain down upon them very swiftly.
personally I say never use your real name online. I this case I'd also recommend a vpn or proxy. if your using facebook or twitter on your collages network.
be warned though proxy's may be free but someone could steal your facebook account and any other account you log into wile using it.
Talk to me when they assault you for protesting a politician.
i have to agree with posting irrelevant shit. forget future employers. delete the account when your done. try to find out how they are tracking your accounts too. if its because you visit them while on campus, then delete them. start new ones. and don't ever visit them while on campus. leave them to run in circles. then start a campus wide petition to tell the college to shove their big brother style spying up their <insert word(s) here>. if you as a student body never stand up and tell them where their place really is then they will continue to do what they want until eventually even the laptop you are using won't be able to be trusted.
i would make a face uses ie i_hate________ and add all of the people that you are not that close to in live but dont use a vpn or proxy
also use a vpn and a proxy went on the internet