SuperSatellite ||

So this past day, I have been sitting at my computer like normal.  I watch funny videos, read friends’ blogs, and keep up with the news.  It’s this latter part which has me most riled up at the moment.  The following two articles came out of the woodwork today.  They are by no means the first ones, nor do I expect them to be the last.  However, I feel the need to provide a spot of momentary reflection on them all the same.

IL School District to Monitor Student Blogs
Student Faces Expulsion for Blog Post

With that out of the way, I shall continue.  MySpace is one of many blogging-oriented, socialization sites.  Without repeating too many things that have been said already, I think it’s important to note, and pass on several things.  First, one should not have to lie about their age to keep their profile and data confidential from prying eyes.  Tom, take note, an additional layer of security is well deserved there.  But at the same time it is a shame that people feel it is necessary to actively hunt out information and use it against them.  Two, if you happen to be someone prowling for information on students, potential employees, or current ones, keep in mind that people’s private and professional live are two entirely different things.  Most people know how to keep them separate.  All the same, it is important for us as users to employ a bit of common sense.  Don’t be specific about people or particular activities in public posts.  Keep things limited to your friends where appropriate.  We must temper ourselves, show intelligence and understanding ourselves before people outside will buy in.  But why should you have to worry that voicing a particular political opinion on something might keep you from getting a job somewhere?  Such things you want to air publicly, but anymore, it is getting more and more risky to do so.  Stupidity breeds contempt.

But most importantly, as emphasized in the articles above, schools have no right to police sites like MySpace, Xanga, LiveJournal, etc, for things students post that are non-threatening.  I agree, that outright, or clearly implied threats are one matter, but literally trying to control what a student can say, off campus, after hours, is insane.  A line is being crossed, and people are allowing it to be crossed.  This is no different from if a school tried to say that a student couldn’t post the same thing in a Letter to the Editor in a newspaper.  All that is different is the medium.

Everyone as users has a responsibility to protect the rights of the rest of the community.  To stand up and point out that if a line is crossed over there, it won’t be long before another is crossed over here.  How long before colleges, companies, city governments, etc decide to follow the same suit?  Who decides what is “inappropriate?”  Everyone is so afraid of the internet, that they don’t realize they have handed over the keys to the Kingdom to lawyers.  We dish out what 1st Amendment rights we have left for that little bit of piece of mind, and it makes me sick.

Be aware of what having a public internet presence means, but also be active in defining how that can be used.  Protect your rights, but more importantly, know your rights!  And just because you might disagree with how someone executes those rights, know that your ability to disagree is granted under the same freedom.  Pass this on, and attach your name, first and last, to the list below.  Show that you aren’t afraid to stand up for what you believe in.

“To speak his thoughts is every freeman’s right, in peace and war, in council and in fight.” ~ HOMER

First on the chopping block, I direct your ever-keen eye to the halls of Slashdot.  Go read that posting, the accompanying article, and some of the comments.  I see no reason to reiterate most of what was already said on /. since most of the readers cover the important bases. But I do feel the need to join the chorus voicing it’s concern on the matter.  Essentially what the Attorney General is saying is that the 1st amendment is a great right, so long as it doesn’t embarrass or inconvenience the Federal Government, in which case they can prosecute journalists to stop them from printing things.  While he says it applies to “classified” things, I see no reason that that really creates a legal brightline, especially given some of the silly things that are classified (or not occasionally).  And that just creates a qualification to keep press from printing anything.  Don’t want it out, classify it.  Then if it’s leaked, prosecute whoever mentions it.  So, put on the tinfoil hats and be prepared to kiss goodbye the days of free press, if the AG has his way that is (since he gets to trump the Constitution whenever it suits him, right?).  I would love nothing more than to see Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine claw and dig their decayed asses out of their graves and put the definitive undead beatdown on Gonzales.  “I got yer freedom of press right here, bitch!”

This next bit sorta surprised me at first.  I have a newfound respect for, of all people, the Dixie Chicks.  Yeah, I know right?  That’s about as expected as Bush getting up on stage in a skirt and singing I’m a Little Teapot.  Which I would pay to see.  But their music is much more tolerable of late, and the news attention they’ve gotten since their new album came out has really put them in a new light with me.  I remember when the deal came down about their comments on Bush.  I didn’t think much of it at the time.  Now though, I’ve realized that they are really making  good point: just because they are famous artists, they should be allowed to have and stand by an opinion.  The media treats them like they should busy themselves with placating to the public and be good, conforming artists.  I tend to be of the mind that they have earned a soapbox to stand on, and if they want to use it, more power to them.  In fact, those that have that kind of power have an obligation to do so I think.  And it’s not like the blindly patriot, overly drunk, and often divorced country singers are fooling anyone.  Yeah you love Bush and America.  You love them because you love your paychecks, you sold-out bastards.  Let’s see you stand tall and be that unshakable when a Democrat is back in office.