Hi Y'all,
"G. Marc Turner" wrote:
> And if it an article appears about the professor in a student publication,
> does the person know right away?
Perhaps not. But the student and the publication can be held accountable for
the comments. Usually, there is also a review process so that racist, sexist,
anti-Semitic etc. comments are excluded from such a publication.
> What if it occurs in a national magazine
> or newspaper?
See above. I could not get a letter to the editor in most national
publications printed based on an anonymous, defaming comment with most likely
a personal grudge at its source regarding a student, colleague, or other
non-famous person.
> What if it occurs in a conversation which is overheard in the
> student center and quickly spreads among some of the students?
We are not discussing conversation but published information available on a
global scale. Big difference between an international publication forum and
sound bits in the lunch room.
> Unless we start trying to limit what people can
> say, we can not protect people from harm of this kind every minute of the
> day.
That is not what is being discussed.
> Now, I'm not saying that it is okay to say something inflammatory
> about another person.
I recognize that. You are arguing instead that while odious it should be
permitted in publication format via the world wide web. We will disagree with
that. In may opinion, the owners of the web site despite their disclaimers
are responsible morally if not legally.
>
> In fact, I think it can lead to some very negative
> consequences. But, they still have a right to say it, and they can (and
> should) be held accountable for doing so.
Unfortunately, in such an anonymous setting - anyone can log in falsely to the
site - there is no mechanism for accountability.
Now anyone can publish any vile rumour about anyone (faculty or otherwise) on
a global scale causing harm to professional and well as personal reputation
and credibility and they can do it with impunity. I have a problem with
this. The owners of the site needs to take responsibility for the content on
their site and the ramifications of that content. And we as professionals and
as human beings should not be so quick to let them off the hook under the
guise of free speech.
Warm regards,
linda
--
linda m. woolf, ph.d.
associate professor - psychology
webster university
main webpage: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/
Holocaust and genocide studies pages:
http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/holocaust.html
womens' pages: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/women.html
gerontology pages: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/gero.html
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
