The blog is far from being civil. When a person is
anonymous, they do not have to take any ownership over what they say,
much like prank phone calls. I do not see the value in this blog
(perhaps because I have been the brunt of some very malicious and false
postings), what I see is a way for some people to get out a lot of anger
without sticking to any factual information.
In regards to the so called need for an anonymous outlet, this venue
is completely non-productive. I have not (that I am aware of) had
teachers be afraid to speak with me and share concerns or ideas.
I've always been open and available to anyone who wants to speak with me
and many do. It has almost become an urban myth to an extent, I just
haven't really seen such a problem. We have also had different
teachers speak up at board meetings, has there been any adverse reactions
as a result? No. As with any discussion, respectful dialogue
is most useful and that's what makes Winona Online democracy the better
tool to discuss local issues rather than an anonymous weblog.
In regards to the "censorship" issue, as I see it, the computers do
not belong to the employee, they are property of the school
district. No one is restricting anybody's personal access to
it--just do it on your own computer on your own time. Do you read
online democracy and post during your work day? No, people as a rule
respect that personal use of computers, phones, etc. in the workplace
should be very limited.
Susan
-------Original Message-------
Date: 03/19/06
19:37:36
Subject: RE: [Winona]
Winona Public Schools WEB Log
[Winona Online Democracy]
While the blog produces little civility, it should be noted that the
blog demonstrates the frustration not only within the Winona Community,
but specifically within the walls of the schools. Blogs are
anonymous--that is their nature. It is this feature of a blog that brings
out the best and worst. Take it for what it's worth, but don't overlook
the idea that people are finding a needed anonymous public outlet....
(specifically teachers and students).
Also, I need to brush up on access laws, but perhaps someone on WOD
may be able to answer this question:
As long as a site is not pornographic or harmful to children, isn't
it illegal to block it on school property? I know it would be
at WSU....even if the blog was about WSU. I'd be interested in
someone else's knowledge on the topic of sensorship.
Tania M.Schmidt
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