Blogs are Bad...right?

Have you been affected positively or negatively, personally or professionally by the Blog or My Space effect?

Boston ~ The Boston Globe
"Principals of several Boston area middle and high schools are warning parents to rein in teenagers who are posting intensely personal information and, in some cases, provocative photos of themselves on a free Internet site. The students, principals have said in letters and even in calls to parents, could become victims of predators.One 17-year-old from the area posted photos of herself in her underwear on the website MySpace.com. Several high school students in Newton included poses of themselves holding beer cans, while some Newton middle school students lied about their age, principals said.The creation of MySpace.com in 2003 and other similar sites in recent years has added another challenge for adults struggling to juggle safety concerns with teenagers' desire to explore the Internet. Internet safety specialists emphasized that parents should monitor teens' Internet use, but respect their space and warn them before checking their postings."

Chicago ~ Chicago Tribune
"A Chicago teacher's photo appeared on an adult Web site, advertising his "student/teacher" fantasies.Another city teacher used her blog this fall to write about the chaos in her elementary music classes, including details about students wetting their pants, writing suicide notes, pulling out classmates' "fake hair" and passing around marijuana.While these two cases drew the scrutiny of Chicago Public Schools, they failed for different reasons to meet the district's threshold for taking action--unlike the blogs posted by three boys at Taft High School. The students were suspended this week for posting obscene and threatening remarks about their teachers.Chicago Public Schools leaders walk a fine line when determining which online postings are protected by free speech rights and which should be punished as a threat to students or staff."

Connecticut ~ Boston.Com
"A New Britain High School drum major has enlisted the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut after he was disciplined for posting a profanity-laced entry in an online journal. Daniel Gostin, 18, a senior, was stripped of his drum major position, given an in-school suspension and barred from participating in music-related extracurricular activities and performances for the remainder of the year."


Are blogs bad for schools?