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by Arezow from AUSTIN

Last Post 183 days, 18 hours Ago


LIVE Blog with Arezow Doost- Facebook Homeschoolers
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:00 PM
Category: News
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Hi,

Thanks for stopping by.  

Tonight we talked to a Lockhart teen who was kicked off Facebook because she's homeschooled.

So what do you think about Facebook rejecting homeschoolers on their site?

A spokesperson tells us without a valid school e-mail address it's hard to verify the student. They do this to keep sexual predators off the site.

Is this a fair trade-off for safety?
41 Comments |  Add a Comment

Member Comments Total Comments: 41
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Arezow read my blog view my photos
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:15 PM

p.s. I forgot to add that I will be logged on here LIVE tonight until 10:00 p.m. So comment back on what you think about this story.--Arezow
minixsomers
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:17 PM

Honestly, I think that report was flat out dumb. She could have just joined the Lockhart, TX network, which wouldn't have been a lie. Plenty of people who either aren't in high school or don't go to school just join their region. As a response to her grandfather, seriously? Discrimination? Anal? MUCH?? It's not discrimination, she's just not part of a high school network. And.. High schools don't offer e-mail addresses, only colleges. High schoolers just need another person in their high school to verify that they go to the school.

That report was ridiculous! Facebook is as safe as you can get to being safe on the internet. And if someone BLAMES facebook or myspace for their child's death or rape, SHUT UP. Your kid is STUPID and talked to strangers. There's a button that says REJECT THIS PERSON AS A FRIEND. Stop using the internet as your scapegoat.
Thanks.
dassuess
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:17 PM

Homeschooled kids CAN join facebook. I attend a community college so i do not have a school email address. However, anyone can join facebook by joining under their cities network, and not with the school email address. I was able to join by choosing to be listed under my hometown network which is the "Austin, TX network". Once you are a member, you can then edit the profile information and add your school or education information, if any.
BeckyOzuna read my blog view my photos
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:19 PM

I don't think it's fair. Home schooled kids need as much social interaction as they can get!
But Facebook does need to find some way to make sure they are not sex offenders pretending to be homeschooled. As far as a solution goes... I'm stumped.
newshound read my blog view my photos
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:20 PM

It is odd b/c Facebook allows Homeschool Groups. Why not just let them all join?
BeckyOzuna read my blog view my photos
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:20 PM

I like Facebook
jennilee read my blog
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:20 PM

Why don't homeschoolers start their own?
newshound read my blog view my photos
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:20 PM

It's no fun HAVING to be part of a group.
MixDoctor
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:22 PM

hey, I was homeschooled my entire life up to college, and I understand what this young girl is goin through. I have had Facebook for 3-4 years now and I enjoy it. What many may not know is that Facebook was only available for a smaller number of colleges...not every college...let alone high school networks. Until Facebook can figure a way to check the validity of homeschooled users, I agree with their stance. I have both Facebook and Myspace, but I prefer Facebook because of it's lack of spam and stalker profiles. keep facebook stalker free!
AustinBikeChick
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:22 PM

The Facebook TOS only stipulates that members must be in high school or college. There is no verbiage around what constitutes a valid high school or college, and since home school programs are good enough for the state of Texas educational requirements for high schools, they should be good enough for Facebook!
Incidentally, there has been a lot of noise in Facebook groups about parents being allowed to create Facebook accounts and networks despite the fact that they are not in high school or college. Students have even gone so far as to create groups demanding that Facebook revoke parental access.
Looks like there are a lot of inconsistencies in the way that Facebook enforces their TOS...
brownium
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:23 PM

I don't know a lot about facebook, but I assume that it is a private enterprise - as such, they have a right to do what they want to do. However, I personally think that keeping homeschoolers off their site is a bad idea. If it is because they want to keep sexual predators off the site, the publicity would probably be much more positive if they said "We are trying to find a safe way to allow homeschoolers on the site". As the father of a homeschooling family, though, I say - who cares? We don't need facebook to get along.
minixsomers
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:23 PM

There's no way to check the validity of high schoolers. We don't get e-mail addresses...
zippy138
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:24 PM

you can't change the rules for everyone that gets their feelings hurt because they don't meet the standand that facebook has set for qualifacation. There is nothing wrong with homeschooling, but now we are aware that there are pros and well as cons to doing it.

Just because your being educated like other people does not give you the RIGHT to join their club.
minixsomers
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:24 PM

AND anyone can be on facebook. THE CREATOR of facebook is friends with his grandparents and parents.
Arezow read my blog view my photos
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:25 PM

newshound:

We asked Facebook about that and they told us that's because they have a network verification. Apparently, it's harder to do that with individual students.
AustinBikeChick
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:26 PM

minixsomers, Facebook is NOT "as safe as you can get to being safe on the internet." When you post personal information or upload photos and other content to Facebook, that data becomes the property of Facebook and they may store, propagate, and use that information at their whims. The dozens of applications available on Facebook are not owned by Facebook, and once you accpet those applications they REQUIRE you to give them access to your information.

Bottom line: don't put anything on the internet that you don't want to be seen. The internet is not secure, and Facebook is no exception.
MOD3004
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:26 PM

Unfortunately for home schooled students the need for public safety is outweighed by their general wants. Facebook and similar web sites are fun and are great for social networking but they are privately owned and must have all encompassing rules that sometimes disenfranchise some potential users. Everyone needs to remember that Facebook is a business and as such they need to protect themselves as best they can. In this case that means denying home schooled students access to their site where they cannot verify the identity of the user.
minixsomers
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:27 PM

Bike chick: i agree with your bottom line..

but you can restrict who can see what or if anyone can even see what your posting. There's always the option to not let anyone see pictures/info except for you.
newshound read my blog view my photos
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:28 PM

Thanks for watching Fox 7 News Edge at Nine and taking part in this e-discussion.
t_bird1199
Mar 12, 2008 | 9:29 PM

i'm pretty sure since fox aired this , the teenager will get invited back. I'm pretty sure that Facebook won't want any negative publicity.
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