Publishing to the Web
In addition to using your username and password responsibly, you also need to conduct yourself responsibly online. Do not abuse or bully others online and remember to be cautious about revealing too much information about friends or relatives.
The university strives to help you maintain your network security and privacy. Follow our rules, guidelines and suggestions and you should be able to avoid major problems while enjoying the internet.
As you view this page, please click on a word if you do not understand it, or look for it in our Terminology section. If you do not know the definition of a word that is not included in the Terminology section, or feel you need more information, please contact us.
Why you should be careful!
Online Safety - While the majority of Facebook and MySpace users may be harmless, malicious people will be attracted to these sites because the ease with which they can get personal information. These sites are free to all users and require only an email address to get started. If you feel you are safe because people must login to see your information, remember- getting that login ID is easy and once it has been established it is an effective cover for someone who may be nothing like the personality they portray online.
If the site allows, limit the people who can see your personal information to only those you approve. This allows you to make sure that only those you know and trust can view your personal information.
Personal Responsibility
Stop and Think Every Time You Type - Think twice before posting any personal information online. Putting your address, phone number, or even your name or birthday online can lead people to you physically or aid them in stealing your identity. You should never post financial information or social security numbers, and should you ever be asked or required to, you should leave the site immediately.
Posting anything in a chat room or on a forum, or even including it in a listserv email or instant message, allows the information to be saved permanently. The information may be found in an archive, or sometimes even with a simple Google search. Just because you had to login to post a comment to a blog or forum does not mean that someone has to login to view that post. Many sites take an ID and password only as an identifier; all posted information is free to be searched and viewed by the general public. Read the privacy policy of a site before you sign up to make yourself familiar with the way the site will work.
The Online 'You' - Always remember that as you use the internet you are creating an online identity for yourself. This collection of information should never be more than what you are comfortable with complete strangers knowing about you.
In some cases you may repeatedly use the same user ID within different websites. This ID is a representation of you, and a tie between all the sites that have information about, or photos of you. Remember that you need to use this representation of you responsibly; don't bully, harass or slander others in blogs, chat rooms or email. This type of behavior could be used against you later and penalties may be imposed under federal law.
Other People's Information - Do not post other people's personal information! We are sometimes so busy considering our own security, we forget about others. If you choose to post a picture, think twice and ask before you give the names of others in the captions. Avoid using addresses or last names in online references.
Avoid Copyright Issues - Don't download, copy or share copyrighted photos, music, movies and other products from the web. Severe penalties can be imposed if you are discovered breaking these laws- even casually for the purposes of your own personal website. Either purchase or create your own work and even with permission granted you should always credit the person or company from whom you received the product. Make sure you know the rules; you are responsible.