News (Media Awareness Project) - US OH: Ohio University Takes Down Link To Myspace Page With Ad |
| Title: | US OH: Ohio University Takes Down Link To Myspace Page With Ad |
| Published On: | 2007-12-29 |
| Source: | Columbus Dispatch (OH) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-11 15:54:34 |
OHIO UNIVERSITY TAKES DOWN LINK TO MYSPACE PAGE WITH AD FOR THE
'BUD'
A MySpace page for Ohio University's student center included an ad for
a Web site that appears at first glance to sell marijuana.
A student employee of the center created the MySpace page to promote
concerts at the Athens university's Baker Center, but the official
university Web site for the student center included a link to it.
After being notified of the ad, which was posted on Dec. 6, the
university took the link to the MySpace page down, said George Mauzy,
an OU spokesman.
"We can't control the content," Mauzy said. He said the school would
likely start its own MySpace page for the student center in the future.
The ad featured a large picture of a dried plant and a profanity-laced
narrative that claimed you could smoke the "bud," but it wouldn't show
up in urine tests.
It linked to a Web site that sells what it says are legal "herbs,"
rolling papers and other smoking paraphernalia.
Mauzy said that despite the link from the official OU site, the
MySpace page is only loosely affiliated with the university. "It is
clearly the student's site. The student monitors the site," he said.
Although social-networking sites such as MySpace are a great way to
contact a lot of people quickly, organizations are often afraid of
losing control over what gets posted on them, said Kelsey Ruger,
director of technology and creative services for Pop Labs, a
Houston-based digital marketing firm.
By vigilantly policing their Web sites, organizations can make sure
what gets posted is appropriate, he said.
Mauzy said faculty supervision of the Baker Center site had been lax
because of the school's winter break, which started after
Thanksgiving.
He said the university had not received any complaints about MySpace
pages before, but the student who runs the page has been notified and
the offensive material is to be taken down.
The page was created in October 2006.
Messages sent to the student-run Baker Center MySpace account went
unreturned as of yesterday evening.
'BUD'
A MySpace page for Ohio University's student center included an ad for
a Web site that appears at first glance to sell marijuana.
A student employee of the center created the MySpace page to promote
concerts at the Athens university's Baker Center, but the official
university Web site for the student center included a link to it.
After being notified of the ad, which was posted on Dec. 6, the
university took the link to the MySpace page down, said George Mauzy,
an OU spokesman.
"We can't control the content," Mauzy said. He said the school would
likely start its own MySpace page for the student center in the future.
The ad featured a large picture of a dried plant and a profanity-laced
narrative that claimed you could smoke the "bud," but it wouldn't show
up in urine tests.
It linked to a Web site that sells what it says are legal "herbs,"
rolling papers and other smoking paraphernalia.
Mauzy said that despite the link from the official OU site, the
MySpace page is only loosely affiliated with the university. "It is
clearly the student's site. The student monitors the site," he said.
Although social-networking sites such as MySpace are a great way to
contact a lot of people quickly, organizations are often afraid of
losing control over what gets posted on them, said Kelsey Ruger,
director of technology and creative services for Pop Labs, a
Houston-based digital marketing firm.
By vigilantly policing their Web sites, organizations can make sure
what gets posted is appropriate, he said.
Mauzy said faculty supervision of the Baker Center site had been lax
because of the school's winter break, which started after
Thanksgiving.
He said the university had not received any complaints about MySpace
pages before, but the student who runs the page has been notified and
the offensive material is to be taken down.
The page was created in October 2006.
Messages sent to the student-run Baker Center MySpace account went
unreturned as of yesterday evening.
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