Comments on: A Friend in Need http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/ theory in the rough Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:54:32 +1000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: N Pepperell http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/comment-page-1/#comment-19028 N Pepperell Tue, 28 Aug 2007 01:38:41 +0000 http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/#comment-19028 Joe - Good point. I had a somewhat similar situation at one point (at a different institution, and not in relation to anything online) but just in the sense of thinking someone was an "ex" student, who then ended up needing my assistance as faculty... I love the term "defriending", though :-) Joe – Good point. I had a somewhat similar situation at one point (at a different institution, and not in relation to anything online) but just in the sense of thinking someone was an “ex” student, who then ended up needing my assistance as faculty… I love the term “defriending”, though :-)

]]> By: Joseph Kugelmass http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/comment-page-1/#comment-19007 Joseph Kugelmass Mon, 27 Aug 2007 06:19:30 +0000 http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/#comment-19007 It's a good idea to at least consider statutes of limitation. I had a student who befriended me via Facebook after our class finished. Later that year, I had to step in during an academic dispute involving another class (mine was the prerequisite), and had to de-friend her as part of that. There were no negative consequences, but it was awkward and I wished I'd waited longer. It’s a good idea to at least consider statutes of limitation. I had a student who befriended me via Facebook after our class finished. Later that year, I had to step in during an academic dispute involving another class (mine was the prerequisite), and had to de-friend her as part of that. There were no negative consequences, but it was awkward and I wished I’d waited longer.

]]> By: N Pepperell http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/comment-page-1/#comment-18886 N Pepperell Tue, 21 Aug 2007 03:44:38 +0000 http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/#comment-18886 LOL - yes, not sure about the subtext of that option... Admittedly, graduate students have not yet tried to befriend me. But this may be a simple case of net mimicking life... ;-P LOL – yes, not sure about the subtext of that option… Admittedly, graduate students have not yet tried to befriend me. But this may be a simple case of net mimicking life… ;-P

]]> By: SEK http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/comment-page-1/#comment-18877 SEK Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:18:04 +0000 http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/#comment-18877 You can also set your security settings such that undergraduates can't see you. That way, only graduate students could befriend you...but that, in its own way, seems even weirder. You can also set your security settings such that undergraduates can’t see you. That way, only graduate students could befriend you…but that, in its own way, seems even weirder.

]]> By: N Pepperell http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/comment-page-1/#comment-18851 N Pepperell Sun, 19 Aug 2007 23:47:17 +0000 http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/#comment-18851 Hey there! Good to see you around! Makes perfect sense. I don't have any particular aversion to students doing this - I basically just wanted to get a feel for whether there were tacit norms (or at least a sense of personal rules of thumb other people had used), before I dropped myself unintentionally into some awkward situation. ;-P Hey there! Good to see you around!

Makes perfect sense. I don’t have any particular aversion to students doing this – I basically just wanted to get a feel for whether there were tacit norms (or at least a sense of personal rules of thumb other people had used), before I dropped myself unintentionally into some awkward situation. ;-P

]]> By: A White Bear http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/comment-page-1/#comment-18850 A White Bear Sun, 19 Aug 2007 23:18:52 +0000 http://www.roughtheory.org/content/a-friend-in-need/#comment-18850 I am "friends" on FB with several of my previous students. Mostly, FB serves as a nice way for students to stay in loose, unannoying contact with faculty members they liked, and I don't think it's meant as hostile or invasive. I have never gotten a request from a student with an offensive profile (incriminating photos, etc.), though. The term "friends" is a necessary evil; you don't have to feel like you're bound to one another as actual friends. On the other hand, if you want to keep a no-students policy, I don't think anyone would be hurt by sending a FB message saying, "Hi, it's nice to hear from you! I hope you're well. I just wanted you to know that I don't like to 'friend' students on FB so that students can feel free and unembarrassed about the way you use the site with your peers" or whatever. Does that make sense? I am “friends” on FB with several of my previous students. Mostly, FB serves as a nice way for students to stay in loose, unannoying contact with faculty members they liked, and I don’t think it’s meant as hostile or invasive. I have never gotten a request from a student with an offensive profile (incriminating photos, etc.), though. The term “friends” is a necessary evil; you don’t have to feel like you’re bound to one another as actual friends.

On the other hand, if you want to keep a no-students policy, I don’t think anyone would be hurt by sending a FB message saying, “Hi, it’s nice to hear from you! I hope you’re well. I just wanted you to know that I don’t like to ‘friend’ students on FB so that students can feel free and unembarrassed about the way you use the site with your peers” or whatever. Does that make sense?

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