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"Using a site like Facebook can do a college student a lot of good. It can help an individual manage dozens of friendships. It can help in the organization of meetups and events. It can even help someone better search for birthday or holiday gift options for fellow associates. Granted, one\u2019s social circle would have to be of the stripe that enjoys blasting news of various purchases made via the now-infamous system known as Beacon. But, nevertheless, \u2018tis possible to make use of the network\u2019s various features, controversial or otherwise, to one\u2019s benefit.\nUsing Facebook can also get you booted out of college.\nThat\u2019s what happened to T. Hayden Barnes, who, according to a piece recently published by InsideHigherEd.com, was \u201Cadministratively withdrawn\u201D from Georgia\u2019s Valdosta State University. A student in his sophomore year, Barnes evidently managed to upset Ronald Zaccari, the university\u2019s president, enough last May to get shown the proverbial door. His crime: opposing Valdosta\u2019s plan \u201Cto build two large parking garages with $30 million from students\u2019 mandatory fees.\u201D\nBarnes didn\u2019t have a very cordial relationship with the university before his forced departure. In the spring of 2007, he posted fliers critical of the scheduled development; sent letters to school administrators as well as the campus newspaper; and wrote mass emails to the student body. He was a busy and quite vocal chap before his expulsion, for sure.\nThe outstanding factor, though, for Barnes\u2019s withdrawal was evidently a picture posted to his Facebook profile in which he portrayed a collage of images showing president Zaccari, a bulldozer aside the proposed parking garage, and the phrases \u201CNo Blood for Oil\u201D and \u201CS.A.V.E.-Zaccari Memorial Parking Garage.\u201D\nTranslation: Zaccari found that Barnes signified a \u201Cclear and present danger to (Valdosta State)\u201D and proceeded with his removal, which he said would only be reversed if the student could prove to have been examined by a non-university psychiatrist to certify that he was \u201Cnot a threat to himself or anyone else, and that he would receive \u2018on-going therapy.\u2019\u201D\nThe story doesn\u2019t end there. Barnes proceeded to obtain \u201Cendorsements\u201D from both a psychiatrist and a professor and appealed the president\u2019s decision with the help of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. But the Georgia Board of Regents, the channel through which Barnes was required to address the problem he had with college administrators, chose not to reverse the expulsion. The matter is still pending.\nNow, if we are to look at this story objectively, one can perhaps see why Zaccari may have been compelled to take action in response to Barnes having posted said image. Yet, withdrawal from the university looks to have been rather excessive. The correct way to address the situation would have been to offer Barnes and any immediate family members to discuss the protestations made.\nOf course, I digress here. Such stories of controversy involving social networking sites are abundant \u2013 and will only continue to grow in number. I simply found this particular dispute to be especially worthwhile to mention, as it involves the topics of online protest and free speech. The questions I put to you now are: Do you think Barnes\u2019s expulsion was warranted? Do you find this instance involving Facebook unusual? Do you recall any similar conflicts occurring?"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2008/01/12/facebook-users-photo-led-to-expulsion-from-university/>