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True or false: Universities check out your facebook

I've heard that Universities check out your facebook and other social networking sites, sometimes during the UCAS application cycle and sometimes once you're in

Is this true? Apparently they watch threads on TSR as well

:curious:

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Gummibaerchen

Original post by Euthymic

No it's not true.

Reply 2

Atheism

I doubt it for facebook, but there are certainly people from universities admissions who view/post on TSR - some universities have an account specifically to answer questions about that uni. However, they're unlikely to know - or notice, or care - who you are from what you post on TSR.

Reply 3

username457532

How would they know which 'John Smith' is you? Unless you have a really obscure name...

Reply 4

oh_1993

How would they even know who you are on TSR?

I think this is false.

Reply 5

dendodge

Original post by Euthymic

I doubt they're supposed to, although I'm not saying that means they don't...

Unless you have a really uncommon name, though, it would be pretty hard to find you. Even people with mutual friends who know my email address seem to have trouble finding me on Facebook :tongue:

I can perhaps see a few of them browsing TSR occasionally, but there's no way they'd know who you are (unless you give out your real name, of course). So you're safe here.

Reply 6

455409

not true but you should have facebook set so only friends can see anything you post anyway.

Reply 7

Doglamlico

Original post by Euthymic

Obviously not your facebook - unless you're stupid enough to keep everything public, they'd have to add you first :rolleyes:

Also, how would they know which of the millions of Joe Bloggs you might be?

As for TSR, it certainly would be easy for them to track you down via Stalking Pages :eek:

Reply 8

Charcharx

No that can't be true

Reply 9

archdd

False or I wouldn't have any offers right now.

Reply 10

Origami Bullets

I'm sure they've got better things to do than look at you on facebook, frankly. And what would they see? At worst, it's going to be someone having a drink (whoop-de-doo, the university provides places for you to drink on campus anyway) or somesuch. This isn't a job application.

Still, set your privacy settings up on facebook properly.

Reply 11

roh

Heard of grad employers doing this, not unis though.

In terms of TSR I know my uni/dept, and I imagine most do this, check out the forum about them and their subject to see what people are saying about them and that some people at my uni know who I am irl, but it'd be a lot harder to find out who an applicant is than a current student who they've actually met, recognise the writing style of and so on.

Reply 12

Jabberwox

It'd be an invasion of privacy, so no. But I do think employers have the rights to check your Facebook. I think it's appalling personally, as you're allowed to be a different, easy-going person outside of the work environment, but that's the way it is.

Reply 13

Aspiringlawstudent

No. There's physically not enough time to do so.

Employers, however...

Reply 14

Aspiringlawstudent

Original post by Jabberwox

Oh yes, it's appalling that someone would want to hire someone who isn't a complete idiot who could damage their business reputation isn't it?

Anyone stupid enough to use a social network without privacy settings on is unqualified for a serious job.

And it's hardly an invasion of privacy if you've deliberately made information public. Is not like they're rummaging trough your underwear drawer.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 15

Tackla

I read someone on TSR post that that her interviewer pasted her email on Google and managed to get access to her twitter account and read her tweets :tongue:

And then questioned why she went to the shops rather than go to her maths lesson!

Reply 16

Kate.

Original post by Jabberwox

How is it an invasion of privacy? If you have a public profile then anyone 'has the rights' to check it. There's nothing special about employers that allows them to check profiles, and there's nothing to stop universities looking at them (assuming the profile is public). If you're worried then just set your privacy settings up properly.

Reply 17

blubimnotafish

I think I would.. :tongue:

I also looked up some of the people from the uni's who sent me emails.

Reply 18

tazarooni89

Employers sometimes do this, but I think it would be a bit too much unnecessary effort for a university to do it.
In any case, why not just refrain from publishing incriminating stuff on Facebook in the first place?

Reply 19

Jabberwox

Original post by Aspiringlawstudent

I didn't say a complete idiot, did I? Say a Facebook status said something like 'Got drunk last night and had the best time ever!", that doesn't necessarily mean you're an alchohlic delinquent drop-out who would never be able to hold down a job. At university, some of the cleverest and most hard-working people I know still manage to have a good time.