12-31-2007, 07:12 PM
I am not sure that the Constitutional guarantee of free speech extends to anonymous (or pseudonymous) posts on a private and for-profit web-site.
Just as with this site, ratemyprofessors has a "terms of use" document which specifically excludes harassment and libelous remarks.
A site maintained by Viacom to convey advertising to college students isn't the same thing as the public square. The owners of the site will certainly maintain that they have the right to delete or modify content on the site without restriction, just as newspaper editors insist upon the right to modify, revise, retract, or withhold from publication, any submitted content -- be it an article or a letter from a reader.
It is interesting to see the "Professors Strike Back" videos on Ratemyprofessors.com -- but what would be more interesting would be to see a "Ratemystudents.com" website -- oh, wait, that's right -- I have the magic red pen. Which, of course, is what this comes down to.
In fact, I am pretty sure that my school would take a dim view of me appearing -- as a representative of my school -- in one of those rebuttal videos. I give my assessment of my students -- along the only dimension within my concerns -- at the end of every term. Anything more than that would be unprofessional.
I stand with PeterB, however, in thinking it is odd that "Doctor Oogle" allows doctors and dentists to opt out of the ratings. Since I cannot be certain that my ratemyprofessor ratings will only ever be used by students trying to decide between my class, and some other class (a dubious, but legitimate application), I would have liked the option not to have been rated at all.
Just as with this site, ratemyprofessors has a "terms of use" document which specifically excludes harassment and libelous remarks.
A site maintained by Viacom to convey advertising to college students isn't the same thing as the public square. The owners of the site will certainly maintain that they have the right to delete or modify content on the site without restriction, just as newspaper editors insist upon the right to modify, revise, retract, or withhold from publication, any submitted content -- be it an article or a letter from a reader.
It is interesting to see the "Professors Strike Back" videos on Ratemyprofessors.com -- but what would be more interesting would be to see a "Ratemystudents.com" website -- oh, wait, that's right -- I have the magic red pen. Which, of course, is what this comes down to.
In fact, I am pretty sure that my school would take a dim view of me appearing -- as a representative of my school -- in one of those rebuttal videos. I give my assessment of my students -- along the only dimension within my concerns -- at the end of every term. Anything more than that would be unprofessional.
I stand with PeterB, however, in thinking it is odd that "Doctor Oogle" allows doctors and dentists to opt out of the ratings. Since I cannot be certain that my ratemyprofessor ratings will only ever be used by students trying to decide between my class, and some other class (a dubious, but legitimate application), I would have liked the option not to have been rated at all.