The Confessionals is a group of anonymous forums maintained by Shibo Xu, an
Oberlin College graduate, and developed by various short-term collaborators. They provide a space for
college
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...
and
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
students to speak openly and candidly, often on
taboo
A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
subjects. They have become a source for advice but have also generated controversy over the prevalence of anonymous personal attacks.
History
The first confessional created was Oberlin Confessional, created by Harris Lapiroff based on an idea he had had from a similar ''
Livejournal
LiveJournal (russian: Живой Журнал), stylised as LiVEJOURNAL, is a Russian-owned social networking service where users can keep a blog, journal, or diary.
American programmer Brad Fitzpatrick started LiveJournal on April 15, 1999, a ...
'' community. This original confessional gained in popularity until its creator left, after which Shibo assumed control of the site.
Controversy
When introduced to a college, the confessional often generates a lot of controversy, particularly if it has become a source for anonymous personal attacks. Using the names of others is strictly prohibited under the terms and conditions of the confessional, but names often appear in violation of these rules. Although these confessions are usually removed from the site, they have the ability to do considerable damage while they remain visible. As such, many college administrations have spoken out forcefully against them, but are usually unable to do more without being accused of
censorship
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
.
Some critics seriously question whether anonymous attacks against individuals qualifies as ''protected'' "
free speech
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recog ...
". Some critics, including prominent legislators, are taking a close look at the degree to which an institution such as a college may be liable for continued inaction in regard to confessional sites linked to their institutions.
Confessionals
There are currently confessionals for ten different colleges and universities:
* Oberlin College
*
Middlebury College
*
Amherst College
*
Mount Holyoke College
*
Connecticut College
Connecticut College (Conn College or Conn) is a private liberal arts college in New London, Connecticut. It is a residential, four-year undergraduate institution with nearly all of its approximately 1,815 students living on campus. The college w ...
*
Smith College
*
University of Massachusetts
The University of Massachusetts is the five-campus public university system and the only public research system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes five campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and a medical ...
*
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
*
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...
In addition to these, Shibo created a joint confessional, open to the public, for summer 2008. The summer confessional was bought back again for summer 2011 and 2014.
The site also expanded to neighborhoods in August 2014 with the launch of the Dumbo Confessional.
References
External links
Mount Holyoke ConfessionalSmith Confessional
{{DEFAULTSORT:Confessionals
Free speech activists
Internet forums