For those who don't believe I was an Earhart cadet:

First, GAAAAAAAH WITH THE DOUBLE POSTING.

Second, who said that you aren't an Earhart cadet?!

Yeah. I never said that, but other than the hint of curiosity that you dropped with "Suffice it to say, Earhart #11826 has had some major issues.", I just had to go googl'in to see what it was all about ..  I wasn't looking for confirmation.

I thought that all of the time between when you quit CAPTalk in a huff (invoking MLK, Jr. for some reason) and now would be sufficient time for you to chillax.  That may not be the case.  Take a deep breath. 

As for Face Book I think it's ok. It's not like you're on the phone.  I was a Cadet many years ago and I don't recall many Senior Members who were approachable for conversation or advice. My Son called me one day and asked me what in the world I was doing on Face Book? He was surprised when I told him that I had reconnected with a number of former co-workers from Ft Lauderdale.  As for me I'm fine with being in contact on face Book. As for Cadets it's important for them to see a leader who is approachable and helpful in a way that their Parents and CAP Leadership would approve of.

Quote from: CCSE on May 16, 2010, 09:54:09 PM
For those who don't believe I was an Earhart cadet:

Three middle names? My son has two and everyone thinks that's a little odd. 

Sincerely,

Abdul Chang Xavier David Epp, AKA tdepp 

Since im a recent senior member / former cadet, I already had half of the wings cadets on my friend list before I crossed over, and I still chat with them from time to time about the old times, and what their doing now

Ok.  Sorry for the Earhart certificate.  That was dumb. 

---

Back to topic...

Facebook, MySpace, et. al. are great tools for keeping in touch with friends.  However, Social Media is a slippery slope (esp. in the context of CAP). 

One problem right off the bat, is the appearance of fraternization.  If a DCC befriends a C/Amn of the same squadron, it can look bad (even if the wrongdoing is only implied, and nothing more). 

Another issue --along those lines-- is how a social network connection (such as the one above) interfere with communication up and down the Chain of Command. 

The DCC can (and would most likely) get overwhelmed with requests, demands, etc. by the cadets connected to him, through Facebook (as an example).

Quote from: DCC in hot water"Oh my goodness... This was a bad idea.  I can't keep up; I should've never FB-friended these cadets (who I don't even know).  And now the CC is knows about it, and probably thinks there's foul play going on... Esp. with the female cadets.  And all because we are connected through Facebook."

Don't be that guy.     

^^^

Not in 100% disagreement, but I think its really a matter of how you approach who the individuals are, and your role in the squadron.

I like your example of the DCC. As DCC at my squadron I certainly see where there could be some concerns with friending cadets. However; I have recieved several friend requests from cadets in the squadron. I accept their requests and generally they leave me alone. I also find its quite the policing tool to tell if a cadets reason for not showing up to a meeting are true 

Cadet Joe Bob calls his flight sergeant and says he cant make it to the meeting because of a school function. Information makes its way to me through the chain of command for aproval. Metting goes as planned and concludes. I come home check my facebook to see that cadet Joe Bob posted pictures of himself hanging out with friends at a party when he said he was at a school function... Social network sites can be a useful tool when used right. As someone else mentioned earlier though, it depends on the context in which the page is being used. Just use good judgement and I really dont see a problem with it.

Quote from: Captainbob441 on May 22, 2010, 09:16:00 PM
Cadet Joe Bob calls his flight sergeant and says he cant make it to the meeting because of a school function. Information makes its way to me through the chain of command for aproval. Metting goes as planned and concludes. I come home check my facebook to see that cadet Joe Bob posted pictures of himself hanging out with friends at a party when he said he was at a school function... Social network sites can be a useful tool when used right. As someone else mentioned earlier though, it depends on the context in which the page is being used. Just use good judgement and I really dont see a problem with it.

Like this:

http://i48.tinypic.com/28hjz43.jpg

Quote from: raivo on May 23, 2010, 12:59:37 AM

Quote from: Captainbob441 on May 22, 2010, 09:16:00 PM
Cadet Joe Bob calls his flight sergeant and says he cant make it to the meeting because of a school function. Information makes its way to me through the chain of command for aproval. Metting goes as planned and concludes. I come home check my facebook to see that cadet Joe Bob posted pictures of himself hanging out with friends at a party when he said he was at a school function... Social network sites can be a useful tool when used right. As someone else mentioned earlier though, it depends on the context in which the page is being used. Just use good judgement and I really dont see a problem with it.

Like this:

http://i48.tinypic.com/28hjz43.jpg

Honestly, who's got the time to do all this investigating that cadet x didn't show up for a meeting   Let the cadet staff do this sort of thing.

As far as senior members associating with cadets on social networks, perhaps the best thing is to go back to the basics of the "cadet protection program"...  Simply don't do it, your world won't end and neither will theirs. :angel:
RM

Quote from: RADIOMAN015 on May 23, 2010, 01:33:03 AM
As far as senior members associating with cadets on social networks, perhaps the best thing is to go back to the basics of the "cadet protection program"...  Simply don't do it, your world won't end and neither will theirs.

+1

Concur 100%. 

Just the appearance of impropriety is bad.

The best policy for FB relations --in this context-- is no interaction.   

Quote from: RADIOMAN015 on May 23, 2010, 01:33:03 AM
Honestly, who's got the time to do all this investigating that cadet x didn't show up for a meeting   Let the cadet staff do this sort of thing.

I don't think anybody is "investigating" anything, really.

I used to work at a college.  Come RA selection time, they'd interview the prospective RAs and of course every RA candidate claims to be as pure as the driven snow, never breaks the rules, is an awesome role model, etc. 

Then the director of student life remembers the photos of an RA candidate on FB from some drunken bash held earlier that spring.  He goes back, looks, and sure enough, there's the RA candidate with his arm wrapped around a female freshman, beer bottle in one hand.   Freshman is < 21.  RA candidate at the time was < 21.   Never breaks the rules, huh?

Now, I can't tell you the number of times I've heard students say "But my Facebook is PRIVATE."    Yeah, no its not. 

If:
a) You've friended up the res-life folks on MyFaceSpace; and
b) You're doing dumb things that are against the rules; and
c) There are photos of it on MyFaceSpace; and
d) You claim you don't do those things (ie. you lie)

then

= "You're a rule breaking liar who shouldn't be an RA anyway.."

That's so darn simple that explaining this to people who *should* know better hurts my soul.

Seriously:  I had a kid one day who came into my office and demanded that the IT department restrict the ability of the faculty and staff to access to MyFaceSpace.   I nearly fell off my chair as to his reasoning.  He was pissed that he ditched his 8am class due to being "partied out" and the prof dinged him on his attendance, and then dinged him on being a liar when the kid claimed it was because he had car trouble.  Just like the aforementioned sick leave link, this kid had posted on his FB at about 4am that he was "so wasted" and that he was "gonna sleep in, screw my 8am class."  The prof noticed the status update (not hard: the prof was FB friends with the kid), the kid didn't show up to class, so the prof put him down as "absent."   But then when he protested the absence, he lied about the reason, and the prof knew otherwise.   Did I mention that the class was "Ethics?"  Sweet irony.



I suggested that perhaps his parents should have imbued him with a better sense of personal responsibility for his actions and told him that if he kept it up _his_ ability to access the Internet would be limited to a small platoon of gnomes assigned to carry his data packets to and from the router closet.

I am IRL friends with a guy who is a retired state trooper and the chief of police in a small NH town.  I trust Dave implicitly, and I know that he's a serious "law and order" kind of guy.  He might write his mom a speeding ticket.    Now, if I was dumb enough to have illegal narcotics or other substances in my car, would I tell a cop this?  And if I did, and I get busted for illegal drugs, is it my fault or Dave's fault?

Its the _same_ thing.  The mechanism is different (FB "friend" vs IRL "friend") but its not the mechanism that's the problem. It would be my dumbass decision-making skills of telling a cop that I'm a knucklehead.

QuoteAs far as senior members associating with cadets on social networks, perhaps the best thing is to go back to the basics of the "cadet protection program"...  Simply don't do it, your world won't end and neither will theirs.

Yeah, thank god I don't follow that line of reasoning, otherwise every time I encounter a cadet at Friendly's or Dunkin' Donuts, I might have to run screaming from the establishment lest I "associate" with a cadet.  (ie. I ran into one of my former cadets just last night at a local restaurant. I was with my girlfriend and her son, but he was alone.  He was polite and respectful, we chatted for a minute about CAP and that was that..) 

Heaven forbid I should run into one of my cadets while I'm going to see Star Trek alone in the theater.  Which one of us is it incumbent upon to leave?   

What is Facebook?

NIN makes a good point. A cadet seeing the personal side of you doesn't mean that the cadet automatically loses all respect for you as a commander. If you really can't manage to be a professional commander and your own self at the same time (to a reasonable degree), that either indicates that you have some questionable habits that may not lend themselves well to working with cadets anyway, or you simply are the kind of person you are as a commander ALL the time, just because that's your personality.

Obviously, we all dampen certain aspects of who we are when we're in uniform, but not everyone does so because we're ashamed for enjoying things that CAP doesn't necessarily approve of. Some people do it just because some aspects or behaviors in our lives don't lend themselves in any way to the CAP mission, and since CAP is a mission-oriented program, there is no excuse for these behaviors or aspects of our lives to even come up.

When I talk with cadets (assuming they aren't close friends of mine who happen to also be cadets), even on Facebook, I write the message the same way that I would if I were sending an email to the cadet. And I certainly know where the line is. A cadet tried to use FB chat to shoot the breeze about his girlfriend, and I told him that I really am not in a position to be talking with him like that, but that I would be more than happy to help with any CAP questions. Even when I'm congratulating someone on an award (which I usually only know due to a Facebook update), I do so in the same way as if I were standing there.

But I would feel no more ashamed of a cadet reading a pro-gay rights paper I've written on Facebook than I would to be seen by that cadet at a pro-gay rights rally, because I'm not ashamed of being pro-gay rights, and I am not ashamed that people in CAP know about it. Nor would I worry about a cadet seeing me enjoying a vodka shot on Facebook any more than a cadet who happens to see me enjoying a beer at a restaurant. I am legally allowed to drink, and while drinking has no place in CAP, that doesn't mean that I have to erase it entirely from my life (so long as I'm responsible).

This is the equivalent to a cadet having to cover up the fact that he plays piano because it has nothing to do with CAP. While I don't think that the cadet playing piano has any potential to be useful for CAP, and therefore would not encourage its discussion as a good use of time, the cadet playing the piano is perfectly acceptable as a personal hobby.

Of course, there are the cases mentioned where the senior members cross the line in terms of maintaining a professional line between cadets and seniors, and start actively INVOLVING cadets in their personal lives rather than simply not hiding it from them. That's a different story, and absolutely is not okay.

But even when our "personal" lives are public, we can still keep them separate from each other. In fact, the harder you work to make yourself the robotic, impersonal commander, the bigger fuss it's going to cause when any aspect of your personal life gets out.

NIN for the Win! 

:clap:

Couldn't have said it better myself!

The 'double-life' mentality is a cancer that must be cut out, and first by the individual who holds it.  Split-Personality Disorder (or whatever it's called) kills the mind and rots the soul.  It's just as harmful to the victim(s), as it is to the perpetrator.  No matter how giddy the liar may be, deep down inside, he/she is miserable.     

For example...

Trying to be James Bond, Klaus Hergeshimer, Blofeld 1 and Blofeld 2, is psychotic.  Not even Sean Connery would attempt that.  No way.     

Now as Bond, Connery did have to assume the Hergeshimer identity... But was still true to himself.  Why? 

Because it was with good intent, and the false identity was required in order to complete a worthy mission.  Essentially, he lied to the wrongdoers so the truth could be known by the good guys.   

(Ref. Diamonds are Forever)

Now... how does this relate to Facebook? 

Those who live a lie, do all they can to match-up their words and actions everywhere... Whether it's on Facebook or true human interaction.  This is self-defeating however; if one lives a lie, it will come out... If not in their actions, certainly words.

Put differently: If one lives the truth, then there's no need to worry about being "found-out".  Instead of trying to be 4 different people, he/she is comfortable with having only one.  The person knows fully, that there's everything to gain by living the truth (and everything to lose, by living a lie).

Our biggest challenge, is convincing young people they've got nothing to lose by living the truth.  Simply telling it is not enough; we must live it too!     

There is a huge difference between living a lie and living publicly.

I would like to know the value to Nathan of posting photos of him drinking, legal or otherwise.

Considering the largely ignored recent poop storm regarding Facebook's lack of respect for people's privacy, their login banner should be:

"Just because you do something, doesn't mean the rest of the world has to know about it..."

Quote from: Eclipse on May 24, 2010, 09:24:43 PM
There is a huge difference between living a lie and living publicly.

I would like to know the value to Nathan of posting photos of him drinking, legal or otherwise.

Yeah, can't say as I disagree there.  There might be a photo or two of me out there someplace with a beer in hand, but I'd be really surprised if there are.

When you're newly 21, there is some personal value in it, I suppose.  At 43, a photo of me like that would be captioned 'NIN, about 45 seconds before he fell asleep.'

There is not really any intrinsic value to photos of certain activities winding up on FB.  I *could* prance around with a palm frond covering my nether regions, but is it really necessary and appropriate? No.

QuoteI *could* prance around with a palm frond covering my nether regions, but is it really necessary and appropriate? No.

We sincerely thank you for not indulging that fantasy delusion thought.