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can be secure, says OIT logo courTeSy of facebook
Students and employees attended the session to learn how to be safer while using Facebook. Allison Saito Staff Writer
Safety on Facebook is a growing concern throughout the United States as more people create Facebook accounts. Twanda Baker, a training coordinator for the Office of Information Technology, gave a presentation on using Facebook’s privacy settings to control who has access to your information. The presentation was a part of the series OIT is giving as part of Cyber Security Awareness Month. John Baines, associate director of security standards and compliance, said it is important to use Facebook with caution. “Social media sites are technically no more or no less secure than any other website,” Baines said. “The thing that raises the stakes on social media sites in the personal information that is out there.” Facebook offers tools for protecting your information, and this workshop instructed attendees on how to use them. Although mostly faculty and staff attended the workshop, the topics covered are relevant to all Facebook users. “This information is for anybody,” Baker said. “If you are going to use [Facebook], use it well.” The main topic of the workshop was creating and using lists of friends. “People have a lot of Facebook friends. On average, of all the 500 million users, the average number of friends is 130,” Baker said. Users may not wish to share all of their information with all of their Facebook friends. “Create lists so that [you] can determine what categories of friends can see what information,” Baker said.
recomBaker recom mends sorting your friends into severa l categories. “Think about all the lists you might need. I recommend you always have a limited profile for people you do not know that well, maybe you only met them once,” Baker said. “I recommend something for close friends and family… You can post things that are specifically for your close family.” Controlling access to information can be important when students are friends with faculty and staff. “I recommend students have a limited profile if they are going to friend professors or advisors,” Baker said. Another topic at the workshop was changing the default privacy settings. “Facebook gives you some recommendations; it will say that everybody in the world will be able to see my status, photos, posts, bio, favorite quotes, family and relationships. I disagree with that one hundred percent. I always recommend that you choose customize,” Baker said. Baker also said he stressed the importance of keeping track of changes to Facebook’s privacy settings and features. “Everybody needs to stay on top of privacy settings; there was one point in time because I considered leaving F acebook, because they switched everything to open… They are in a good place now, but I do not trust them that much,” Baker said. Baker warned against keeping too much information open to the web. “If someone has your name, where you live, and your birthday, they are that much closer to having your identity,” Baker said. Deborah Booth, who works in security and compliance at OIT, said the information was helpful for her. “If you didn’t know any better and you keep all the defaults, people can find a lot about you. That is certainly
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Twanda Bake, an employee for the Office of information technology, calls herself “The Facebook evangelist” as she discusses safety tips on how to make students and parents Facebook sites safer on the internet. Although there was plenty of information throughout the hour long presentation, not a single student showed up to participate in learning how to address privacy on Facebook.
not something that I would want,” Booth said. Meredith Duyck, a sophomore in the College of Management, said she uses Facebook’s privacy settings. “The only thing that people can see
Search committee still reviewing applications for University’s new provost.
On Oct. 2, Senior Ray Allen Ausbon died because of a suspected overdose of a man-made plant fertilizer, Mephedrone.
Shivalik Daga
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PrEviOus PrOvOsts: Kermit Hall Provost 1999-2000 In January 2001, Hall became president of Utah State University
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Lana Layton Staff Writer
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her profile. “Being at college, I don’t know if [everyone] wants to see everything that is put on my wall, all the pictures that
Provost search drawing to end
Plant fertilizer believed to cause student death
Authorities believe a drug new to the United States caused a student death in its first known appearance at N.C. State. Although autopsy reports have not been concluded yet, Ausbon is believed to have died due to consuming fatal levels of the drug. Twenty-one year old Ausbon was an accounting major, and was expected to graduate in May. According to toxicology experts, Mephedrone has only been in the United States for less than a decade. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Thomas Stafford said the loss of a promising N.C. State student is unfortunate. “From what I can see, he was a very outstanding young man and he did a lot of really good things, but he made a mistake this one time and it cost him his life,” Stafford said. Gerald LeBlanc, professor and head of the environmental and molecular toxicology department, said the drug has a relatively new existence in the U.S. “Mephedrone is a designer drug, meaning it is synthesized in the laboratory. It is an amphetamine-like compound,” LeBlanc said. “I would say it came on the radar in the U.S.
is my profile picture and my status,” Duyck said. “Only my friends can see all of my stuff, because with creepers and stuff it’s not a good idea.” Duyck said she also utilizes the lists feature to control who can see all of
Sarah TuDor/Technician
Lt. Dan Choi speaks about his experience with the DADT policy and gay civil rights. Choi was discharged from the military following his coming out on the Rachel Maddow Show in March 2009, and is now a LGBT rights activist. "If civil rights doesn't exist for everyone, then it doesn't exist for anyone," Choi said.
Choi speaks on DADT Lt. Dan Choi spoke in Stewart Theater Tuesday night on a range of topics including “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, bullying and having courage. Caitlin Barrett Staff Writer
NC State Class Ring
Throughout Choi’s speech, he sang parts of songs by Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Ohio Players and Genuine, because he said he finally understood what they were talking about in their songs. Choi said he realized he wanted to
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The University is looking for a new provost and is in the process of finalizing candidates for the post. Warwick Arden has served the University as interim provost since May 2009, when Larry Nielsen left the University. The Provost Search Committee, headed by Margery Overton, chair of the faculty and professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, is considering the applications for the position. Overton said the committee is still reviewing the applications and plans to announce names in the near future. “We are still looking at the people whose names have come up, and we’ll probably schedule interviews sometime in November,” Overton said. Due to the confidentiality of the search, the committee is not announcing the names of the applicants. Overton said only the finalists for the position will be public. Although the group hasn’t narrowed the field, Overton said the committee is thinking of bringing
insidetechnician
Stuart Cooper Provost 2001-2003 In 2004, Cooper hired as chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Ohio State University. James Oblinger Provost 2003-2004 After serving as provost, Oblinger became the University’s 13th chancellor. Larry Nielsen Provost 2005-2009 Nielsen was named interim provost in November 2004 and selected provost in July 2005. He resigned amid the scandal over the hiring of former first lady Mary Easley. Source: ncSu librarieS
about three people to the on-campus interview. “Three people might be invited for the campus interview next month,” Overton said. Once the search committee has
PrOvOst continued page 3 Fa’a Samoa: the Mageo Way
Senior defensive tackle’s childhood lessons provide excellent tools on the football field. See page 8.
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TODAY IS IS THE THE LAST LAST DAY! DAY! TODAY NC State State Bookstores Bookstores NC from 12pm 12pm to to 6pm 6pm from
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