Traffic increases on Collegiate ACB website
October 16, 2012
Though anonymous gossip websites are nothing new to Northwestern, posts are filling the university’s forum on the Collegiate Anonymous Communication Board.
Collegiate ACB launched in March 2012 “for college students throughout the country to discuss anything,” according to the website’s home page. The website is similar to the now-closed College Anonymous Confession Board. For the past month, Collegiate ACB has received an average of 10,000 visitors a day, wrote Kirk Henf, the website’s co-owner and co-administrator, in an email to The Daily. In the Northwestern forum, comments were made on 12 different threads Monday alone.
“We expect to see the numbers increase,” wrote Henf, explaining that the site will likely get more traffic as students settle into the school year and freshmen find it.
Henf said the website could be used to discuss “popular controversial topics” ranging from stances on politics and religion to fraternity and sorority life.
“The mission or purpose of Collegiate ACB is primarily to provide students with a location to anonymously discuss issues they wouldn't feel comfortable talking about elsewhere,” Henf wrote.
Although the topics on the NU forum are often controversial, the board has yet to be used for political discussion. Threads titled “Fraternity Rankings.” and “rich and famous” have received the most posts.
“It seemed kind of catty but also not unlike what people talk about anyways,” said Weinberg sophomore Jenna Stoehr, who has visited the website. “I think that because it is written down it makes it seem more official than word of mouth.”
Communication sophomore Jules Cantor was mentioned in a thread Aug. 19 called “Frattiest guy on campus?” Cantor said he initially thought the post was “hilarious” and thought it was likely posted by one of his fraternity brothers.
“If this had been something about my character or my actions, I would not have appreciated it,” Cantor said. “(Collegiate ACB) encourages bad mouthing and unpleasant conversation.”
Cantor expressed concern that students can not control negative content posted about them on Collegiate ACB. However, Henf said the site allows users to report inappropriate or derogatory posts directly from the website. Still, to request a post's removal in the case of defamation, a user must email report@collegiateacb.com, he explained.
“I guess as a Northwestern community we could decide not to use it,” Cantor said of the site. “Or we could use it only as an information site for constructive things, what dorms, what classes, rather than using it as a gossip website.”
Anonymous gossip about NU has been prevalent on the Web before. JuicyCampus and College ACB were both forums where students could make anonymous posts, but both websites were shut down. Weinberg junior Carla Berkowitz remembered the prevelance of College ACB during her freshman year.
“There was nothing productive on that site,” Berkowitz said. “It was the perfect environment for cyber bullying.”
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Disappointed that the Daily would run this article. This website goes against everything many Northwestern students are working toward -- campus unity, a better/more accurate image for the Greek community, etc. This article will undoubtedly increase the traffic to this useless site -- which is, I agree, the "perfect environment for cyber bullying" -- and continue to reinforce the hurtful stereotypes, gossip, and "rankings" it promotes.
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I would urge everyone in the Northwestern community to consider NU’s reputation before posting anything on that website. The same vulgar headings are written on other college’s boards to attract expletive and offensive replies.
It may seem like anonymous fun, but some posts on that website may be constued as libel and a violation of university policy. It is also a serious crime. A person with integrity should know that online bullying is wrong and should not post to a public board that supports annonymous online bullying.
Also, if you think that that website is ‘anonymous,’ think again. The top law firms in this country hire professional hackers to find the authors of anonymous posts if posts are written to defame another person.
Please avoid the collegiate anonymous communication board website and protect Northwestern’s good name and standing. Also, take into consideration that rospective students may read this board, as well.
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Wes Reply:
November 30th, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Umm, law firms don't hire hackers to find the authors of anonymous posts... That's not at all what happens.
No law firm would break the law by hiring a hacker because 1) that's stupid and 2) it's cheaper to just get the information from Collegiate ACB. Collegiate ACB can be compelled by the courts to provide the information they have on who the poster is, assuming it's actually libelous (which while a serious crime, is incredibly difficult to prove).
Sure, you could potentially get in trouble for what you post on ACB, but has anyone? Probably not. Not many people invest time and money into a libel case. It's just not worth it in the last majority of cases.
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Very disappointed The Daily opted to cover this. What's newsworthy about a site dedicated to negativity? There are plenty of sites with equal to or greater engagement from NU students--why choose to offer a spotlight on something so clearly enabling cyberbullying? This is a troubling editorial decision.
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