The Plattsburgh State Environmental Action Committee (EAC) has a Facebook group known as the "Environmental Action Committee" group. The group president, Sarah Wharton has expressed concerns about having an open Facebook group that could allow unsavory characters to join and possibly dilute our group's image or give future employers and grad schools the wrong impression of ourselves.

This seems like an absurd concern, yet some people are passionate about either getting our group off of Facebook or hiding our identity by creating a new Facebook group called “Students for the Environment”. These seem like extreme measures but Sara and her followers are passionate about separating the group from the so-called riff-raft on Facebook.

James Crungnale and myself have a different opinion. Neither of us can see the problem that Facebook creates. None of the 15 members in the group seem particularly problematic nor does the groups Facebook automatically associates us with. It seems like a good place to get out the news about our group and get people thinking about joining our group.

Even if we could give examples of problematic people lurking in the EAC group, it's benefits would outweigh it's negatives. Facebook's strength is it's ability for easy free association: like our campus group anybody can join. We might not particularly agree with everybody in our group nor may they agree with all of their choices, but they are free to join add their comments to our group.

Indeed, I am a member of several Facebook groups that I really have no direct association. I sympathize with many of the causes of the old Students for a Democratic Society, yet that organization has been extinct on our campus and across the country since 1969. I also created several groups like Save Rugar Woods to increase awareness and build new networks, even if I don't have a formal organization for them outside of Facebook.

Parts of Facebook might reflect poorly upon you. Yet, that is true with any public act. As Hannah Arendt so eloquently wrote, one must weigh the benefits of having a public persona over the costs. By stepping out under the bright light of the public realm one not only gets the ability to communicate a message, he also reveals his true self. You should be cautious what you say, but don't try to hide yourself from the public.

Nothing is private anymore in the age of computer databases. We all do and say things we wish we had not done. Yet, by participating in a public dialog like Facebook we can show the positive over the negative. Do and say what your proud of and don't let anybody tell you to back down. That is how you become an individual.

“The solution to the problem of Facebook is more Facebook.”