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Feature

Facebook Privacy - a thing to think about

Samira Islam

TECHNOLOGY has changed everything from shape to savour to give us materialistic gratification, simultaneously it has also been able to bestow us with emotional contentment when Facebook launched its social networking website in February 4, 2004. In our hectic life, meeting with friends and family and maintaining socialization has been very difficult but by logging in Facebook, people can reach the latest and updated news about their friends and family and for this opportunity people from all over the world have responded to Facebook. Despite its massive recognition, it has been disparaged by many people for its privacy issue.

It has been seen that Facebook is more popular among the teenage and youngsters. They are frequently updating their profile information, making new friends, joining different groups, uploading photos and taking part in all sorts of socialization granted by Facebook. But it is also a matter of concern - how effectively Facebook is securing the privacy of the users?

Facebook has created the privacy setting option to secure user's privacy. Though one may have selected this option to access her/his profile information only to her friends, but sometimes unknown people can reach her profile information due to the flaws in Facebook security. It sometimes creates problems to the users if they feel that the information is overly personal like, relationship status, work information or contact information; and with this information one can be harassed by others. Other than that, users may have different friend groups, one from their school, one from university and the other form work place. So the information, comments or photos that are amusing to their friends can be embarrassing for their colleagues.

Though many people from different parts of the world have expressed their concern, it has not been successfully able yet to secure the users' privacy. Therefore, we by ourselves, have to be more careful in using Facebook so that it cannot harm our privacy. People are trying to maintain socialization through Facebook, and this socialization should not be at the cost of their privacy. So it is our turn to decide to which extreme we should use Facebook.

(A Student of BRAC University)

AIUB's English department's newsletter “Echoes” launched

Rumana Islam

AIUB's English department added yet another feather in its cap with the publication of a newsletter, the first newsletter from any English department around, named “Echoes” which will come out regularly every semester. Besides highlighting news and write ups related AIUB's English department, “Echoes” will feature items concerning the teaching-learning and research work in English language and literature in our university level.

In an informal ceremony, “Echoes” was inaugurated jointly by the Dean of Arts and Social Science Dr. Charles Villanueva and the Head of the Department of English Dr. Faheem Hasan Shahed who is also the Chief Editor of the newsletter. The Editorial panel includes M. Hamidul Haque, Dr. Silverine de Silva, Syeda Farzan Sultana Hafsa, Borendra Lal Tripura and Md. Firoz Al-Mamun Khan, all dynamic faculty members of English department.

The inaugural issue contains goodwill messages by the UGC Chairman Professor Nazrul Islam, renowned academic and intellectual Professor Serajul Islam Chowdhury and noted ELT-expert and BELTA president Professor Arifa Rahman, who maintained that “Echoes” will surely turn out to be a creative platform of the students, teachers and researchers of English in and outside AIUB.

Vice Chancellor of AIUB Dr. Carmen Lamagna expressed her hope that “Echoes” will promote better understanding among the academic community. Dr. Charles in his eloquent message explained the necessity of such a newsletter in stimulating the interest of the students and teachers of English. In his touchy write up as a guest columnist, Star Campus editor Mr. Shahnoor Wahid illustrated the need of reading classics, find the treasures hidden inside them, and become psychologically richer.

(The writer is the Moderator of English Speaking Club of the English Department, AIUB)