The school community is an Internet space that any student in our school can enter without a limit on the number of people. Students can access the Internet frequently via media devices such as PCs and cell phones, based on the Internet's unique characteristic of being free of time and place. Because of this accessibility, the rate of payment in the community is gradually growing, and students perform various activities through the community. However, it is an open place where various people gather to speak out, so it has both its benefits and problems. Let’s find out more about the positive features and problems with the pharos!

Students recently shared various postings through school community services like Everytime and Gyeongdaejeon (Tell you instead of Kyonggi University). Such information varies widely from promoting friendship to information sharing, of which there are three distinct positive types. The first one is we can expand our knowledge of courses by sharing information on the classes. Many students use the school community as acompass for applying for classes and information sharing about lectures they have taken and professors.

Second, you can use the community to find lost items or to find people you want to meet. Students help each other find students’ belongings by writing to the community about things they have lost or found. You can also obtain information about the person you want to find by posting about not only an object but also a person you cannot find. Afterwards, they show their gratitude to each other and make kind comments.

Finally, the community has the advantage of being a place to share information quickly with many people. For example, a photo of a cat that came into the library to avoid the cold was shared with the community in real-time last winter, so it became an issue for students. After that, students became more attentive to and cared more for street cats than ever before. It was such a hot topic that it even made the local paper because of students’ warm affection for the cats. This speedy proliferation of information is an example of the positive functionality of the community.

However, there is not only good news with regard to the community. This is because sensitive subjects can be raised in an open place in which many people participate. These days, feminism is the most common theme. Recently, in accordance with the rapidly expanding social interest in feminism, a controversy arose about feminism in the community among college students.

One of the students wrote a text about feminism on Everytime, one of the community sites. The writer asked, “Why has feminism become a source of conflict?” and was answered. The text had a total of 116 comments that were posted on the H.O.T. bulletin board. The main argument in the texts was that all men should not be grouped together into one group of people who discriminate against women. One student who wrote a comment said, “I hope this discussion with people will help promote feminism.” The responses were divided into sympathetic comments and rhetorical comments to the writer’s view. An other student claimed, “Since most of the powerful people in society are men, it is men who are responsible for gender discrimination.” There was also a text saying that it is unfair to criticize men who are feminists.

In another site, Kyonggi Up, a posting with a slightly higher level of comment was posted. The writer asked, “What do you think about feminism?” and many students gave serious answers. One student insisted that academic progress be accompanied by the advancement of feminist ideals. An other student talked about the duty of military service. Most of the students used the words discrimination and equality. The messages were about insisting on equality and not discriminating between men and women.

The biggest problem is the fact that there are students who used language to slander each other. Some students who do not agree with a comment used vulgarisms and coarse language. Some texts are very abusive because all users can post anonymously, Therefore the anonymity of speaking without seeing each other’s faces, community posters can easily castigate each other and embarrass themselves.

Universities are groups of intelligent people gathered together, and they will grace the future of Korea. Because of the anonymity of the community, we don’t know each other, but the community texts are the views of Kyonggi University students and the face of Kyonggi University. From now on, we hope you will be cultured university student who uses the services of the community with good manners.