In my junior year of college, I was introduced to PostSecret while helping a friend clean their room. The only book placed on my friend's bookshelf with any form of grace was the first PostSecret book. Beautiful in it's brown paper cover, I was welcomed by a collection of postcards that released people from their buried secrets.
When I first discovered this secret sharing, judgement free zone, PostSecret allowed for people to share secrets via Facebook. However after several less than ideal posts, the PostSecret team remembered a foundational idea in the community - a space for individuals to share their secrets, their thoughts and their fears free of judgement and anonymously. Fortunately six years later, the PostSecret team figured out a way for people to share their secrets immediately and whenever they wished while being anonymous - an iPhone application.
Through the use of the iPhone application people were able to release their secret when they had the courage, versus holding on to the courage for sometimes years at a time. However, sadly many people abused the PostSecret application. Which resulted in a tough decision by it's founder, Frank Warren and other members of the PostSecret team. The letter announcing the change states:
I found myself saddened by the news that yet again another communication outlet was stopped in its tracks by people abusing it. Another you may ask?
Facebook is full of people sharing information that quite frankly I do not want to know; and I am not just talking about the "dyed my hair" or "painting my nails with my BFF" posts, but instead the posts about someone's dating life, political views (which are always right) or the infamous drunk and completely inappropriate post. Thanks to Facebook, I can set my News Feed to not update me about the individuals who choose to only post opinions and activities to which I do no have the patience to read. However, many people choose to complain instead of editing their hearing, their reading or their opinions.
It is a basic human right to have an opinion and to share it without fear of repercussions; however, the idea of "without fear" is becoming less and less likely. Occupy: Berkley found itself protesting the Chancellor's actions when she supported the police silencing the protesters. But the point of this column is to focus on our right (and responsibilities) surrounding the idea of the freedom of speech.
The American Civil Liberties Union states that,
I believe in all that is represented by the Freedom of Expression and because of that belief, I find myself believing in the attached, but seldom mentioned, responsibilities. Responsibility one: You have the right to ignore someone's expression that you disagree with just as much as you have the right to state your opinion. Responsibility two: You will not agree with everything that everyone ever says - just learn that now. In this day and age where you can have selective hearing, recognize that this is your responsibility if you cannot listen to other's opinions without freaking out.
All that being said, I could not agree with the PostSecret team more - it saddens me to see the PostSecret application close especially with it being the number one selling iPhone application, according to Warren's letter. It just shows how much people are hiding - funny since we have the Freedom of Expression. Nonetheless, we as a society are not mature enough to handle the freedom to share our thoughts, secrets and actions right as it is all happening. The ironic part - Facebook is making it easier to share all of these and PostSecret is back to the good old days of postcards and the United States Postal Service.
When I first discovered this secret sharing, judgement free zone, PostSecret allowed for people to share secrets via Facebook. However after several less than ideal posts, the PostSecret team remembered a foundational idea in the community - a space for individuals to share their secrets, their thoughts and their fears free of judgement and anonymously. Fortunately six years later, the PostSecret team figured out a way for people to share their secrets immediately and whenever they wished while being anonymous - an iPhone application.
Through the use of the iPhone application people were able to release their secret when they had the courage, versus holding on to the courage for sometimes years at a time. However, sadly many people abused the PostSecret application. Which resulted in a tough decision by it's founder, Frank Warren and other members of the PostSecret team. The letter announcing the change states:
The PostSecret iPhone App is Now Closed
It pains me to announce that the PostSecret App is now closed. In some ways, this is because of its success. It reached the top-selling spot in the App Store and users shared over 2 million creative secrets.
99% of the secrets created were in the spirit of PostSecret. Unfortunately, the scale of secrets was so large that even 1% of bad content was overwhelming for our dedicated team of volunteer moderators who worked 24 hours a day 7 days a week removing content that was not just pornographic but also gruesome and at times threatening.
Like the PostSecret Blog, the App was designed so each secret was absolutely anonymous. Unfortunately, that absolute anonymity made it very challenging to permanently remove determined users with malicious intent.
Bad content caused users to complain to me, Apple and the FBI. I was contacted by law enforcement about bad content on the App. Threats were made against users, moderators and my family. (Two specific threats were made that I am unable to talk about). As much as we tried, we were unable to maintain a bully-free environment. Weeks ago I had to remove the App from my daughter's phone.
Like many of you, I feel a great sense of loss from this decision but please know that we fought hard behind the scenes to find a permanent solution. We even tried prescreening 30,000 secrets a day. Deciding to remove the App from the App Store last week and holding back the release of the Android version cost us money but we feel it was the right thing to do.
To the vast majority of people who shared their earnest secrets and compassionate replies on the App, you inspired us with your honesty, humor and humanity. Even though this good faith experiment has come to an end what you shared lives on.
While the PostSecret App is now closed, PostSecret, and the PostSecret blog, are still very much open. Thanks for helping to keep the true spirit of PostSecret alive by mailing your secrets in 2012.
Sincerely,
-Frank Warren
I found myself saddened by the news that yet again another communication outlet was stopped in its tracks by people abusing it. Another you may ask?
Facebook is full of people sharing information that quite frankly I do not want to know; and I am not just talking about the "dyed my hair" or "painting my nails with my BFF" posts, but instead the posts about someone's dating life, political views (which are always right) or the infamous drunk and completely inappropriate post. Thanks to Facebook, I can set my News Feed to not update me about the individuals who choose to only post opinions and activities to which I do no have the patience to read. However, many people choose to complain instead of editing their hearing, their reading or their opinions.
It is a basic human right to have an opinion and to share it without fear of repercussions; however, the idea of "without fear" is becoming less and less likely. Occupy: Berkley found itself protesting the Chancellor's actions when she supported the police silencing the protesters. But the point of this column is to focus on our right (and responsibilities) surrounding the idea of the freedom of speech.
The American Civil Liberties Union states that,
"Freedom of speech, of the press, of association, of assembly and petition -- this set of guarantees, protected by the First Amendment, comprises what we refer to as freedom of expression. The Supreme Court has written that this freedom is "the matrix, the indispensable condition of nearly every other form of freedom." Without it, other fundamental rights, like the right to vote, would wither and die."
I believe in all that is represented by the Freedom of Expression and because of that belief, I find myself believing in the attached, but seldom mentioned, responsibilities. Responsibility one: You have the right to ignore someone's expression that you disagree with just as much as you have the right to state your opinion. Responsibility two: You will not agree with everything that everyone ever says - just learn that now. In this day and age where you can have selective hearing, recognize that this is your responsibility if you cannot listen to other's opinions without freaking out.
All that being said, I could not agree with the PostSecret team more - it saddens me to see the PostSecret application close especially with it being the number one selling iPhone application, according to Warren's letter. It just shows how much people are hiding - funny since we have the Freedom of Expression. Nonetheless, we as a society are not mature enough to handle the freedom to share our thoughts, secrets and actions right as it is all happening. The ironic part - Facebook is making it easier to share all of these and PostSecret is back to the good old days of postcards and the United States Postal Service.
I love your comment about having the responsibility to ignore other's expressions. I think in a way that's applicable to all of life. The best way to not be involved in drama/stirred-up is if you can find a way to not engage with it.
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