Arizona State University Lifts Ban On Change.org Website

Arizona State University infuriated activists when the school decided to block access to Change.org, a popular site that allows people to create and sign petitions in an effort to produce social change.

According to Free Press -- a nonpartisan media reform organization -- ASU decided to lift the ban after being inundated with "thousands of complaints."

The school is claiming that the now discarded ban had nothing to do with the content of Change.org, but rather was implemented to protect students and the university's network from spam and viruses.

"Arizona State University blocked access to the website change.org after it was used to spam thousands of university email accounts in early December 2011," a university statement says. "ASU strongly supports the First Amendment and an individual's or group's right to free speech."

But the blog Common Dreams noted that Change.org is currently hosting a petition demanding ASU reduce its tuition rates.

"The corruption and greed that masquerades as Arizona State government must come to this realization now. The citizens of the State Of Arizona and the students at Arizona State University demand better," the petition states.

A writer for Common Dreams who used to work for Change.org shot back at the university's claims, saying, "Change.org is anything but spam. It's a perfectly lawful website that has helped millions take action on a host of important issues."

The university apparently felt the battle wasn't worth fighting and announced last week that access to Change.org had been restored.

"The university acknowledges and understands the expression of concern from some members of the community who desire access to Change.org from university computing resources," the school said in a statement obtained by Free Press. "The university has removed the restriction against site access from university computing resources."

Comments

[asusparky]

10:36 PM on 05/16/2012

This attempt at censorship is quite similar to how ASU in spring 2011 blocked all incoming emails from Citizens for Responsible Administration of ASU (www.cfraa.org). Have to agree with Eric Haywood that the claim of spam is just a cover-up for their desire to block coverage critical of Michael Crow's administration of ASU.

[pflickner]

10:06 PM on 02/07/2012

This is just another reason why people should go to UofA in Tucson.

[mrld20]

10:26 AM on 02/07/2012

Proof that educational censorship can be overcome!

[M4dwoman]

08:51 PM on 02/06/2012

Is this the same university that refused an honorary degree to President Obama because he didn't have a large enough body of work?
Honest question from one too lazy to look it up.

[pflickner]

10:06 PM on 02/07/2012

Yes. Yet again, another reason to go to UofA.

[Eric Haywood]

08:11 PM on 02/06/2012

"Spam is a mass mailing to different email address from one entity, undertaken for the purposes of financial gain. Change.org is the inverse. It solicits the masses to mail just one entity, and the petition is undertaken for the purpose of social change or altering a law or policy, not for for financial gain."

No spam was ever sent to any ASU student. ASU is full of crap.

As the publisher of thedailysh­it.com and the author of the petition hosted by Change.org which can be found at;

http://www­.change.or­g/petition­s/arizona-­state-boar­d-of-regen­ts-reduce-­the-costs-­of-educati­on-for-ari­zona-state­-universit­y-students

It has been my experience as a student at ASU that ASU is not interested in fostering an environmen­t that is respectful of the 1st Amendment.­..Nor am I of the opinion that ASU is concerned about the quality of education that it is tasked to provide. What I do believe is that ASU is far more interested in the financial exploitati­on of students above all other things...I believe that ASU is failing it's students and society as a result.

In other words, ASU cares about the money it can generate from the 72,000 plus students that are currently enrolled. We are nothing more than cows to be milked. Sheep to be sheared. We are livestock.

We, as students, are there for ASU. ASU is not there for us.

[Charlie Joslin]

10:16 PM on 02/06/2012

So then why are you even at ASU? There are other schools in Arizona and plenty around the US.

[Eric Haywood]

11:36 PM on 02/06/2012

My being a student at ASU is a necessary but temporary thing for several personal/family reasons.

It is my intention to transfer to a "real" university sometime before 2013.

[Fennis]

07:24 PM on 02/06/2012

ASU is the worst university in the United States - parallel to AZ being the worst State in the Union.

[kayyy]

05:25 PM on 02/06/2012

It's not O.k. to take 1/2 a million dollars and four years of some one's life. For little to no applicable use. This is why I get angry.

[kayyy]

05:22 PM on 02/06/2012

Hello Parent, we are here to take your money, run your kid around in circles and figure out other ways to charge you more money for our personal projects. Such as reasearch , publish or perish, investments, etc. Dennis Praeger has some interesting things to say about this rip off.

NO ONE SHOULD GIVE THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY UNTIL THE SCHOOL OF CHOICE

A) OPENS UP IT'S BOOKS TO THE LAST PENNY PROVING YOUR MONEY GOES TO YOUR KIDS EDUCATION NOT ON OTHER THINGS.
B) BE PROVES THAT THEY ACTUALLY SPEND TIME TEACHING YOUR KID REAL KNOWLEDGE NOT JUST HERE'S A BOOK GET BUSY / BENT...
C) CAN PROVE THAT THIS KNOWLEDGE HAS REAL TIME APPLICATIONS TO YOUR KIDS FUTURE AS YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE.

IF YOUR PAYING FOR THIS PRODUCT / SERVICE / ACTION THEN YOU SHOULD GET YOUR MONEY'S WORTH AND YOUR PREFFERED RESULT.