The Confessionals
The Confessionals is a group of anonymous forums maintained by Oberlin graduate Shibo Xu and developed by Akshat Singhal. They provide a space for college and university students to speak openly and candidly, often on taboo subjects. They've become a source for advice, but have also generated controversy over the prevalence of anonymous personal attacks.
History
The first confessional created was Oberlin Confessional, created by Harris Lapiroff based on an idea he'd gotten from a similar Livejournal community.[1] This original confessional gained in popularity until its original creator left, after which Shibo assumed control of the site.
Controversy
When introduced to a college, the confessional often generates a lot of controversy,[2] particularly if it has become a source for anonymous personal attacks. Using the names of others is strictly prohibited under the terms and conditions of the Confessional, but names often appear in violation of these rules. Although these confessions are usually removed from the site, they have the ability to do considerable damage while they remain visible. As such, the administrations of many colleges have spoken out forcefully against these forums, but are usually unable to do more without being accused of censorship[3]
Some critics seriously question whether anonymous attacks against individuals qualifies as protected "free speech". Some critics, including prominent legislators, are taking a close look at the degree to which an institution such as a college, Connecticut College for example, may be liable for continued inaction in regard to confessional sites linked to their institutions. Legal action is currently pending in some cases.
Confessionals
There are currently confessionals for twelve different colleges and universities:
Middlebury Confessional
Sacred Heart Confessional
Cooper Confessional
Williams Confessional
FIT Confessional
Bates Confessional
Oberlin Confessional
Amherst Confessional
Mount Holyoke Confessional
Connecticut College Confessional
Kalamazoo Confessional
Smith Confessional
In addition to the confessionals above, Shibo has created a joint confessional, open to the public, for the summer of 2008. The summer confessional was bought back again for the summer of 2011:
Summer Confessional
References
http://www.oberlin.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/ocreview/20081121.php?a=a_A_Live&sec=arts