If the creators of AutoAdmit.com learn anything from the media frenzy surrounding their Web site, it should be that acting legally does not preclude acting responsibly.
AutoAdmit - created by Penn Law student Anthony Ciolli and insurance agent Jared Cohen - is a message board for law students. It gained notoriety when a female student charged the site with allowing defamatory information to be posted, which she said prevented her from getting a job. Other women have also noted that the site's creators ignored requests to take down information that they said was false. Ciolli resigned from the site soon after.
Ciolli and Cohen are technically correct to argue that they're upholding free speech rights, but if false content is damaging a student's career and credibility, the legal questions raised are legitimate.
AutoAdmit is also disappointing because it reflects poor taste on the part of its directors, one of whom represents the University. Many of the threads are racist, homophobic, misogynistic - one discussion topic yesterday was called "Who's hotter: Asian or Indian women?" - and unrelated to issues affecting law students. Ciolli and Cohen have a responsibility to keep their content focused. The site does contain a considerable amount of information that is helpful to potential and current law students, but the site's usefulness is overshadowed by its racy, and unnecessary, content.
Even if the content wasn't offensive, the fact that the directors took no responsibility for the content, even when faced with claims of defamation, is unfortunate.
Ciolli is a law student, and should have recognized that his behavior was unethical and not in the spirit of his chosen profession. AutoAdmit gave users a forum to spread rumors and, considering the well-known fact that employers often research what is said about an applicant online, sabotage the careers of fellow students.
Law students should have a forum to discuss their experiences and exchange ideas; AutoAdmit's directors have a responsibility to make sure the site's content reflects its stated intent.
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