Row over ‘Spotted’ Facebook pages

The uni has asked for the Cardiff University ‘Spotted’ pages to be taken down.

The tongue-in-cheek pages were created to make studying in the campus libraries more enjoyable. However, they have been accused of being derogatory and even “damaging your job prospects”.

But what’s all the fuss about?

The pages work by encouraging students to privately post their scandalous comments and romantic appeals to other students.

The comments are usually mocking, lighthearted puns or lust for another student. The posts are then anonymously posted by the page’s administrator.

Like this post from a witty student:

Turning a library session into a competition…smart thinking

The ‘Spotted’ pages keep students and their comments anonymous, so any claims of “damaging your job prospects” are untrue. Other claims say the pages invoke bullying behaviour.

Cardiff’s Education and University Affairs Officer, Beth Button, is dealing with the complaints on behalf of the students.

She says: “No harm may have been intended by the creation of these ‘Spotted’ pages.”

The uni have been sending messages to pages asking them to be taken down if the uni received complaints about them.

So far, none of the Cardiff library ‘Spotted’ pages have been deactivated.

Here are some of the posts feeling the love:

Librarian Love

Educational love

Straight to the point

Smooth operator

It seems the pages are innocently intended to make the semester fly and give you laugh during coursework deadlines.

So, maintain the banter, the library is a better place.