BOSTON -- I write from the courtyard of the Boston Public Library, enjoying a sunny, 60-degree afternoon in an outdoor venue with free WiFi.
I'm on a 10-week internship with mtvU's
College Media Network in Boston, so Craigslist became my best friend while apartment hunting weeks ago. I landed my summer sublet after some exhaustive searching - and I never had to drop a dime on
classifieds or the likes.
Mind you, I'm a native Hoosier - Craigslist is a foreign concept to most of my Midwestern friends. Most have heard of it, but few use it. The most popular venue I've
stumbled across seems to be a) The Ball State Daily News (campus paper), and b) LiveJournal.
Say what??
Check out The Ball State
Hangout, a community of LiveJournal users who have some sort of tie to BSU, either as a student or alum. It's more than Craigslist, in that the hangout is still a technically a blog/message board
that allows social banter. Still, there are business transactions being made if you pay attention.
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When grades are posted - you'll hear about it there. At least one user will post a link to
the grade site, allowing others to follow with subsequent complaints or bragging rights.
Need a subleaser? Countless posts promote off-campus apartments with space for the summer. Transfer
students also post looking for places to live.
Students screwed over by the big bad book companies often post their textbook collections, waiting to sell or exchange.
As an editor, I
directed reporters to the hangout to search for story ideas and anecdotes. When it comes to challenging topics such as sex, drugs, alcohol, there's no easier place to turn than an online community.
People are much more willing to discuss their vices online first and in person later.
Granted, not everyone at Ball State knows the site exists, but those who do seem to take good advantage of
it - especially incoming students. Transfer and soon-to-be-freshmen often post asking about random things, from the size of dorm beds to the way the showers work. It's an honest, open and
bureaucracy-free environment, so incoming students know they aren't getting an "admissions spin."
Cruise through the site yourself and see another form of "social networking" in action. You
don't have to be a member to view the site. Pay close attention to the running commentary, too - it tells you a lot about our generation's desire to converse about trivial matters.