Splicetoday

Digital
Jun 16, 2008, 08:40AM

Protect Your Image! But Only If You're An Athlete

YouDilligence, a recently-developed monitoring software keeps tabs on student athletes' Facebook and MySpace pages go eliminate possibly incriminating or unfavorable material from rearing its ugly head. The software, however, is geared more toward the integrity of the individual athletic departments than it is for the athletes.

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Big Brother might find his way onto student-athletes' computer screens, thanks to a new monitoring program.

YouDiligence -- software intended to monitor athletes' Facebook and MySpace profiles -- seeks to protect athletics departments' images nationwide.

But not all athletics officials are praising the program as the answer to their current or future problems.

The program uses a list of names provided by athletics officials, and searches student-athletes' Web pages for a number of keywords, said Kevin Long, president of MVP Sports Media Training, which is marketing the product.

"It automates what you or I could do right now if we just logged onto the computer and just looked at whatever comes up," he said.

MVP Sports Media Training teaches student-athletes how to perform better interviews and protect their images, Long said.
The program currently uses a list of 500 keywords, Long said, which span crime, profanity and drug and alcohol references, though the list is updated frequently.

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