Point: The evolution of a wall

The advent of personal blogs, online facebooks and other public forums has cultivated a fertile space for self expression on the web. The University community has found one such outlet at the Point Wall at point.princeton.edu, a public forum that elicits lighthearted banter, weighty moral debates, and much that falls in between.

Point — a web portal designed to provide students with up-to-date information on local and campus event — has seen increasing numbers of hits since its November 2004 debut. Over 5,400 current students and members of the Class of 2005 have already accessed the site.

Given the site's popularity, USG Webmaster Ryan Walsh '06 formulated the idea for an open student forum, the Point Wall, last March.

Walsh wondered how students would make use of a captive "subway audience" of users who could not avoid reading Wall postings when browsing Point.

"I wanted to see what would happen if people had one location to have their random thoughts read by a lot of people," Walsh said.

Wall postings normally take on a lighthearted tone. On occasion, however, students have initiated more serious discussions over religion and policy.

When Cody May '07 was offended by a Point poll regarding sex toys, he quickly voiced his discontent on the Wall, making numerous Biblical references.

"I was objecting to the contents of that particular Point poll, so the wall was the most immediate forum for the expression," May said in an email.

Though Walsh said he has had to censor some postings that were trying to sell items, he has yet to censor any offensive comments. For his part, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students Thomas Dunne does not monitor the Wall.

But for most students — even those who post about more serious issues — the Point Wall is all about fun. Asheesh Siddique '07, who often comments on the current political landscape, said the message board is a good way to pass the time.

"[It is] just something to do when you need a break from typing a paper," he said.