A lesson in privacy

I was heartened to read that a US college lecturer who landed in hot water after a Facebook fiasco has been reinstated.

Gloria Gadsden, a sociology professor at East Stroudsburg University, was relieved of her duties after students took umbrage at thinly veiled threats posted on her page. (During my academic career we thought nothing of taking six of the best before every class. And it didn't leave me with any deep-seated 'authority issues'. Stiff upper lip, David.)

One of Gadsden's posts on the site appealed for "a discreet hitman" while another claimed: "had a good today, DIDN'T want to kill even one student".

Gadsden claimed automatic Facebook updates allowed students - who she had not friended up - to view her musings. After two months off and a little psychological profiling, the sociable sociologist is back in class.

Though if she ever does find that hitman, I've got a couple of sales drones that employment legislation has made it frustratingly difficult to get rid of.