[Nuttyman54]

I don't inherently see an issue with students seeking advice from other students, but I do have a major concern with the F4 Connect approach:

The premise/focus seems to be anonymity or privacy, yet you're using Google Docs in a way that appears to allow all 60 or so of the students to access the information. The privacy may be a mirage, and that can be dangerous.

If someone's information gets out somehow, either through gossip, hacking, unauthorized access, etc., it could be a huge issue. Especially if there is information being shared which can compromise safety/security of a student (eg, something which has the potential for retaliation, personally identifiable information combined with phone numbers etc.). In a community which bills itself as a anonymous/private resource, it is far less likely that students will be cautious about the details.

Posting on CD in a public forum has little expectation for privacy. Sending a PM initiates a private conversation with one person. Sending a supposedly anonymous message in which the other end can be seen by 60 people, and suddenly having your message content being spread around can be disastrous.

The creation of F4 Connect, and the amount of support already garnered for it indicates to me that there is a legitimate concern within the student FRC community. The feedback is that a large number of students do not feel comfortable posting on CD. I'm just not sure the approach here is the right way to address that.