With features allowing its online users to "follow" friends and send messages, Formspring.me is like a hybrid between Facebook and Twitter.
But while several of its characteristics mirror those of its fellow social networking sites in bringing people together, Formspring has been a wedge driving them apart.
Unlike Facebook and Twitter, the relatively new Formspring site allows users to send questions and comments to each others' inboxes without including their names — and without accountability for the content.
"They're rude because it's anonymous," said Josh Kimble, a junior at Falmouth High School. "They don't have to man up and say what their name is."
That distinct feature has brought the cutthroat gossip of the high school cafeteria to the computer screens of the Cape's Tweeting and friend-requesting generation with posts such as, "y r u so ugly? and "no 1 likes u in skool."
Though Formspring has gained nationwide popularity since its November launch by word of mouth and by linking with Facebook accounts, many school administrators and parents are unaware of its existence as a cyber-bullying arena.
"I monitor my daughter's computer, but I haven't seen it," said Richard Marshall of Cummaquid. "Society needs to keep an eye on it."
'I just felt attacked'
On one hand, Formspring offers a more personalized version of question-and-answer driven sites such as the Knowledge Generation Bureau (KGB.com) and Yahoo Answers, where questions range from "What goes with a short dress?" to "How many Super Bowls have the Patriots won?"
Similarly innocent questions such as, "What's your favorite color?" are asked on Formspring. But others range from the sexual to the sinister.
"After some of the comments, I've got some sexual questions ... and stuff like that," said Makenzie Ryder, a freshman at Barnstable High School. "And it's just really hard to read."
Many students said they elected to deactivate their Formspring accounts or block anonymous messages following a string of harassing posts.
"When I first made it I thought it would be fun," said Barnstable High School senior Larissa Macedo, who initially permitted anonymous messages before receiving insulting messages concerning her appearance and Brazilian heritage.
The messages become public on Formspring only if the user decides to respond to comments in their private inbox. But whether the recipient opts to ignore or delete the message, the damage is still done.
"It was really hostile and made me feel so bad about myself. I just felt attacked," Macedo said.
The option to send Macedo an anonymous post has been crossed off ever since she updated her settings to require the user's info be included in a message.
The insults have ceased.
Like so many others, state Rep. Matt Patrick, D-Falmouth, has one question pertaining to Formspring: If they were getting insulted, why wouldn't they just stay off the site?
For Macedo, the answer is simple: curiosity.
"There were some really good comments, also," she said. "People are most likely to tell the truth if they can say it anonymously."
Anonymity breeds misconduct
Unlike their children and students, many parents and school administrators said they don't see a silver lining. "My concerns are the same as any similar site, especially since things can be posted anonymously," said Alan Winrow, principal of Mashpee High School.
Steve Kraser, a housemaster at Barnstable High School, said social networking sites have joined the ranks of text messages as tools for cyber-bullies.
But he said Formspring is particularly dangerous because of the anonymity it provides.
"That makes it much easier for other people, which increases the frequency of it," Kraser said.
And with high schools relying more and more on students to report acts of bullying, the anonymous content can discourage students from notifying their teachers and counselors.
"You can't, like, show anyone— well, you can show people, but they don't know who it is because it's an anonymous question," said Katrina Manni, a freshman at Barnstable High School.
The ability to make comments without attribution has also created obstacles for disciplinary action. Because several high schools block non-academic content on the Internet, most online cyber-bullying occurs in the privacy of a student's home, outside the school's jurisdiction.
"If it was done at home off school grounds, we have no authority for disciplinary action," said John Mika, the assistant principal at Barnstable High School.
After learning about the site Friday, Mika arranged for Barnstable High School to block Formspring.
Steve Kraser, a housemaster at Barnstable High School, said the onus ultimately falls on parents to monitor their children's use — or abuse — of social networking sites and texting.
"The bottom line is people need to be more aware of what their kids do with their cell phones," he said.
Several students said they have not told their parents about their Formspring accounts because the site only became popular recently.
Ignorance proved blissful for parents who, before being interviewed, were unaware of the site.
Larry Spencer of Barnstable, the father of Barnstable High School sophomore Andrea Spencer, remembered the tragic death of Phoebe Prince, a South Hadley High School student whose suicide at age 15 was believed to have resulted from bullying via texts and Facebook by older girls who resented her dating an older football player.
Her tragic death prompted the passing of an anti-bullying curriculum signed into law earlier this month by Gov. Deval Patrick, which requires training for faculty and students and prohibits emotional, physical and online harassment.
"I think back to this girl Phoebe (Prince), and it's tragic," Spencer said, upon learning about the Web site. "Obviously, it concerns me, and I'm sure there's a lot we don't know about."
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