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A note to the TexAgs community regarding posting and moderation

July 3, 2020
240,911

TexAgs,

I cannot recall a more tense time in our history together. With a global pandemic, no college sports, racial tensions on campus and differing political views tearing us apart, clarity and civility seem elusive.

In a moment like this, we've had to lean on one of our guiding principles: We believe progress is made through MORE discussion, not LESS, and we believe that to be true even if the topics are uncomfortable and we occasionally disagree with one another. TexAgs has always been a place for Aggies to connect with each other, express our opinions and have a shared experience centered around topics we are passionate about. Lately, some of those topics are being discussed with a heightened level of passion, so it's more important than ever that we find a way to be civil, respectful and productive.

Posting Policies

We want to remind everyone that there are rules to posting here, and those rules can be found in our user agreement/posting policy. Like many other online forums have recently, we recognized room for our own improvement, so we updated the rules and encourage each of you to read them at your earliest convenience. As it relates to what we are all going through together right now, I want to be really clear about the following:

TexAgs staff, our moderators and the overwhelming majority of posters on this site will not stand for comments that are racist, sexist or in any way dehumanizing. We have and will continue to remove any posts we see that are hateful or that contain content intended to demean any group. This does not mean we can't discuss hot-button issues on TexAgs, but we ask that you be thoughtful and charitable when you do. If you are unable to express your point in a humanizing way, your post will be removed and you will not be welcome to post on TexAgs any longer.

This policy will be strictly enforced by our moderators, who will work diligently to catch everything they can, but remember, with 2.5 million posts here every year it is not possible for us to bat a thousand on the removal of ALL objectionable posts. We will be doing our best to protect your right to free speech and to express yourself, but we will need your help.

Help Us Protect Free Speech

If you come across anything you believe offends one of our policies, PLEASE flag the post for moderator review. We do not approve posts before they go up and we are unable to read them all immediately after they do. We depend heavily on the posting community to bring problem posts to our attention. If in doubt, flag and we will review.

Thank you for your help and for making TexAgs a community where EVERYONE has the right to be heard and respected. We are deeply greatful for your continued support.

Gig’Em!

Brandon Jones ‘95
President & CEO

Discussion from...

A note to the TexAgs community regarding posting and moderation

205,487 Views | 207 Replies | Last: 6 days ago by chap
WatchOle
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 12:28a, 7/5/22
Staff
AG
You'll have to refresh my memory on the context here and the thread you are talking about.
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Ryan the Temp
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In reply to WatchOle • 7:02a, 7/5/22
AG
Thankfully a much more considerate mod took the thread down, so I can't direct you to it, but I think this is a pretty straight-forward question from a conceptual standpoint - Are you now operating under the principal that you will not tolerate ANY user being doxxed or subjected to animus IRL due to content they post on TA, or do you still believe there are some users who deserve to have that happen?
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Irish 2.0
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 8:21a, 7/5/22
Ryan the Temp said:
Thankfully a much more considerate mod took the thread down, so I can't direct you to it, but I think this is a pretty straight-forward question from a conceptual standpoint - Are you now operating under the principal that you will not tolerate ANY user being doxxed or subjected to animus IRL due to content they post on TA, or do you still believe there are some users who deserve to have that happen?
Brandon and I have gone back and forth with our differences, but I'll defend him in saying that the doxxing is a big no-no here. I'm not familiar with what happened to you in the past, but they've been pretty adamant about not tolerating doxxing. The one or maybe two instances I recall where it was semi-allowed, but with a good bit of oversight from the mods or Brandon was when legitimate fraud was involved (barnes, jorts, etc..).
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Prince_Ahmed
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8:50a, 7/5/22
Is it doxxing when someone is actively campaigning on a public forum?
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aggielostinETX
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In reply to Prince_Ahmed • 9:06a, 7/5/22
AG
Prince_Ahmed said:
Is it doxxing when someone is actively campaigning on a public forum?


Exactly and using their position publicly.
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Charpie
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In reply to Prince_Ahmed • 3:36p, 7/5/22
AG
Is that what happened?
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Prince_Ahmed
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In reply to Charpie • 3:46p, 7/5/22
Charpie said:
Is that what happened?
It's happened before, but I was mostly just curious, given some of the discussion in this thread.

But I would expect a mod like you would be far better informed than I
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Charpie
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In reply to Prince_Ahmed • 3:48p, 7/5/22
AG
Aww
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Retired FBI Agent
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4:04p, 7/19/22
Why are TexAgs moderators' usernames hidden?

Most online communities denote moderators in some way. Colors for the usernames, tags, etc to indicate they are a moderator. I think this and other transparent moderation tools ultimately helps to moderate and promote a health(ier) community for debate and discussion.

From what I understand, TexAgs moderators:

  • are not denoted or labeled as moderators to TexAgs users.
  • moderate based on the "posting policies" outlined on TexAgs.
  • moderate based on evidence rather than presuming guilt.
  • have indefinite capacity to delete, edit, lock user content, etc.
  • have indefinite capacity to temporarily or permanently ban users for X periods of time.
  • utilize a post flagging system to inform mod actions, either automatically or manually.
  • questioning or criticizing moderation within forum threads is against the rules, I'm told (with some exceptions like this thread-thank you.

I think annoymous mods is a bad idea.

The problem is, there is no way for the community at large to evaluate the behavior of moderators. This then leads to questions and uncertainty around rules interpretation, accountability, and consistency surrounding moderation. Many of which pop-up as posts and derail a thread, which themselves need to be moderated! Surely this creates MORE work for moderation, and the cycle continues. This is discussed a bunch in the evolution of internet community moderation.


I'm not arguing for mods to have to answer questions about every single action they take.

Most mod actions are mundane and administrative. But the current approach to moderation seems ... inefficient and somewhat of an internet relic--a shared moderator email address. It does not promote healthy debate, transparency, and leads to unnecessary conflicts and name-calling, it seems.

Beyond this email address, how can TexAgs users supposedly evaluate any of the above in their practical application? Likewise, how can we ask any moderator to objectively evaluate their own work or other mods (I assume there is more than one forum moderator).

note: in before "troll!", in before "flagged!"
https://tips.fbi.gov/
1-800-225-5324
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Retired FBI Agent
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7:21p, 8/8/22
Bump.
https://tips.fbi.gov/
1-800-225-5324
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WatchOle
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In reply to Retired FBI Agent • 7:34p, 8/8/22
Staff
AG
I've answered this question multiple times on this forum before.
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Bill Clinternet
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9:05p, 8/8/22
AG
I am not sure I understand the point of this thread.

I have done nothing but post my honest political opinions on this board. I keep getting banned and I am not sure I understand why that is.

"I am neither an Athenian nor a Greek, but a citizen of the world"-Plato, attributed to Socrates, Theaetetus-
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Retired FBI Agent
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In reply to WatchOle • 9:19p, 8/8/22
WatchOle said:
I've answered this question multiple times on this forum before.
Can you please point me in the right direction? I just searched your posts for "mod" etc and no results. Thank you for replying.
https://tips.fbi.gov/
1-800-225-5324
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Moderator
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In reply to Bill Clinternet • 3:38p, 8/10/22
Staff
Neehau said:
I am not sure I understand the point of this thread.

I have done nothing but post my honest political opinions on this board. I keep getting banned and I am not sure I understand why that is.

To date we have no record of you emailing moderator@texags.com to ask us this question. This email address is where you ask the question. This is clearly communicated on the posting policy page: https://texags.com/terms
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Retired FBI Agent
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In reply to Retired FBI Agent • 10:56a, 8/11/22
Retired FBI Agent said:
WatchOle said:
I've answered this question multiple times on this forum before.
Can you please point me in the right direction? I just searched your posts for "mod" etc and no results. Thank you for replying.
If anyone else knows where this has been discussed, can you please share? TIA!
https://tips.fbi.gov/
1-800-225-5324
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justcallmeharry
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In reply to Retired FBI Agent • 10:48a, 8/14/22
S
Retired FBI Agent said:
Retired FBI Agent said:
WatchOle said:
I've answered this question multiple times on this forum before.
Can you please point me in the right direction? I just searched your posts for "mod" etc and no results. Thank you for replying.
If anyone else knows where this has been discussed, can you please share? TIA!
"To date we have no record of you emailing moderator@texags.com to ask us this question. This email address is where you ask the question. This is clearly communicated on the posting policy page: https://texags.com/terms"

So, did you get an answer when you emailed staff?
If you think I am a liberal, you are incorrect. Assume sarcasm on my part. Sorry if something I post has already been posted.
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Retired FBI Agent
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In reply to justcallmeharry • 4:13p, 8/22/22
that was re: to another poster, not me.
https://tips.fbi.gov/
1-800-225-5324
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Retired FBI Agent
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In reply to Retired FBI Agent • 9:45p, 8/30/22
Retired FBI Agent said:
Retired FBI Agent said:
WatchOle said:
I've answered this question multiple times on this forum before.
Can you please point me in the right direction? I just searched your posts for "mod" etc and no results. Thank you for replying.
If anyone else knows where this has been discussed, can you please share? TIA!
Where can this be located?
https://tips.fbi.gov/
1-800-225-5324
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chap
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8:56p, 9/5/22
AG
Why are threads getting locked all of a sudden today? Moderate the threads don't just lock them.
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Who?mikejones!
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7:41a, 9/8/22
The moderation has gone crazy, especially random deletions without explanation.

I mean, the f16 mod is on a real power trip right now.
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Moderator
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In reply to Who?mikejones! • 8:29a, 9/8/22
Staff
Agthatbuilds said:
The moderation has gone crazy, especially random deletions without explanation.

I mean, the f16 mod is on a real power trip right now.

Are you referencing your post proclaiming the Queen of England dead when she has not died?

It has not been announced that she's dead, so we will not leave up a post proclaiming she is dead. Does this answer your question? If you are based at Windsor Castle and are posting insider information that the rest of the world does not know yet, feel free to PM us and share your proof of your Windsor Castle position. We will gladly reinstate your post.

As far as your overall assertion. One single thread with posts connected to one single poster derailing and trolling the thread is the only significant action occuring on F16 so far this morning.

There is nothing random about it nor is there any abnormal moderation activity happening beyond the one thread.

Please refrain from posting false or misleading information about Moderators.....and Queens of England. If you have a question about specific moderation happening at the moment email us at moderator@texags.com.

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Who?mikejones!
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In reply to Moderator • 8:49a, 9/8/22
Moderator said:
Agthatbuilds said:
The moderation has gone crazy, especially random deletions without explanation.

I mean, the f16 mod is on a real power trip right now.

Are you referencing your post proclaiming the Queen of England dead when she has not died?

It has not been announced that she's dead, so we will not leave up a post proclaiming she is dead. Does this answer your question? If you are based at Windsor Castle and are posting insider information that the rest of the world does not know yet, feel free to PM us and share your proof of your Windsor Castle position. We will gladly reinstate your post.

As far as your overall assertion. One single thread with posts connected to one single poster derailing and trolling the thread is the only significant action occuring on F16 so far this morning.

There is nothing random about it nor is there any abnormal moderation activity happening beyond the one thread.

Please refrain from posting false or misleading information about Moderators.....and Queens of England. If you have a question about specific moderation happening at the moment email us at moderator@texags.com.



No, not just that. I'm referring to the overall tenor of heavy handed moderation on f16. If you'd just leave a note as to why a post disappears, then I think it'd be a lot more digestible and useful. I'm fine with having posts removed if the mod thinks it is out of bounds, it's just weird that nothing is said and instead a shadow delete is made.

Can you not just leave a note?
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Moderator
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9:09a, 9/8/22
Staff
We leave notes when we believe the broader community would benefit from the communication and a thread's original topic is likely dead anyway and the thread is a candidate to be locked and/or deleted. If we are trying to save the thread and set it back on it's orginial course, we try not to leave notes about derailing or trolls that no longer exists because that just causes people to want to post asking questions like "oh man, what did I miss?".

Any user at any time of the day can email us and ask us a question about moderation to get an answer to why their post was deleted or a string of posts were deleted. That process is outlined at www.texags.com/terms We try our best to answer emails within 48 hours of receiving them. Most emails gets answered within the same day. Holiday weekends, etc are usually the only times an answer might not come within 48 hours, but even that is rare.
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Retired FBI Agent
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In reply to Moderator • 5:15p, 9/8/22
When convenient, could you please offer any insight on this?
https://texags.com/forums/16/topics/3122541/replies/62652014
https://tips.fbi.gov/
1-800-225-5324
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Moderator
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In reply to Retired FBI Agent • 9:43a, 9/9/22
Staff
If you are just curious about this, that's fine. If you want to engage in discussions about the policy, there is no need to waste time, the policy will not be changing. This is one of several threads over the years where the topic was addressed. Page two is where Watchole addresses policy directly.

Discussion about OB moderation
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Carolin_Gallego
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In reply to Carolin_Gallego • 5:03a, 9/20/22
Carolin_Gallego said:

*** If you think a post violates posting policies, please flag it for staff review. Additionally, you can reach out to Moderator at TexAgs -- Staff ***
*** You reposted material that we removed. You need to contact Moderator at TexAgs to ensure you understand our posting policies and commit to abiding by them -- Staff ***
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Irish 2.0
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3:24p, 10/13/22
Why are posts and topics about Lina Hidalgo so heavily moderated and comments deleted en masse without comment from mods?

[ARE YOU REFERRING TO ALL OF THE POSTS TALKING ABOUT HER BREASTS AND NOT POLITICS RELATED? IF YOU WANT THAT, GO TO THE GB. - STAFF]
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JJxvi
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5:26p, 10/24/22
aggielostinETX
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3:02p, 11/1/22
AG
What was misleading about this post?

https://texags.com/forums/16/topics/3335864/replies/63446167#63446167

DOD confirms people in the ground. Sources say those people are US military. This is some Facebook level fact checking going on here.
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agsalaska
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In reply to Moderator • 11:54a, 11/10/22
AG
Post deleted after a fair explanation from the moderator.

Thanks
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.



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aggielostinETX
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9:26p, 11/22/22
AG
Again got edited tonight for no reason
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aggielostinETX
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10:49a, 11/26/22
AG
*** We're not going to use this thread to call out other posters. If you have questions on moderation policy, please reach out to Moderator at TexAgs -- Staff ***
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aggielostinETX
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11:04a, 11/26/22
AG
Apologies

I thought that was the point of this thread.
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BMX Bandit
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8:13p, 11/28/22
Staff gets lots of criticism, so want to say job well done on getting rid of the thread that devolved into someone trying to rationalize pedo behavior.
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damiond
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2:55p, 11/29/22
staff is quick on the draw to nuke relevant threads. had to repost because nobody bothered to read an older link for a vote that is happening today. judgy place with much calling of names and no respect for the rules. still nice to have a mostly conservative place to voice opinions that are censored elsewhere but the conversations could be better regulated to keep out the haters from flaming all over the place
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