A Texan is gone!

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   IzzyMposted 14 years ago

   His hubs, everything, gone! 

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      Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yup.
      I don't blame him.
      When one's freedom of speech is taken away in one area, it becomes a decision whether to take the crumbs offered in the other area.
      I'd do the same if it were me.  I'd refuse the crumbs and go on to somewhere better.
      Actually, HAVE done the same before.
      This site is lessened without A Texan, in my opinion;  and somewhere else, wherever he is, is probably a better place for it.

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   calpol25posted 14 years ago

   oh my god when?

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   Ohmaposted 14 years ago

   Expected that. He said he most likely would not be coming back. Very sad though.

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   calpol25posted 14 years ago

   Im sorry about that I liked him, he was really funny and good to talk too

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   IzzyMposted 14 years ago

   Yeah I really liked him too! I will miss him. I was hoping he'd come back and post as a sock puppet but apparently not, else he wouldn't have removed all his hubs.
   http://hubpages.com/profile/A+Texan

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      calpol25posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Well if he is gone, we still have the memories of him lol
      
      Im just sorry he has gone. some one must have really got to him.

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6. 59

   Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years ago

   He seems to have had trouble understanding and/or following forum rules.  The rules of conduct are very clear, but he had trouble following them.
   
   I will miss him though.  I hope he finds his way back.

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      tantrumposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      It's very difficult to follow ambigous rules !
      for what I see some hubbers are banned for less others hubbers post

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         Greg Cremiaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         ditto

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         china manposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         apparently if anyone flags or complains you are automatically banned for 3 days then one month then who knows what - on the one hand it is an ok system but on the other hand it is only certain types of people who do will complain. I don't know or care who complained about A Texan but I find it hard to imagine that his straight forward level handed abuse would be objectionable, but who knows.

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            Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            I don't think that's the case.  If someone complains it starts a review process, but doesn't result in an immediate ban.

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            darksideposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Apparently you don't know how the reporting system works.

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               Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               How DOES it work?
               
               I know I reported someone but was put in my place by Maddie.
               I don't recall A Texan saying anything nearly as bad as that person.
               But hey I learned my lesson-----never report anyone! Just fight it out and let the chips fall.  After all, what's the point of it?  Freedom of speech shouldn't be subject to fear when one is saying rightful things.
               Because (it seems to me) that the odds are stacked on the liberal side.  But whadda I know?

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                  darksideposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Lets say I reported your post in this thread. And I got friends of mine (assuming I had friends) to report your post. What happens is it gives a notification to the moderators. There's a few different ways it can do it but if it's like the punBB set up at SquidU where I've been a moderator, I'd get to see a few extra buttons and pages that others can't see.
                  
                  There'll be a page with the reports on it, they're all queued up. And it will have a few links on it. The moderator would go and have a look at the offending post. And see that you've done absolutely nothing to warrant a report. They'd ignore it. It wouldn't matter how many people reported it, it would be ignored.
                  
                  However, if you had personally attacked someone, whether warranted or not, if you had revealed personal details such as full name (if they're using a pseudonym) or phone number or address, then even if just one person reported it, something would be done about it.
                  
                  Now don't take this as The Rules Of The HubPages Forums, but just as the opinion of someone who has moderated and adminned several forums, but if it were something slight, it could be edited and removed. vBulletin, in my opinion, is a better forum software than punBB (and I've also had experienced with phpBB, simplemachines and a couple of other lesser known applications). In vBulletin a note can be left by the moderator that written right at the bottom of the forum post, and it also stamps it with time and date.
                  
                  It would depend on the member and their infraction. If the member is long standing and has never made a mistake, and the reported mistake was small, the benefit of the doubt could be given, and say if it were an affiliate link, it would be removed, and there'd be no fuss or bother about it. If it were a newbie and they made the same mistake, still no drama. Now if the long standing member had done it a few times, they could be cautioned. If a new member had done it with every time post, then they could be suspended. Or banned. Sometimes it is blatantly obvious when a person is a serial pest. Other times it might be a spam bot, so you'd block its IP. And it won't be able to post or sign up a new account.
                  
                  Now if a person were to submit reports on one person ALL THE TIME and those reports were unwarranted, then it's more likely that the reporter will be cautioned, because all they're doing is wasting the moderators time. If they continued, then they could be banned.
                  
                  Sometimes people submit reports because they don't agree with the other persons opinion. No obvious infraction has taken place. Those just get ignored.
                  
                  If a person starts to display a track record of rule breaking, suspensions are in order. If they're breaking several rules, and attacking several people, and have been given plenty of chances, you'd just slap them with a permanent ban.
                  
                  The good thing about vBulletin is that you can set a ban time, and when the member tries to access the site they'll be banned from even reading the forum threads, but it will give them a time and date of when they're allowed back.
                  
                  At one forum where I was a moderator and promoted to admin privileges, I would save bannings for spammers, and give out 1, 3 or 7 day suspensions depending on the infraction. I had even given out 12 hour suspensions, with a note that the person is obviously flustered and needs to chill out.
                  
                  Here at HubPages, from what I've seen, links will be snipped if they're promotional or inappropriate, posts have been deleted, and whole threads closed, without notifying the member. Which is fine.
                  
                  Then there have been 3 day suspensions, 1 week suspensions, 30 day suspensions. I may have read somewhere that A Texan was getting a 90 day suspension, and if he had to wait that long he wasn't bothered coming back. And then a permanent suspension.
                  
                  Though the permanent ones have been known to be lifted. But the offenders, at least three that I know, have come back and then continued to behave in both a childish and disgraceful manner, and they got banned again. And in some cases again, again and again. And they wonder why they're not allowed back?
                  
                  Running a forum is both tricky and exhausting. If you allow a free for all, it becomes a hot bed of seething tension and will eventually evolve into personal attacks. It doesn't matter if it's writers, car enthusiasts, geeks, Christians (even if they're all from the same church) or even atheists, they'll eventually turn on each other and rip each other apart if there is no moderation in place.
                  
                  So you need moderation. And it's hard to find the happy balance of censorship and giving people the benefit of the doubt. So it will always lean towards there being decisions that some people don't like.
                  
                  Ideally there should be some commentary when decisions are made. <snipped link> is good, but it would be better if there were a link that went to a page that explained why links were snipped and what would happen if the offender kept on doing it.
                  
                  When a thread is closed I would put an explanation as to why it was closed. Otherwise most of the time people go start another one anyway. Or they end up leaving. Most people don't mind being told where they've gone wrong or if in fact it wasn't their fault that the thread was closed.
                  
                  I honestly think that the staff here are snowed under because they're too busy putting out brush fires to be able to find the time to put a policy and procedures in place.
                  
                  Alternately everyone here could chill out and learn to get along. But there are people who are trolls and those that love doing their sockpuppet shows and they think they're the main attraction and everyone is here for them. It's a vicious cycle.
                  
                  So if you see someone you believe has broken a rule, use the report button. HP HQ aren't able to read every single thread. It's the loyal members who are their eyes and ears. Staff will action it if they feel it necessary.

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                     AEvansposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     @ Darkside I completely agree!

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                     Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     Thanks for the explanation as you see it.
                     
                     I personally don't see why the forums would be hard to moderate!  Unless of course there AREN'T very many moderators, then I can understand that!
                     But when it comes to the number of people who report a certain post or thread.....that leads to biased action I think, because often a group of cyber bullies end up getting people banned,  when, if the mod would just read the posts/threads in context and in context of the entire forum allowances, it might have a different outcome.
                     
                     And of course it always depends on the personal views of the moderator/s.......that much is obvious at any site.
                     
                     
                     Oh well.  I'm tired of beating this to a pulp! lol
                     I'm not crazy about pseudonyms and multiple accounts and all that.  Keep life as simple as possible; say what ya mean and mean what ya say and be ready to be accountable for it.   Those are my mottos (part of 'em anyway).   But I won't pass up a final opportunity to say something to someone who befriended me when I was being ganged-up-on by some of the meaner posters here, so...........
                     
                     
                     
                     Hey------------A TEXAN !!
                     If you're in "here" or out "there" somewhere----------
                     
                     HOWDY!!!!
                     
                     
                     oh wait---I'm a hillbilly, so I gotta say it this way-------
                     
                     
                     HOWDEEEEEEE!!   
                     
                     haha
                     
                     
                     
                     Peace; Love; keep on truckin' no matter what!   

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                        darksideposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        This is an active forum, and there's plenty of banter happening, and some people are deliberately being trolls and there is sockpuppet activity, so it would be hard in terms of it being time consuming.
                        
                        And it doesn't matter how many people report a thread, if it's not breaking site rules, they won't do anything about it.
                        
                        You're right about context though, to a degree. If a person is personally attacking someone, they run the risk of being suspended. What caused them to personally attack? It might be buried somewhere in 15 pages of forum posts. The person they're attacking might have attacked someone else. But does that make it right? This person should have reported the other person instead of taking matters into their own hand and escalating the problem.
                        
                        And the personal views of the moderators won't matter. They haven't got involved in the conversation and have no vested interest in it. They're paid HubPages staff. And there aren't that many of them.

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   Pr0metheusposted 14 years ago

   Wow, and I was about to post something saying he was right.  I guess he'll never get to see that from me.

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   Crazdwriterposted 14 years ago

   aaa he left completely completely? that is too sad. I'm gonna miss him too

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   Justine76posted 14 years ago

   

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10. 76

    Fluffymetalposted 14 years ago

    That's a Texan for ya

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11. 59

    Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years ago

    I think he got a new job decidin' whut should be in textbooks.
    
    None of that monkey-lution stuff.

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    Dao Hoaposted 14 years ago

    How sad! I will miss him too.

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       Faybe Bayposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I miss him too. Maybe we'll run into him again somewhere. He's been gone 10 days though.

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    getmybackposted 14 years ago

    Faybe thank you so kindly, I'll be by soon for sure and excited to return the favor

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       Faybe Bayposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Hey I look for new people, every chance I get. I don't want to lose people. We lose many and never even know until it's too late. We lost A Texan... He was an okay guy, I tried to catch him, but he left anyway.
       
       I want to see you stay, everyone needs some music in their life.

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          Iðunnposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          I caught some of his stuff, he definitely had his own opinions and didn't waver.  He posted in one of my pol hubs and even though his opinion differed from my editorial he was very courteous about it.  Direct but courteous.  A good mix.  Shame he left.

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    blatvaposted 14 years ago

    This makes me terribly sad

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    darksideposted 14 years ago

    Gotta respect him for sticking to his guns and not being a flouncer.

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       Mark Knowlesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Yup - I will miss him as well. He could take it as well as hand it out.

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       Iðunnposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I tend to like people who are introspective enough to have formed an opinion and willing to make their case passionately, as well.  It's certainly something to respect, especially if the person is a courteous debater.

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    skyfireposted 14 years ago

    

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    theirishobserver.posted 14 years ago

    A Texan was a fine contributor and I will miss him - however - I dont know the circumstances of his departure so I cant comment further -

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    ThoughtfulSpotposted 14 years ago

    Safe travels, A Texan, wherever your cyber journey leads you.

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    thisisoliposted 14 years ago

    It's a shame to see Hubpages shoot themselves in the foot again, and lose another good writer. maybe the ban limits are too excessive, I don't know if A Texans punishment was warranted or not, but mabye if the ban lasts for days instead of months it will get the point across without forcing people to find a new platform.

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    Disturbiaposted 14 years ago

    He's gone like a freight train, gone like yesterday
    Gone like a soldier in the Civil War, bang, bang
    Gone like a '59 Cadillac
    Like all the good things that ain't never comin' back
    He's gone, gone, gone, gone, he's gone  -- Montgomery Gentry
    
    Can't he come back in another incarnation?

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       Greek Oneposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       So are you trying to say he is no longer here??

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    Will Apseposted 14 years ago

    I reckon A texan is still among us in suitable disguise and more talkative than before.

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       AEvansposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I concur!

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    donotfearposted 14 years ago

    Texan was one cool dude. He's the kinda guy I'd wanna hang out with.....fun, blunt, and outgoing. I liked his opinions.  I wonder if he's on FB? Anyone know? I'd like to stay in contact with him.

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    shazwellynposted 14 years ago

    A loss to hubpages - he never did me any harm, was always polite and charming to me #sighs#

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    sneakorocksolidposted 14 years ago

    I'm not surprised. The Hubs are fun but, as you would expect there is a liberal, antiestablishment and atheist bias. This is more their world on the Hubs and they get more slack. The artsy fartsy crowd has always been overly opinionated about stuff they don't know anything about. I guess being creative is kinda like having half your brain in LaLa land. The atheists are pretty damn evil and they could be inspired to act out like they do.

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       Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Wow!
       
       That is really, really...

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       Dorsiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       La la land? I prefer to say I am "right and left" brain balanced...lol

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    ryankettposted 14 years ago

    I was rather fond of Atexan too. Whilst we were polar opposite in our views about almost everything politically, I liked the way he handled himself... a really likeable chap actually.... I had initially dismissed him as a troll. Thankfully I pretty much told him all of this on one of his hubs before he left.

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    Will Say Plentyposted 14 years ago

    Yup, A texan is gone, lyricsingray was gone for awhile, wsp2469 is gone, his friends who signed up were banned . . . who else in the past few months?

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       wordscribe41posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       How do you know all of these people if you just joined 10 days ago?  Who really is anyone here? 

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          Will Say Plentyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          I know them because I have been following HP for almost a year and, well, send me an e-mail if you really wanna know.

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             wordscribe41posted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Why hide though?  Just curious...  I really don't get it.  I do understand if this is your ONLY persona who comes to the forums, though.  I know plenty of people who have multiple accounts for various niches, but only one ever posts in the forums.

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                Will Say Plentyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                Well, thanks for that information.  it makes me feel a little more secure but you can e-mail me if you wish!

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    Randy Godwinposted 14 years ago

    SEC wins again next year, Tex!  Longhorns?  You tell me!

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