Post by Elides on Nov 17, 2008 13:02:23 GMT -6
Howdy, Ags.
The passions inflamed by the recent presidential election, in fact the toxic atmosphere of American politics since Lee Atwater appeared on the scene two decades ago, have made civility in our nation's political process a thing of the past.
Some would say that's a naive statement. When John Adams stood for reelection to the presidency in 1800, Adams and his surrogates charged our eventual third president, Thomas Jefferson, with fathering children by one of his slaves. And maybe you thought the Sally Hemings story was a product of your era? Some might state that civility has never existed in American politics.
Fair enough. However, Americans have long been respected for allowing a diversity of opinions into the political marketplace, even if some weren't quite as well funded as others. That brings up my beef with the management of TexAgs.com.
But first, a disclaimer seems in order. TexAgs is privately owned. Freedom of speech has long been biased in favor of the guy who owned the printing press, and in this era, the web site. So, Brandon, you have no obligation whatsoever to be fair in the moderation of posts that appear on TexAgs.
However, not only are your moderators anonymous (while many other forums publish their identities), but also they are reputed to be able to post using their own handles alongside those whose expressions of opinion they regulate. Furthermore, any thread started to criticize moderation is quickly locked, and those who critique the moderators often are banned.
So, in the spirit of free expression, staring with a readership on only one, I launch this alternative medium to critique the performence of your "volunteer moderators." I hope you, Brandon, and some of them feel free to participate.
The passions inflamed by the recent presidential election, in fact the toxic atmosphere of American politics since Lee Atwater appeared on the scene two decades ago, have made civility in our nation's political process a thing of the past.
Some would say that's a naive statement. When John Adams stood for reelection to the presidency in 1800, Adams and his surrogates charged our eventual third president, Thomas Jefferson, with fathering children by one of his slaves. And maybe you thought the Sally Hemings story was a product of your era? Some might state that civility has never existed in American politics.
Fair enough. However, Americans have long been respected for allowing a diversity of opinions into the political marketplace, even if some weren't quite as well funded as others. That brings up my beef with the management of TexAgs.com.
But first, a disclaimer seems in order. TexAgs is privately owned. Freedom of speech has long been biased in favor of the guy who owned the printing press, and in this era, the web site. So, Brandon, you have no obligation whatsoever to be fair in the moderation of posts that appear on TexAgs.
However, not only are your moderators anonymous (while many other forums publish their identities), but also they are reputed to be able to post using their own handles alongside those whose expressions of opinion they regulate. Furthermore, any thread started to criticize moderation is quickly locked, and those who critique the moderators often are banned.
So, in the spirit of free expression, staring with a readership on only one, I launch this alternative medium to critique the performence of your "volunteer moderators." I hope you, Brandon, and some of them feel free to participate.