Maybe someone can enlighten me.


In today's email:

Hi secretguy

Your Post was removed by a moderator

2025-08-20 20:47:30 UTC

Congrats and I feel ya. The current state of the country has stolen most of my joy.

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So what was my infraction. Maybe it was empathizing with another member?

Hurry though. This won't last long either.

secretguy

"So what was my infraction?"

Choose all that apply. When finished, self-flagellate with a birch branch until you are rehabilitated.

@secretguy lol welcome to the club of unexplained comment removal. People have pretty fragile feelings here so report on whim and moderation team doesn't double check but just decides to agree with the person reporting all the time

 

I've had some harmless, no insult comments deleted. Just received a message yesterday of that manner.

That will be my 21st email alerting me of a removed message. It seems like a common occurrence for me unfortunately and I can share all the messages nuked if people think I am lying about not insulting anyone

Sure nothing to do with any of those 4 reasons. But they probably figured it would generate political 'debate'. In that case, they should add that to the list of reasons.

@secretguy definition of spam…

irrelevant or unsolicited messages sent over the internet, typically to a large number of users, for the purposes of advertising, phishing, spreading malware, etc.

In an audio forum this message you posted

Congrats and I feel ya. The current state of the country has stolen most of my joy.
 

is irrelevant and unsolicited and is sent over internet to a large number of users, advertising your political views. 
 

It’s hard to argue with the action taken by the moderator. I get it you don’t like it. If you feel like expressing your political views you can do so on public property as a protest. If you do it on private property, which is conceptually similar to doing it on this forum, you will be removed. And it could hurt more than just emotionally. 

In this case if the OP is seeking “Justification”, it’s a poor goal:

  1. What is the purpose of opening this thread? To blow off steam? To line up on your side? To try to embarrass/pressure the Agon moderator to get your way - an explanation? We do not know the “Justification”.  
  2. Agon makes the rules, we are not “entitled” to an explanation 
  3. The Agon moderator has little incentive to explain their actions - more work and possibly increased grief

It’s best simply tone it down and move on.

In case you haven’t noticed all the same nit-wits that always brought their politics into audio discussions were shown the door a few weeks ago! IMO, it was long overdue!

Sorry @secretguy I empathize with your position but I'm going to have to agree with the moderator. This just isn't the place.

 

Just a guess. Imagine someone on staff who probably has other duties as well entrusted with “doing membership the. great favor of explaining the reason his post was removed.” while sending out an impersonal and hurried “explanation”.  Audiogon is a business and this is akin to trying to get an answer for why our purchase from X on line retailer is not quite like the picture in the ad.  Would be nice it were otherwise and can be very frustrating, but simply not that important in the overall scheme.  I have no idea why this might be so, but I’ve never had a post removed.

@stuartk I don’t think the process is automated. There’s no algorithm that runs as a backend process to identify posts that need to be removed. Or if there is, it isn’t very sophisticated. The system most likely relies on moderators reviewing the forums or users reporting posts they think violate the policy. That’s the only explanation I have. X or FB in example are large publicly traded companies that have the means to incorporate this type of automation. I don’t think there’s any specific agenda behind the inconsistency here other than what I just explained. 

As an outsider, I find it ironic that removal of @Secretguy’s original post as being political in itself says quite a lot about the current state of your country. 

You guys have got very thin skins.

@yogiboy 

​​​​​​Surely, calling people "nit-wits" is being abusive towards other members as quoted in the reasons for removing secretguy’s post. 

I've had that happen a time or two and no idea why. I think I made an observation about the effect of tariffs on the hifi business while saying I expressed no opinion about the merits of the tariff policy. Far from the vitriolic posts that are allowed to stand.

I don't really care-its not like my posts contain essential information and I'm sure moderating this group isn't easy, but the inconsistency is obvious.

It's not the post itself, but the responses it’s going to generate. Cut it off at the pass and all that.

I’m glad the moderators are cleaning things up. I wrote them a note telling them great job. 

The current state of the country has stolen most of my joy.

The statement is about what he feels. It is vague enough to come from multiple perspectives, no? Maybe he feels the country has not headed far enough in the current direction? Maybe he’s upset about the price of Twix bars. Maybe he's worried that tariffs are too low or too high. Or that the great works of Slovenian composers are not being highlighted by music venues. Or that ketchup has gotten a bad rap. Or anything else. The notion that a member cannot express their feelings in this vague way is, well, tellingly snow-flakey. 

@hilde45 

There's no ambiguity with the usual suspects and their politics. And the OP is certainly one of those. Just a clever (or so he thought) way of skirting the rules. Guess it didn't work this time.

It is a private site therefore they can impose any controls they deem necessary. I don’t think there is anything nefarious going with post deletions here.

I’ve seen threads on other sites that looked like the church brawl scene from Kingsmen. They are probably trying to avoid that kind of scenario. It’s bad for PR.

But what I really popped in to say is that @mitch2  post is one of the funniest things I seen here in a long time. Thanks for the laugh!

I like the self mutilating comment that was funny.i just made my sign up ,another day of paid non biased protesting from some government grant.oh I gave up and just sat on the couch with the cat and listened to music of a 60 s group on lsd and tuned the world out . Enjoy life like forest Gump said its like water off the ducks back.

We are all guest at the dinner table and the gracious host can remove us out any time. Currently if one brings up the word " tariffs" a food fight will break out within seconds. At that point, the host needs to step in immediately and send the whole group out the door. Unless someone makes an egregious statement, most will be welcomed back at a later date.

I believe the most difficult task for moderators is deciding how to handle personal attacks. It's not black and white. Knowing when to shut it down is challenging and because it's so subjective.  There is no way for moderators to make the perfect call every time. As has been said before, we are on private property.

Like it or not the word  Tariff" is a hot button. I'm sure many family dinners have gone south when the word pops up. Audiogon does not want to be known has the house with the endless food fights.

The comment was not vague, as I found it politically stated. A'Gon has the right to remove anything they seem fit. 

I have gotten a lot of those over the years for contributing to “political comments”. I think of it as a badge of honor. Now, I do not post very much, I’m older and lazier. 

Tip for the day.

Don’t use a four letter word starting with s on these forums.  Your post will be removed.

I don’t think it’s hard to understand.  Forget the posted guidelines.  If you say something someone takes offense at and flags it the mods will likely just delete it.  It the easiest way to maintain order in the classroom. Some people get offended easily especially if confronted with unpleasant truths,  so that’s that.  Others have thicker skin and can take a lot more. It’s Audiogon’s house so they can rightfully do whatever they think is needed to keep the house in order.  

Yeah if you use the T word expect a deletion. It’s the price you pay.  Same true for the A word.  The P word is right out!

It's very easy. Don't make political comments that would inspire others to get sideways. You might feel that way, but your feelings aren't shared by everyone and some may take offense.

 

"Congrats and I feel ya. The current state of the country has stolen most of my joy."

Yes it is of course a form of censorship but hey Ozzie and Harriet couldn’t even sleep in the same bed together without offending someone.  Luckily we have moved past all that.  😉

My comments come from one who is involved with several "unite" groups -- including my own.  I’ll do my best to "put on my uniter hat" and position this squarely in the middle without taking sides.

I deal with those I categorize as "Unapologetic Fire-Breathing Partisans" on a daily basis.  Let’s just say that I am not easily triggered by political commentary.

To me, the first question that comes to mind when anyone makes a political statement is:  "What’s in it for them?"  It could that they are seeking context and clarity, being totally sincere about learning more about "other viewpoints".  It could also be they have a strong desire to insert their opinion because they feel they have something of value to add to the discussion. It could also be because they have reached the point of exasperation and are desperate to find others to share their anguish. Or, on that same note, they may want to make others aware that THEY are responsible for the individual’s pain and suffering due to how they voted. There are a multitude of other reasons to justify diverting "contributions" to political discussions when, in fact, there were no viable connections between the two.

The following make help clarify why the post was taken down?

There is a condition referred to as "convert hostility."  This is present time contempt and distain for an individual or group that is strategically hidden from view -- "polished up" a bit to look like normal, harmless conversation when, in fact, the intent was skewer others who don’t agree with them.  To the dismay of the "contributor" these attempts are often not "convert" at all and are a bright neon sign to their targets expressing their dislike of them.   Their negativity towards others is quite obvious, even if they are not (politely) called out on it.

"Animosity" is caused by "invalidation" and "evaluation."  "I am smarter, more informed, and have higher moral standards than you", and "Your opinion is not just wrong, it is idiotic -- and, therefor, doesn’t matter" are examples.  Less than friendly "political" statements contain both and, yes, create animosity in a group.

One of my associates asked a question related to those who make political contributions:  "Are you a warrior?  Or, are you a sniper?"  A sniper is one who takes pot shots at others from a distance, and stays out of harms way.  A warrior puts on their armor and does battle face to face.  For you "warriors" there are opportunities to join groups and debate others from all over the country with opposing viewpoints.  I can help point you there if you are interested. As for the "snipers", its probably best to know your audience and peacefully interact with others who think like you.  Otherwise your political comments will run the risk of creating animosity, and get taken down by the moderator who will, correctly, assert that your comments were offensive to others.  And, you might also run the risk of looking, or sounding, ridiculous.

And, as others have stated, this an AUDIO forum.  There are Corvair forums.  There are quilting forums.  There are probably ingrown toenail forums.  And, there are political forums.  All of those forums have value to those who share common interests.  Comments are relevant, and respectful of the time and energy of other participants.  Instruction how to rebuild a Corvair 4-speed manual transmission would not be helpful on a quilting forum, for example, and could be viewed as unwelcome, intrusive, and self-serving.  As are political comments on an audio forum.

Time For A Poll

Who Has the Most Moderator Removed Posts 

pindac - Lost Count - Who would believe discussing audio is something to censor - It seems like when it comes to audio I can be a bit of a Handful cheeky

@thecarpathian 

"I believe you mean 'covert'."

Yes, you are correct.  Sorry about the typo.

Thanks for catching this.

1 - "Stereophonic balloon is the function of how matched your left and Right speakers are, the recording trickery and how well controlled your room RT60 is."

2 - "@bobheinatz I see USHINDI woofers. that is a positive, but have they been implemented well is the next question. You can have the best transducers and the implementation can be terrible"

3 - "@kjl1065 you want the JBL 4367"

Is any of the above political comment too? Cos these are some of my comments that have being reported for deletion and being deleted

 

RE " "Waytoomuchstuff".  An excellent post despite the convert/covert issue !  I was a member of a forum that involved all things TROMBONE !   It was great and drew comments from trombonists all over the world --- until --- someone decided to start posting political opinions.  The forum was trashed in short order.   I realize that there are members who just can help proselytizing the rest of the world as to their unassailable opinions.  But there we are !  When a forum has guidelines and they are disregarded, the moderators have no choice but to enforce those guidelines.  I may agree or disagree with the errant poster but that is not the issue.  The original guideline which we all agree to follow are there for a reason.

Regarding the Corvair Forum :  I owned several --- loved them and still miss them --- despite what Ralph Nader said !   Uh Oh !!   Did I cross a line ?

Tariffs are raising the price of gear in the audio industry. That is a fact. This site is all about gear and subsequent price points, so the times they are a changing and if you want that new integrated, you must pay the fat, clown-car leading pedophile his desired tax.

Just don't say it like that. 

Just type this instead:

Lean over and touch your toes.

@waytoomuchstuff ,

As I was too busy anally correcting the typo, I neglected to mention- terrific post!

"We are all guest at the dinner table and the gracious host can remove us out any time."

 

This forum has been replete with comments like the one above.  Yes, I suppose we could be considered guests, but remember, we are invited and sought after guests at this dinner party.  Anyone who thinks that this forum is a nice add on to this site due to the magnanimity of management is naive and maybe just fell off the turnip truck.  I could be wrong, but do you really think so?

Think about the business model here.  I am not at all intimately familiar with the owners/mangement of this operation, but it seems clear that their income is dependent  primarily on two things.  One, revenue they receive from the sale of items listed by sellers and two, income derived from advertisers.  

What this means is that Audiogon wants and needs us here.  If you and I come here to discuss audio matters, it is likely that we might look at classified ads and possibly buy or sell.  Of equal or more importance is the numbers we contribute to site traffic.  If, as the owner of a site like this, I want to sell my income opportunity to a prospective advertiser, I have to convince them that their ad will get exposure, based on large traffic numbers.  If I can cite large numbers, it obviously makes my site more appealing to the advertisers as their product is viewed by more possible customers.  

So please don't feel guilty about complaining about the way things are here,  You and I should be catered to at this dinner party, because the hosts want us to come back again.  I'm only guessing, but it seems to me that forum traffic is less than it has been in the past.  I hope I'm wrong, I think of this forum as a port in the storm and hope it does well.

Any side bets if and/or when this post or thread gets deleted?

 

This guest spends a lot of money. So I suppose that helps me be tolerated. 

Yes it’s very sad that people are discouraged from talking  even civilly in public about important things that matter.   Is there something to hide??