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[drfitz]

Does anyone else find it spooky and strange that two entire threads regarding a certain institution in the former Yugoslavia just vaporized? This University, which I will not name, Let's call it Voldemort U, has a habit of blocking and deleting posts that show it in an unfavorable light. Could these threads have been deleted because Voldemort U is currently advertising in the Chronicle?

[chaosbydesign]

I did not see the threads, but I imagine that they were deleted because they contained spam.

[voxprincipalis]

Does anyone else find it spooky and strange that two entire threads regarding a certain institution in the former Yugoslavia just vaporized? This University, which I will not name, Let's call it Voldemort U, has a habit of blocking and deleting posts that show it in an unfavorable light. Could these threads have been deleted because Voldemort U is currently advertising in the Chronicle?

Huh? Only mods and member-mods can delete threads, and member-mods are not allowed to delete threads based on content (only if they are spam threads). So if something was deleted, it would have been by one of the CHE staff moderators.

I am not being snarky, but are you sure they're really gone?

VP

[chaosbydesign]

Oh, I thought the OP meant that there were threads posted just now which immediately vanished -- this made me think that they could have been spam deleted by a member-mod/CHE mod.

[voxprincipalis]

Oh, I thought the OP meant that there were threads posted just now which immediately vanished -- this made me think that they could have been spam deleted by a member-mod/CHE mod.

That may be; OP will have to be more specific as to whether they were brand-new posts or established threads with responses.

VP

[drfitz]

Established threads with responses, and yes, they are gone. I would name the institution, but I do not want to be banned.

[voxprincipalis]

Established threads with responses, and yes, they are gone. I would name the institution, but I do not want to be banned.

You can send a PM to any of the member-mods (Chaos and I both happen to be awake at the moment, which doesn't bode well for either of us) and we can check it out for you.

VP

[drfitz]

Not sure how to PM. Some of the posts contained mild invective, nothing to warrant getting pulled. And at the risk of getting myself banned, the place was American University of Bosnia Hercegovina.

[chaosbydesign]

You could also try PMing the moderator, who is also online right now. Look at the "who is online" thing under the forums, click 'moderator' to get to the moderator's profile, and at the bottom of the profile you will see an option to send a PM. Click on that and you'll be able to work out what to do from there.

The moderator will be able to tell you more about it than the member-mods.

(And you're right, Vox, I really should not be awake at the moment!)

[chaosbydesign]

I just searched that university and found these two threads:

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,61518.0.html
http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,63904.0.html

Are these the ones you were looking for, OP?

[voxprincipalis]

Not sure how to PM. Some of the posts contained mild invective, nothing to warrant getting pulled. And at the risk of getting myself banned, the place was American University of Bosnia Hercegovina.

That is not bannable material, so I don't think you need worry.

If you look at our monikers, over on the left-hand side, you should see a little speech bubble icon. Click on that to send that poster a Personal Message. If you happen to remember the thread titles, or particular people who have posted or keywords in posts they have made, that would help us.

On preview: Chaos has found a couple of threads, but I'm posting this reply anyway since it tells you how to send PM's, which is useful information regardless.

VP

[drfitz]

As I said in my PM, the old threads are still up, but these threads are new, and the scary part is American University of Bosnia Hercegovina is hiring. I do not have any firsthand information about the place, but everyone who contemplates working abroad should be very careful.

[the_truth]

The person is correct.  A whole two threads were deleted.  Once thread was about taxes and that university in former Yugoslavia.  I responded about the tax problem since I taught at this university for the Fall 2010.  That thread was deleted.  Then I started a new thread about that university in Yugoslavia.  That one was deleted too.  I tried to repost that information and then I became banned for posting libelous material.  If I am posting the truth, then how can it be libelous? 

The good news is I posted the same information on complaintsboard dot com.  That information is still there.  This is not spam!  I did not insult anyone.  I dispense critical information for a potential applicant who wants to teach at a particular university in Yugoslavia.

Let us see how long it takes for this email to be deleted and that I become banned again from posting on this forum.

[qrypt]

I have noticed this as well: there were two threads on AUB/H that were begun recently (in addition to the two older ones), and they are now gone.  It would seem AUB/H has complained, and the complaints have been heeded. 

Past experience suggests that some of the posts contained excessively detailed information on named individuals, and the CHE might therefore have worried (reasonably, perhaps) about libel.  It isn't hard to conclude that AUB/H has reasons to worry about its reputation.  But in exploring these issues certain (mainly less established) forumites will likely have to understand some limits here; academic free speech is a principle the CHE obviously supports, but it is a business not a university and one won't succeed in using the forums to say just anything at all, no matter how true/accurate one considers those statements to be. 

In other words, learn how to say things effectively. 

[yellowtractor]

I did read the threads in question and suspect Qrypt is right.  I've asked the Mods to chime in.