Page admin Cory Houghton talks Overheard at Guelph
Squirrels being weird or adorable, honest DJ Khaled memes or intense political debate; the Facebook page known as Overheard at Guelph has a swath new user-submitted posts for the world to enjoy each day.
There are six people who run Overheard at Guelph. Founded by Patrick Gormley in 2010, Overheard at Guelph has grown into a page that explores the wonderful and terrible things around the University and Guelph. Promotional material is not allowed, and while there is a broad scope of content, most posts will relate back to Guelph in one way or another.
Cory Houghton is a University of Guelph alumnus, and the most active of the six moderators on Overheard at Guelph. Houghton spoke about the biggest misconception of the page.
“The idea that people forget that we’re not doing this ourselves, this is us helping a guy that started this,” said Houghton.
Not every post on Overheard at Guelph is a suave photo the Begging Bear sculpture that suts on the side of Gordon Street. Often, there are ideas put forward on popular, controversial or contentious topics like social justice practices, reproductive rights, or a political situation.
“…Our general rule of thumb is that everything is left, everything is easy,” said Houghton. ”Our thinking is you’re not children, you’re all adults. […] Whatever you read, if it hurts you, I’m sorry, too bad. If it rises to the point of someone being personally harassed… then we’ll delete stuff usually, [but] only if the person messages us. Sometimes a friend of theirs will message us… that’s when [the moderators], actually have discussions on it.”
Part of the responsibilities of being a page admin is answering privately sent messages from often disgruntled folks. Since the moderators do sometimes have to take down comments, or after posting a strong opinion of their own, they can receive heavy flak.
“I don’t mind being disliked, I don’t mind be hated… it just doesn’t bother me,” said Houghton. ”It’s easier that it is happening to me than someone who it might hurt… I don’t care, I think it’s hilarious.”
The internet is an open place where anonymous opinions can fly wild and free, but Overheard at Guelph is not anonymous. Coming to a place like this you could hope to be engaged in new ideas, but there is a counter-thought to that.
“The Internet […] was supposed to expose people to different views and therefore ideally bring us all together,” said Houghton. “What it’s actually doing is allowing people to kind of put themselves in a bottle. You create these little closed circles of people who only think the same way and it forms an echo chamber, and they don’t learn.”
Houghton said his close friends describe him jokingly as a Z-list celebrity. Recently, his role as an administrator caught the attention of Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie.
“I have to say, the funniest thing that happened to me, other than the notoriety at bars, [is when] the Mayor requested to join,” said Houghton. “So I had to add him to Overheard and he posted once maybe twice. Then he Facebook [friend] requested me… I just never added him. I heard he’s a nice, cool guy, but the last person who needs to see the kind of human being I am is a city official.”
When the lime light fades Houghton says there is one responsibility that takes up most of his admin time.
“The most time consuming thing is seeing if [joiners] are real or not,” said Houghton.