# What do Mods Know About Our Activity?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [December 30, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344 "2024-12-30T15:01:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/1 "2024-12-30T15:01:39Z")
Just wondering, for no real reason.
Can you see who is logged in and what posts they are reading at the moment?
Can you see previous edits to a post, say if someone edits their post to NM?
Can you see drafts that are never posted?
Any other cool spy powers?
Just wondering what level of spying is possible- and no, I am not concerned about it
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/2 "2024-12-30T15:06:52Z")
Well, I won’t comment on what you did with that capybara, but I wouldn’t go drawing attention to myself if I were you.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/3 "2024-12-30T15:07:26Z")
1. I think all posters can see this:
**Joined** Nov 6, 2003 **Last Post** just now **Seen** just now,
Try clicking my username and click it again and let me know if you can see those fields.
2. We can see and revert edits.
3. I don’t think we can see drafts, can’t imagine why we would want to.
4a) _We can see if you’ve been naughty or nice._ I mean track all your past warnings and see all flags that have been thrown against your posts.
4b) We can check your Preferences and Badges. Though I don’t think that counts as cool spy powers.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/4 "2024-12-30T15:11:45Z")
-1. As a mere mortal I can see others join, last post, and seen info.
-4. As a mere mortal I can see others’ badges, but not preferences.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/5 "2024-12-30T15:15:09Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> As a mere mortal I can see others’ badges, but not preferences.
The preferences help with troubleshooting.
If I’m on my PC, I can easily dive down to there to find out what Theme is being used and notifications settings. This is very handy for helping with tech issues. On my phone, it is a pain in the butt.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/6 "2024-12-30T15:15:57Z")
Yeah. It makes total sense for a mod to be able to see (and perhaps change) other’s preferences to do help desk / tech support for users.
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/7 "2024-12-30T15:41:50Z")
I’m not telling but please put some pants on.
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### Author:  [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/8 "2024-12-30T16:14:23Z")
I know you’re lying because the pantless capybara isn’t even the half of it.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/9 "2024-12-30T16:21:13Z")
Non-Spy powers: We can off course change your **title**. [Custom Titles Queue {Please make your requests in this thread}](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-titles-queue-please-make-your-requests-in-this-thread/998955) and we record such changes here: [Completed Title Changes Thread {Mar 2024}](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completed-title-changes-thread-mar-2024/998987)
Almost always @engineer_comp_geek, but we can change **usernames** & **names** , but **not Emails**. Well ECG might be able to do that, he has some extra powers.
For some reason we can edit **badges**. That seems odd. I never did this and doubt I would. I don’t need no stinkin badges, not sure about you.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/10 "2024-12-30T16:26:49Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> We can see if you’ve been naughty or nice.
So be good for goodness sake.
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### Author:  [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/11 "2024-12-30T16:50:51Z")
Seriously. No judgment whatsoever:
> **[https://i.redd.it/ojz1brobawdc1.jpeg](https://i.redd.it/ojz1brobawdc1.jpeg)**
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/12 "2024-12-30T16:53:05Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> For some reason we can edit **badges**. That seems odd. I never did this and doubt I would. I don’t need no stinkin badges, not sure about you.
You’re a _Mod!_ What use would you have for badges when you’ve got those awesome jackboots that command instant respect throughout the realm?
It’s the rest of us proles who crave our badges as validation that our pitiful lives have some worth to someone.
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### Author:  [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/13 "2024-12-30T16:53:21Z")
But Discourse itself sometimes rats out the Mods!
I’ve received Discourse notifications when a Mod (completely justifiably) fix or alter a post of mine, showing the before and after with the changes highlighted! Discourse knows all, discourse _sees_ all… beware it’s horrific minion, Discobot and live in fear, ye mockers!
[Quis custodiet ipsos custodes!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quis_custodiet_ipsos_custodes%3F#:~:text=Quis%20custodiet%20ipsos%20custodes%3F%20is,will%20watch%20the%20watchmen%3F%22.)
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### Author:  [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/14 "2024-12-30T17:39:51Z")
I probably don’t want to ask this, but was that from your private photo collection, or did you just create that?
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/15 "2024-12-30T17:53:26Z")
If you can see our preferences, does that mean you can check out our ignore lists?
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/16 "2024-12-30T17:55:16Z")
I’ll check, but I think we can.
BRB: The answer is yes.
* * *
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#):
>
> How much is in my bank account right now?
The amount you deposited + Interest - withdrawals.
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### Author:  [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/17 "2024-12-30T17:56:04Z")
How much is in my bank account right now?
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### Author:  [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/18 "2024-12-30T17:58:05Z")
So, zip.
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### Author:  [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2024, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/19 "2024-12-30T18:38:27Z")
Hey, I for one pride myself in being of “no account”!
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2025, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-mods-know-about-our-activity/1012344/20 "2025-01-01T04:42:40Z")
I’ll betcha I got more! 😉