On Wednesday, Facebook took down the sometimes viral and sometimes controversial The806er page.
On Thursday – as a frenzied debate about the page appeared on other Facebook pages around town – The806er’s owner told LubbockLights.com, “I’ll be back.”
On Friday, he was.
“I got a message. ‘What’s wrong with The806er?’ I’ve been through this before, so I already knew what was going on. So, I went to go check The806er. It told me I had been suspended. Then immediately after that, I got locked out of my personal page,” Terence Eteng Tambe told LubbockLights.com.
The page had more than 54,000 likes before it was removed by Facebook. The page claimed more than 1 million views per day.
Andi Black Dunlap posted on her public Facebook page that she reported The806er page. However, she claimed she was not the only one.
“Welp, that 806er page got removed from Facebook,” Dunlap wrote, adding “Yes, I got the notification Facebook removed it. Same as that other trash page I went viral on. Got it removed.”
She also posted a screenshot of a message from Facebook.
It said, “We removed the Page you reported. We reviewed the Page and found that it goes against our Community Standards. We let the person know that their Page has been removed, but not who reported it.”
Tambe provided LubbockLights.com with his screenshot from Facebook.
“Why we suspended your account – we don’t allow people on Facebook to buy, sell or exchange items that governments have restricted or banned,” it said.
The Facebook message provided examples, such as firearms including gun parts, ammunition or explosives. Tobacco, alcohol, drugs and animals (or animal parts) also made the list.
Tambe said he never sold guns or other restricted items on the page.
“I’ll be back. I’ve done this six times. So, it hasn’t even been a year since I lost my last Facebook account,” Tambe said Thursday, adding he’d appealed, but had not heard back at that time.
After the page was taken down and through Thursday, Lubbock residents took to their own Facebook pages to debate what happened. Dunlap engaged another person’s Facebook post supporting The806er, but by Friday morning, her original post and accompanying long thread of comments was gone.
Controversy and ‘all things to all people’
Tambe understands sometimes his posts are controversial – from tenants complaining about landlords to unhappy parents taking aim at the Lubbock ISD.
In one case, he reported the story of a Lubbock shopper who said she was humiliated at a store.
In another case, he posted a story called “Lubbock mother fighting for custody after daughter injured.” The story mostly cited online claims by family and friends. But it also cited the existence of a police report and official CPS action.
The page also conducted interviews with City Council candidates in the most recent election. And he posted videos of Lubbock drivers people sent to him, inviting reaction in the comment section.
“I tried to make The806 holistic. So, I understand I got a ratchet crowd. I understand I have a business crowd. And I also have the Christian evangelical crowd as well. I feel like all those things make Lubbock – so, trying to be all things to all people,” Tambe said.
Dunlap criticized The806er for misinformation, adding she’s not the only one who feels that way.
“If you think I personally got it deleted, wow I must have a connection with FB. I wish. No, his own demise did. You can’t post false journalism about people,” Dunlap said online.
LubbockLights.com asked Tambe about double checking people’s claims before posting.
“They have to come with some form of evidence. You have to make me believe that this is actually pertinent. … We’re a visual platform as well. You have to have something to show,” Tambe said.
“As far as reaching out to people before a story, this is where I’m not a journalist. Sometimes I would, sometimes I wouldn’t,” Tambe said.
It’s easier to get callbacks now than when he first started.
“Now if I reach out to you, you’re gonna hit me back. You’re gonna contact me back. But especially in the beginning, they would not speak to me. What for? So, I would just put out the side of the story of the person that gave it to me. And then let the readers know that this is their side of the story,” Tambe said.
Who is Terence Tambe?
Tambe’s parents came to America from Cameroon.
“I’m of African descent. I’m a first generation American,” Tambe said.
“I was born in Austin. … I lived in D.C. until I was 14 years old,” he added. His parents now live in Texas.
“History was my favorite subject, and I was also in AP English,” he said.
He lived in Dallas for a time, recording rap music. He also had an Instagram channel focused on music and trying to promote hip-hop artists.
“It had 100,000 followers on Instagram,” he said.
He came to Lubbock for Texas Tech – studying there from 2016 to 2018.
“I remember telling myself that I’m going to be a writer for Hallmark cards. … That turned into songwriting. Then I was like, I’m going to be a jingle writer,” Tambe said.
He was also homeless for two years in Lubbock.
But the big change in his life came in 2017. He was arrested and charged for organized crime. Long story, short – he arranged a drug deal with someone who turned out to be an undercover officer.
He pleaded guilty and took a deal for 10 years of probation.
“Surprisingly, being hit with this charge, I won’t go too in depth with it … just made me look at life differently in a certain respect – understanding that rules involve laws. We do have to live within the confines or parameters of that, regardless of what your opinion is of it,” Tambe said.
It made him realize he could be more, he said.
I love Lubbock.
Terence Tambe
How it started, where it’s going
The806er page started as a place to promote music. But after interviewing a City Council candidate a few years ago, he discovered he could get a lot of traction by reporting what’s going on.
“Every now and then, I would post content that had to do with the city on the page. I would post an accident or something of that sort. And I saw the engagement it got. I was like, ‘Okay, people actually care about Lubbock,’” Tambe said.
“So, we’re approaching July and I lost this account. So, in about nine to 11 months, I was able to build it back to 55,000. That last account took me four years, five years to build it to 50,000,” Tambe said.
There are people in the community who feel like their voice is not heard, according to Tambe.
“I was the last person that people would come to. I’m essentially a stranger that’s on the Internet and you would come to me for help to get your story out,” Tambe said.
“I still feel like they deserve to have their point of view told. So, was I lying? No, not really. I’m passing on what was told to me. I’m helping be the microphone or the amplifier for the story that was told to me,” Tambe said.
“I love Lubbock,” he said.
That’s why he does The806er, he said.
He wanted people to know one more thing.
“I don’t get paid off of Facebook,” he said.
He allows advertising, but that’s local money – not a partnership with Facebook’s parent company, Meta.
The reaction – for and against
“I know that if me and you sit around in our little Tupperware group with the 20 of us, if we report anybody, we can get them taken off. At the end of the day, Facebook touts free speech in a certain sense, but they are a business,” Tambe said.
“I know there are supporters that want me back because I don’t give my number out to too many people. And I got contacted by a plethora of people yesterday asking what happened and where I was and how they want me back. They understand what I do for the community and how I go about it. It’s more of a mad scientist type of way,” Tambe said.
Others felt the same way as Tambe on numerous Facebook posts Wednesday evening and Thursday – often calling it a free speech issue.
Some criticized Dunlap, calling her a “Karen.”
Lubbock County Mugshots Facebook page posted a previous booking photo of her from more than 10 years ago in the comments of a post.
Others thought The806er was in the wrong – not only for his reporting style but also blocking people as well.
“He blocked me for no reason … ” one commenter said.
