Banned users

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soggykitten

Well-known member
Jul 3, 2020
2,322
1,369
113
#21
OK, I'll play. :p
How do we know someone is banned? I haven't noticed that Banned label under anyone's account name.
Then again there could be a reason I missed that. ....
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#22
When I first arrived they had a point system, you would get A warning, and points, which if you had to many points you were banned.

i do not know if they still have that system, it seemed to work back then, cooled me down a few times,
 

Oncefallen

Idiot in Chief
Staff member
Jan 15, 2011
6,061
3,407
113
#23
Ultimately a user's ban (and the reasons behind it) are between them and site staff. Yes, from time to time we choose to make the reason for a ban public (posted to their profile) usually due to extreme circumstances such as outright fraud but that is very rare.

As to the prohibition on the discussion of bans, I think sometimes Admin's position gets exaggerated somewhat. Typically the line gets drawn when users start down the line of accusing site staff of banning people solely because they didn't like the person, didn't agree doctrinally, etc. Personally I understand that there is a certain amount of curiosity that is going to arise when someone who has been an active user for an extended time frame however, if we opened the door for discussion my inbox would be perpetually jammed with messages from people questioning every high profile ban and wanting to debate whether or not someone should have been banned.
 

Subhumanoidal

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2018
4,058
3,172
113
#24
Honestly it could be that I am willing to lend assistance if help is needed and I'm just trying to understand a bit more about the site that is private. Even being more active as a sort of "hall monitor" which any sincere user could be as a "reporter" seems to require some sort of illumination for me personally. I don't have a program to sift the bulk of threads and while I have come across threads that vaguely discuss it, it's a lot to go through.

Like I could answer my own questions as to what is publicly available with a person's posting history but it becomes unavailable to me as a public user when they are banned. I could sift through the thousands of posts of a moderator but that is a long task without a program.

No, I'm not suggesting that what is private is like going to the movies...on display. There are things I notice about the people that get banned and I don't say anything because I expect the mods to take care of it and they do. I am perhaps just trying to understand my own response to these situations if nothing else.

Could be I'm out of line. Not my goal or intention. I definitely still have some maturation to undergo in my interactions with authority ;)
Well it is up to each user to report problems as they come across them. So as long as people keep up on that problematic people should be taken care of.
Also mods are aware of more than is realized. And at times can take weeks to investigate questionable people in order to gather evidence against them and the totality of their behaviors (if necessary).

Banned users posts do not disappear. But the ability to easily search for them does disappear. But what causes a person to be banned may not be public. It may have been in PM, chat rooms or the offending post may have been removed. Or offenders behavior may not be obvious even if it is public.
The problem is people befriend someone and refuse to accept that it's possible that person could ever do anything worthy of being banned, despite not really knowing them that well to begin with.

If you say nothing, then you aren't making mods aware, therefore they can't act. That's why every post and PM has a report button. These people get taken care of because people are using the report button to make mods aware.

I wasn't suggesting you were being purposeful in anything. If anything I suspect you're just a curious person. Which is a perfectly fine, and often helpful trait, but there may be times when it's best to rein it in. After all people that may push to discuss or know more about bans run the risk of being banned themselves.

As far as being a volunteer of sorts, I know with being a mod expressing an interest means they automatically reject you. It seems there have been (at least in the past) some lesser level help, but I'm not sure if they have the same standard for them, or if that's even done anymore.
 

Tararose

Well-known member
Sep 30, 2020
753
564
93
Uk
www.101christiansocialnetwork.com
#25
I respect the sites owners decision to keep reasons private, but it is only natural to want to know. If this were a regular sort of church gathering and we had someone get “excommunicated” by those, it would be with the church’s knowledge and agreement and that would be done online with scripture, only as a last resort.

This isn’t a physical Gathering and of Course anyone can masquerade as anyone because of that. I am
Glad the admins take care of things as we can’t all see and judge rightly if we don’t know what is going on behind the scenes. I guess we blindly trust in such cases, that the admin are doing their best and leave that with God.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#26
some people just leave and some people are pushed, its the same with workplaces or schools or churches or even marriages there can be many reasons why people go, and in some instances, restraining orders might need to be applied.

It would be a bit of a waste of time to speculate, but if some members are feeling unsafe they shouldnt have to go somewhere where they are made to feel unsafe and leave it at that.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#27
I've noticed a lot of users banned recently that I'm confused about why exactly they were banned.

So while I'd like some feedback from moderators I'm mostly posting this here to discuss whether it would be appropriate to put the reason why a person was banned depending on the circumstance. Trolls and newly joined members that are banned quickly probably not, but longtime users? It makes me a bit uneasy that no reason is given considering their long post history.

I realize there's a balance between keeping people ignorant (for protection) and letting them know (for encouragement/warning). You see this in churches...but it's like losing a person and I wonder if bans can be appealed or what exactly is the system for this. Alas, so also, having ban information not publicly known is also a safety feature for "saboteurs".

I've only come across one reason given under a person's name that I vaguely recall somewhere but a listed offense seems like it could help. Note: I don't know if it actually does or not but it is an option.

So since mods rarely interact here it seems like this is the best place to discuss bans. If any of you want to @a mod or something, feel free.

Also note: I agree with almost every ban that has taken place, some a bit slow but I do find it encouraging when it happens to a person I find particularly troubling. I don't report them (only one post I think) and usually just ignore them because without the additional data of other users reports it could just be personal and I am a bit "too" careful about that sometimes. Plus it's hard to pinpoint why to report someone sometimes and without the aggregate picture I just assume that it will get done eventually (and it does). So I'm not being anti-mod in the post, I'm just curious but I don't think it's just idle curiosity.


For instance. If when you click their name. Instead of "this user's profile is not available" it says Banned. Offense: trolling/flaming/baiting. PM a moderator for evidence or some such.

Likely the second would receive no response because really why do you need to know? There may be some extenuating circumstances when you might be allowed access to that info but rarely. Still an option to know that it might be known if sufficient reasons were provided and an interest taken.


Another long post...I'd break this up but whatever you want to interact with (if anything)...

Does anyone know where the rules for the site are?

I don't recall seeing a list of offenses/infractions. Seems reasonable to have these policies clearly laid out, but then again, secrecy is a method too...


Oh and this isn't an issue that is completely tied to the framework of the site. Stickying threads is a thing so just like the guidelines, something could be added somewhere to direct someone to as well as to smooth out the reporting process. I've seen one of the mods mention that sifting through large amounts of posts is taxing and that it would be for sure for myself...exhausting. That's another reason I don't report, I may have misread and while I think they shouldn't be posting for the guests, it's difficult to describe the reason since posts can be so varied.

Seems like "report" "reason 1" "post #237" "Thread: Chocolate bars are nice" would simplify the process.


Any thoughts/suggestions/advice?

I like that the CC Terms of Service is fully transparent. Conclusively, when a ban occurs, it must relate directly to one or more items on the list of possible offenses.

Seems like there could just be a citation of the reasons from the ToS since it isn't a secret what the possible bannable offenses are. Nothing would be revealed what is not already known.

I don't know that it's entirely necessary, though. I feel like it would just satisfy curiousity. :giggle:

Still, I personally thinks it's a good idea.
 
Feb 26, 2021
389
59
28
#28
I've noticed a lot of users banned recently that I'm confused about why exactly they were banned.

So while I'd like some feedback from moderators I'm mostly posting this here to discuss whether it would be appropriate to put the reason why a person was banned depending on the circumstance. Trolls and newly joined members that are banned quickly probably not, but longtime users? It makes me a bit uneasy that no reason is given considering their long post history.

I realize there's a balance between keeping people ignorant (for protection) and letting them know (for encouragement/warning). You see this in churches...but it's like losing a person and I wonder if bans can be appealed or what exactly is the system for this. Alas, so also, having ban information not publicly known is also a safety feature for "saboteurs".

I've only come across one reason given under a person's name that I vaguely recall somewhere but a listed offense seems like it could help. Note: I don't know if it actually does or not but it is an option.

So since mods rarely interact here it seems like this is the best place to discuss bans. If any of you want to @a mod or something, feel free.

Also note: I agree with almost every ban that has taken place, some a bit slow but I do find it encouraging when it happens to a person I find particularly troubling. I don't report them (only one post I think) and usually just ignore them because without the additional data of other users reports it could just be personal and I am a bit "too" careful about that sometimes. Plus it's hard to pinpoint why to report someone sometimes and without the aggregate picture I just assume that it will get done eventually (and it does). So I'm not being anti-mod in the post, I'm just curious but I don't think it's just idle curiosity.


For instance. If when you click their name. Instead of "this user's profile is not available" it says Banned. Offense: trolling/flaming/baiting. PM a moderator for evidence or some such.

Likely the second would receive no response because really why do you need to know? There may be some extenuating circumstances when you might be allowed access to that info but rarely. Still an option to know that it might be known if sufficient reasons were provided and an interest taken.


Another long post...I'd break this up but whatever you want to interact with (if anything)...

Does anyone know where the rules for the site are?

I don't recall seeing a list of offenses/infractions. Seems reasonable to have these policies clearly laid out, but then again, secrecy is a method too...


Oh and this isn't an issue that is completely tied to the framework of the site. Stickying threads is a thing so just like the guidelines, something could be added somewhere to direct someone to as well as to smooth out the reporting process. I've seen one of the mods mention that sifting through large amounts of posts is taxing and that it would be for sure for myself...exhausting. That's another reason I don't report, I may have misread and while I think they shouldn't be posting for the guests, it's difficult to describe the reason since posts can be so varied.

Seems like "report" "reason 1" "post #237" "Thread: Chocolate bars are nice" would simplify the process.


Any thoughts/suggestions/advice?
I agree with the OP. I've not gotten an answer (at least any notification) concerning ban on OrphanedRepublican.

I want this thread always appearing instead of being buried.
 

Oncefallen

Idiot in Chief
Staff member
Jan 15, 2011
6,061
3,407
113
#29
I agree with the OP. I've not gotten an answer (at least any notification) concerning ban on OrphanedRepublican.

I want this thread always appearing instead of being buried.
At the time that you posted this you had received the only answer that you will receive. At the time that you posted a thread specifically pertaining to OrphanedRepublican's ban (which was not approved) you were issued a warning about not making public issue about someone else's ban (which clearly you thought that warning didn't apply to you). This time I will warn you publicly, if you don't drop the subject of OrphanedRepublican's ban you will end up joining them. They were actively promoting blatant heresy which always earns someone a permanent ban.