A sticky thread explaining why members were suspended or banned.

[Chucknorium]

This is a suggestion.

Could you create a sticky thread that would explain (in 25 words or less) why a member was suspended or banned? I'm not referring to the ubiquitous spammers and daily trolls but it would be nice to know why a "substantial" member was suspended or banned. It doesn't have to go into personal details. Something like: "Member xxxxx has been . . ."

"suspended for insulting other members"
"suspended for one week for bad language"
"banned for being a sockpuppet"
"suspended for discussing moderation in a thread"
"suspended for failure to follow mod instructions"
"suspended for being too ignorant for words" (just a wistful thought)

This would be a closed thread which only the mods and admins could update -- no comments allowed from the peons. I see a couple of good results from this:

- members wouldn't be PMing around to find out what happened.
- members would see (and hopefully learn) what sort of behavior is not allowed on the forum.
- it would satisfy the natural curiosity we have when a member suddenly disappears.

[adelady]

Normally people know who's likely to be banned - because they've contemplated hitting the report button themselves, and other people did so anyway.

Other times the matters are sort of private, but not exactly confidential, like inappropriate content or language in PMs. We don't allow quoting from PMs in open forums - they're called private messages for a reason.

Often the moderator puts in a brief message in the thread in question. That ought to be enough. If someone's already been suspended one or more times and they then disappear, no one should be surprised that they overstepped the mark once too often.

Since when has a "substantial" respected member been suspended for more than a day or so?

[Chucknorium]

Since when has a "substantial" respected member been suspended for more than a day or so?

I didn't say "respected" in my post. By "substantial" I meant members with many posts. I don't really care about some poster that made 10 posts and was ejected. But I do want to know if they have 1500 posts and are ejected. And yes, sometimes a mod or admin will update a thread as to the reason for a suspension or banning -- and sometimes they don't.

And please don't misunderstand me. I am not complaining about any suspensions or bannings -- the ones that I know about were all justified.

[Paleoichneum]

Given this is a rather perennial suggestion made by at least three members now I would love if it was considered.

[Beer w/Straw]

I wanted this before, but am a bit ambivalent cause I feel a close target for being banned right now.

[Daecon]

I'd made the same suggestion myself a few months ago.

It could probably be best placed in a forum that non-members can't view, such as the Trash Can.

When I see someone's name in yellow I often search their posting history to see if I can figure out what they did to get suspended.

I think having it locked so only Moderators can post/edit the entries is a good idea.

[MacGyver1968]

I would like to see this also. Most forums I regular have some sort of notification thread about suspensions/bannings.

[Chucknorium]

Suspensions and bannings don't seem to happen often here for established members. I don't see it as any great labor to update -- a minute or two at most. And it would use existing thread tech: closed and sticky. Also, like I stated in the OP, it wouldn't have any personal details.

[Chucknorium]

It could probably be best placed in a forum that non-members can't view, such as the Trash Can.

- Good idea o Lord!
- Of course it's a good idea!!!

(ref: King Arthur and God)

[PhDemon]

Monty Python - God - YouTube

[Chucknorium]

Monty Python - God - YouTube

That scene is one of the best -- that movie is full of great scenes. It's a shame MP will never do another movie like that. (Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life aren't bad either.)

[Lynx_Fox]

Chuck it's not a "minute or two," it's a minute or two multiplied by a dozens of suspensions a week and moving between several forum management pages (we already post it twice one usually in the offending places, the other in the mod section so we can tell each other which problem have already been handled).

A repeated request or not, it doesn't' seem to add any actual value other than satisfying some morbid curiosity for a small number of members while adding more work for the mod team.

[Chucknorium]

Chuck it's not a "minute or two," it's a minute or two multiplied by a dozens of suspensions a week and moving between several forum management pages (we already post it twice one usually in the offending places, the other in the mod section so we can tell each other which problem have already been handled).

Come on Lynx, I don't think more than a handful of regular members are suspended each week. Like I said, I don't care about the daily spammers and loonies that drop by.

A repeated request or not, it doesn't' seem to add any actual value other than satisfying some morbid curiosity for a small number of members while adding more work for the mod team.

Morbid? Is it morbid to be curious about someone you've had discussions with (pro and con) over the course of many months and that someone is suspended with no reason posted? I don't define morbid that way.

But, it's obvious that this request is going nowhere so I'll quit posting about it. It's nothing that I need to make my day.

[Ascended]

Look it seems to me that if members want to keep track of who is being banned or suspended then they should do it themselves. As has been pointed out the Mods already include the reasons why action is being taken in their comments at the time, so if there are members that want to keep a record they could simply start their own group AKA "Banned or Suspended Members" then just add to a group thread the names of members sanctioned and include the date and simply copy and paste the Mods comments from the relevent or offending threads.

This would remove the extra work element from being a burden upon the shoulders of the Mod team and make it the onus of those who would desire such a thread. Anybody then wishing to see or access the list would have to be a forum member to even view any group content.

At least this would put this issue to bed as the members wanting it would have the power within their own hands to create it themselves, provided they are willing to do the work themselves that is.

[Chucknorium]

I would like to see this also. Most forums I regular have some sort of notification thread about suspensions/bannings.

Yeah, BAUT does that. I didn't want to mention that before because I thought it might cause a knee-jerk reaction to "something not invented here". But since this request isn't going anywhere, I will mention the BAUT list now.

OK, now I'm done.

[Lynx_Fox]

But, it's obvious that this request is going nowhere so I'll quit posting about it. It's nothing that I need to make my day.

Don't give up so quickly. I'm interested, (and likely other mods) who'd take on this extra work, in the answer to my indirect question:

"What value does it add to the forum?"

[Chucknorium]

Given this is a rather perennial suggestion made by at least three members now I would love if it was considered.

If I had known that this was requested and rejected previously, I would not have started this thread. I manually looked back in the Site Feedback threads about 6 months and didn't see anything. I should have done a search. It's my mistake.

Now, I'm really, really, really done.

(I hate it when posters say they are done but then return several more times. They should be suspended and no reason given . . . )

[Ascended]

Given this is a rather perennial suggestion made by at least three members now I would love if it was considered.

If I had known that this was requested and rejected previously, I would not have started this thread. I manually looked back in the Site Feedback threads about 6 months and didn't see anything. I should have done a search. It's my mistake.

Hey Chuck, it's not a mistake to make a suggestion, surely that's what this forum is for. So I don't think you have a need to apologise. People have different opinions on this issue but that doesn't and shouldn't mean you don't have the right to do it. I think if members want to keep their own record they should be entitled, unless the Mods have a strong objection and if members are keeping their own record then the Mods don't have any work to do. Since they don't keep their comments secret I can't see what difference it makes or not if they are then collated together in a single thread.

The only thing I would slightly caution against is allowing a record or knowlegde of a members prior suspensions from being used to discriminate against any particular individuals, provided it's not being used in this way then why indeed shouldn't members be able to keep a record?

[Chucknorium]

I think if members want to keep their own record they should be entitled, unless the Mods have a strong objection and if members are keeping their own record then the Mods don't have any work to do.

I think that's a very bad idea because I think people will stray from the facts and invariably add their own comments. I would prefer nothing done rather than that.

Also, if the mods/admins don't put the reason in a thread, the members aren't privy to the reasons. A long-time member was suspended recently with no explanation. Now, it may have been personal but then the reason put in the thread could be "personal".

(I came back. I don't deserve to be here. I lied. )

[Ascended]

I think if members want to keep their own record they should be entitled, unless the Mods have a strong objection and if members are keeping their own record then the Mods don't have any work to do.

I think that's a very bad idea because I think people will stray from the facts and invariably add their own comments. I would prefer nothing done rather than that.

How could they stray from the facts if people are only copying and pasting Mods comments? Also wouldn't it actually demonstrate some genuine senserity for wanting such a list, by being willing to put some effort towards it rather than merely expecting others to do all the work?

[Chucknorium]

This is definitely my last post.

I don't care anymore. I give up. I learned my lesson about Site Feedback. Mods/admins can close/delete this thread if they wish or others can go on discussing without me.

[grmpysmrf]

I think if members want to keep their own record they should be entitled, unless the Mods have a strong objection and if members are keeping their own record then the Mods don't have any work to do.

I think that's a very bad idea because I think people will stray from the facts and invariably add their own comments. I would prefer nothing done rather than that.

How could they stray from the facts if people are only copying and pasting Mods comments?...

I think the point is that they wouldn't just copy and paste. Some would feel compelled to add their 2 cents

[ChessLoneDome]

Normally people know who's likely to be banned - because they've contemplated hitting the report button themselves, and other people did so anyway.

I know often that is the case and when I took a week off my meds, the only difference between me and them, is that I couldn't understand why my actions where wrong. When I am on my medication, I start to realize how my approach is becoming, but never fully aware it causing anyone grief.

I am a very kind person really, I do enjoy helping people in any situation, just recently became a vegetarian because I am against animal cruelty and most of all.... I have no idea why I am explaining this, other than I am sorry.

[ChessLoneDome]

especially to Beer

[Daecon]

Would it be possible to change the User Title of a suspended or banned member to something a bit more descriptive, so that the reason for their suspension is apparent whenever their comments are displayed? Of course, that would only really be workable if the reason can be summed up in a word or two.

If a non-moderator thread was created for these listings then there should be a format for entries that everyone can agree to in order to prevent personal opinions from "adding" to the comments. For example:

User: Soque Puppette
Reason: Hate speech
Length: Permament


User: Trololol
Reason: Persistent preaching
Length: One week


User: Greefy
Reason: Sockpuppet of ~~~~~
Length: Permanent

Of course, there's probably no reason to mention someone's banning or suspension if they've never even made a posting on the forums here.

[geordief]

Why not make a virtue of necessity?

Allow one position in the forum to be held by a "crank in chief" -someone who was entirely infuriating but otherwise inoffensive.

They would be like the court jester or a joker in the pack. They would be given the option of changing their username for the duration of their tenure to "Head Crank" or some such although they could decline the offer and take a normal suspension.

If they took the post they would be expected to continue posting (although their posts could be summarily deleted if they abused their license).

At any stage they could be usurped by a greater crank if one came to notice -or the position could be vacant if "applicants" were too boring.

Of course for those who were annoyed by their continued presence it would be simple just to use the ignore button.

[jrmonroe]

I'd like to see a suspended/banned member sticky thread. I think it helps everyone, especially the offender.

It almost spoils it to make the Class Clown a legitimate position. It seems to be an emergent behavior. And by making it legit, the Mods and Admin are somewhat responsible if it gets out of hand.

Besides being legit puts pressure on the person to perform and diminishes the creativity and spontaneity. We see this in real life with creative people. A rock band signs a contract with a producer and then they're forced to create new hits. Creativity doesn't work that way.

[geordief]

I'd like to see a suspended/banned member sticky thread. I think it helps everyone, especially the offender.

It almost spoils it to make the Class Clown a legitimate position. It seems to be an emergent behavior. And by making it legit, the Mods and Admin are somewhat responsible if it gets out of hand.

Besides being legit puts pressure on the person to perform and diminishes the creativity and spontaneity. We see this in real life with creative people. A rock band signs a contract with a producer and then they're forced to create new hits. Creativity doesn't work that way.

What about selectively barring posters from posting in certain sub forums? Is that hard to do technically?

It would be a sanction and also a relief.

I wasn't expecting creativity from indicated cranks but it might be nice to find a way to accommodate (one or two of) them in a nicer atmosphere.

If everyone could see they were "official" cranks they would be less upset by them perhaps and take them less seriously.

[PhDemon]

The problem with that is that cranks don't regard themselves as cranks, they believe they are geniuses who are just too damn smart for scientists to see how smart they are or that we are deliberately rubbishing them to protect our jobs (the level of delusion is truly staggering). They are unlikely to accept the label gracefully and it will just fuel their delusions about being victimised by the "defenders of orthodoxy" and increase the whininess of their ignorant rants (they are bad enough as it is).

[geordief]

They are unlikely to accept the label gracefully

But wouldn't it amuse us to follow their dilemma?

I accept my proposal itself is a probably a cranky one.

[PhDemon]

Maybe, but I find cranks more annoying than humourous...

[PhDemon]

Incidentally for a good current example of "crank whininess" see Bob's "What are the rules..." thread in the Trash Can...

[Dywyddyr]

Something like: "Member xxxxx has been . . ."
"suspended for insulting other members"
"suspended for one week for bad language"
"banned for being a sockpuppet"
"suspended for discussing moderation in a thread"
"suspended for failure to follow mod instructions"
"suspended for being too ignorant for words" (just a wistful thought)

You missed "eaten by giant lizards".
(I'm keeping my fingers crossed).

[Chucknorium]

Something like: "Member xxxxx has been . . ."
"suspended for insulting other members"
"suspended for one week for bad language"
"banned for being a sockpuppet"
"suspended for discussing moderation in a thread"
"suspended for failure to follow mod instructions"
"suspended for being too ignorant for words" (just a wistful thought)

You missed "eaten by giant lizards".
(I'm keeping my fingers crossed).

Now that would be a dream come true. Maybe in an alternate universe there is a giant lizard that eats those that are too stupid (or ignorant) for words . . .

[jrmonroe]

Maybe limit them to one post per day in the trash can ... which would drive THEM crazy(ier).