# A 'BANNED' Question That CAN Be Asked **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 15, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633 "2012-01-15T21:17:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/1 "2012-01-15T21:17:30Z")
As longstanding members know (and newer ones should have picked up from the FAQ), the staff prefer that questions about why former members were banned be asked by PM or e-mail. There are good reasons for this policy. Lately, however, I’ve seen an odd phenomenon: active, non-banned members such as **Markxxx** and **diggleblop** who have the telltale ‘BANNED’, in capital letters, for their status. I’m curious if there’s a glitch, a new policy, some sort of game, or what? (Obviously, if this leads to a question that ought to have been asked privately, please say so and lock this.) ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/2 "2012-01-15T21:27:21Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Lately, however, I’ve seen an odd phenomenon: active, non-banned members such as **Markxxx** and **diggleblop** who have the telltale ‘BANNED’, in capital letters, for their status. I’m curious if there’s a glitch, a new policy, some sort of game, or what? (Obviously, if this leads to a question that ought to have been asked privately, please say so and lock this.) Those are not “active, non-banned members.” They’re banned. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/3 "2012-01-15T21:28:11Z")
They are listed that way because they were banned. They are not active members. [Here’s Markxxx’s announcement.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=616839) [Here’s diggleblop’s.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=499133) Both were banned for socking. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/4 "2012-01-15T21:34:22Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > They are listed that way because they were banned. They are not active members. > > [Here’s Markxxx’s announcement.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=616839) > > [Here’s diggleblop’s.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=499133) > > Both were banned for socking. Those links are the same. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/5 "2012-01-15T21:37:16Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Those links are the same. Fixed. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/6 "2012-01-15T21:44:10Z")
The OP might just be confused by recently-bumped zombies containing those two posters. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/7 "2012-01-15T21:45:33Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > They’re banned. And on the run, I assume. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/8 "2012-01-15T21:47:48Z")
Or at Banned Camp. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/9 "2012-01-15T22:28:58Z")
My apologies – it appeared they were currently active. Thanks, **Colibri** and others. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/10 "2012-01-15T22:48:47Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > And on the run, I assume. Banned name. Well, someone had to say it. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/11 "2012-01-15T23:03:25Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Banned name. > > Well, someone had to say it. No, not really. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/12 "2012-01-16T03:20:47Z")
Why not? ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-banned-question-that-can-be-asked/609633/13 "2012-01-18T02:08:56Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > No, not really. > mmm This seems overly harsh and without provocation. Reported.