# being banned... **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 4, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736 "2003-02-04T18:09:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![minega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@minega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minega)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/1 "2003-02-04T18:09:01Z")
What would i have to do to get banned?Can u be banned for using the F word or any other expletives or simply for being a pain? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/2 "2003-02-04T18:11:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minega \* > \*\*What would i have to do to get banned?Can u be banned for using the F word or any other expletives or simply for being a pain? \*\* There are a number of things that will get you banned. Most prominent among them is violation of rule #1 (“Don’t be a jerk”). Simply throwing around explicitives won’t get you banned. Why do you ask? Are you trying to be banned? 😃 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/3 "2003-02-04T18:14:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minega \* > \*\*Can u be banned for using the F word or any other expletives ? \*\* Fuck no. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/4 "2003-02-04T18:17:54Z")
I thought expletives were only allowed in the Pit? ---
**Author:** ![minega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@minega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minega)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/5 "2003-02-04T18:17:59Z")
am i trying to be banned? Youre kidding i love this site so much, it would kill me!!! ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/6 "2003-02-04T18:21:04Z")
Minega, also don’t use the moderator’s behaviour as a guideline on what you can do in order to not get banned. The don’t be a jerk rule seems to be a pretty wide umbrella that is modified for or against specific posters. Basing off of who I have seen banned I am constantly baffled. I don’t know why poster X (not going to post names) is allowed to stay when he does the same things as poster Y. I assume that the mods have some other type of reasoning behind it but all of that administrative things are not seen from this end and wind up making some of the mods seem like jerks which is in violation of rule number 1. Not seeing any of the behind the scenes things can really skew the opinion though. I have worked computer security long enough to see that what one sees on the surface is not necessarily what one sees behind the scenes. I also assume that the some of the aforementioned banned posters who don’t seem to have any good reason to be banned are banned for abusive email to the moderators, sock puppetry, or all sorts of other things that we will never know about. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/7 "2003-02-04T18:36:00Z")
IANAM or Admin. but it’s been my observation that being banned is usually a last-resort step taken for egregious and repeated violation of the rules established for use of this board, after warnings of how and why one has violated them. **Dorkus.** also has a good point that deserves repeating: > [@](#): > > Not seeing any of the behind the scenes things can really skew the opinion though. I have worked computer security long enough to see that what one sees on the surface is not necessarily what one sees behind the scenes. I also assume that the some of the aforementioned banned posters who don’t seem to have any good reason to be banned are banned for abusive email to the moderators, sock puppetry, or all sorts of other things that we will never know about. The exceptions are people who think being banned once is not going to stop them from using the board, so they sign back on again with the intent to pull the same shit that got them banned in the first place. Fortunately, our Mods. have a good eye for catching that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/8 "2003-02-04T19:23:17Z")
Repeating something stupid after being warned will get you banned. There is almost always a warning before banning. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/9 "2003-02-04T19:33:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > **Simply throwing around explicitives won’t get you banned.** So, are explicitives specific expletives, or are they explicit expletives? In either case, are they explicitly listed? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/10 "2003-02-04T19:40:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\*So, are explicitives specific expletives, or are they explicit expletives? In either case, are they explicitly listed? \*\* Go ahead and make fun of my bad grammar and/or spelling. I’ll see you banned yet! 😃😛 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/11 "2003-02-04T19:43:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minega \* > \*\*am i trying to be banned? Youre kidding i love this site so much, it would kill me!!! \*\* I would say that, if you are a jerk you will get banned. You can always appeal to a mod/admin, and they can reverse the process. Do a search, it shouldn’t be too hard to find some banned people. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/12 "2003-02-04T19:57:39Z")
Two specific types of jerky behavior that often lead to banning are personal insults outside The BBQ Pit (although I’ve never seen that happen without a warning first) and posting in bad faith. By the latter I mostly mean trolling, or posting opinions you don’t really hold in order to upset others or see what they will do, but some cases of self-misrepresentation (e.g. a middle-aged man pretending to be a horny teenaged girl) could also lead to banning if you get caught. ---
**Author:** ![Ashkicker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Ashkicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashkicker)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/13 "2003-02-04T20:03:08Z")
Boy you got that right **Meatros**. The banned aren’t hard to find. **Minega** , when you do find one, click on their profile and read their last post. That thread usually has something to do with why they were banned. You can easily learn what not to do by reading it. Plus they are usually pretty juicy threads and make good reading. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/14 "2003-02-04T21:06:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ashkicker \* > \*\*Boy you got that right **Meatros**. The banned aren’t hard to find. **Minega** , when you do find one, click on their profile and read their last post. That thread usually has something to do with why they were banned. You can easily learn what not to do by reading it. Plus they are usually pretty juicy threads and make good reading. \*\* After you find one of their posts you can also click on the “search” feature and bring up all of their posts. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/15 "2003-02-04T21:51:42Z")
Misplaced threads make the Mods unhappy. BTW: threads on banning tend to attract sock puppets. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/16 "2003-02-04T22:13:05Z")
And now for a word from the **management**. Cursing alone won’t generally get a poster banned. Each situation is judged on its own merits in its native context. It depends on how one employs those expletives. As vociferous modifiers to opinion, they are generally acceptable; as adjectives disrespectful of other members, they are generally prohibited. Cursing is permitted . . . within reason. However, gratuitous and repetitious posting of the more highly offensive swear words, such as “fuck,” “cunt,” or “mother-fucking cocksucker” (to name only a few) outside, and even (depending on the frequency of use) inside, the Pit is strongly discouraged and may result in a warning or a banning. Act like an adult, treat others as you expect to be treated, use your common sense and good judgment and you’ll be okay. If the staff believes you’re skirting the line, you’ll get an explicit warning, or word of caution, from one or more of the staff members before the drastic step of cancelling your privileges is taken. And a personal mesage to **Dorkus** : if you have specific issues with any moderator action, you are invited to **a)** take it to the Pit, or **b)** take it to e-mail. These are the _only_ two approved methods for airing any conflict you may have with the staff; this should be known to you. Couched grousing and veiled sniping, which is what it appears to me you are engaging in, are not permitted in either MPSIMS (where this thread originated), or ATMB (which is where it currently resides as I’m moving it over there). When one is attempting to be helpful by instructing newer members on the operation of the SDMB, it is advisable to follow the _well-publicized_ rules oneself. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/17 "2003-02-04T22:16:57Z")
Totally OT, but I cannot resist. How’s things in Kigali right now? What’s it like? ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/18 "2003-02-04T22:23:14Z")
Kiga-_like_? ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/19 "2003-02-04T22:39:00Z")
Does this mean I am being watched now? ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736/20 "2003-02-04T22:46:40Z")
I should probably clarify since the rest of my earlier post was eaten. I swear I had a smiley and a few more paragraphs there. Having had a computer security job for quite a while I know a lot goes on behind the scenes and is not privvy to our knowledege. What I was trying to say that a lot of the moderator’s actions involving banning seem overly draconian mainly because we don’t necessarily see all the history nor any of the behind the scenes actions. Also, due to the high stress and low reward system going on here and what appears to be indefinate exposure to said frustrations really makes some of the snarkiness stick out even more when reading about banned or closed threads. In other words, I think you are taking things too personally when there were no bad intentions behind my words above. Such is the doom of text life. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-banned/152736.md?page=2)