# handsomeharry has been banned **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 27, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236 "2016-04-27T02:34:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/302 "2016-05-02T17:07:45Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I thought the explanation was pretty simple – that for egregious violations, banning with no warnings is an option, and that this was an egregious violation, as judged by the moderators. I know it IS an option. But what was so egregious that he had to be banned without the benefit of a Warning? Especially when multiple mods were responding to him. It seems like a long time poster deserves a note or warning. And I’ve yet to hear a reason _why_ that was not done. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/303 "2016-05-02T17:10:01Z")
I, for one, denounce the Mods who have joined the Cecil Adams Brigade to fight in the civil war against Ignorance, with the phrase “This Machine Kills Trolls” their spam hungry clarion call. I have in my inbox a list of [DEL][COLOR=“Black”]205[/DEL][/COLOR] [DEL][COLOR=“Black”]57[/DEL][/COLOR] [DEL][COLOR=“Black”]Hi **Opal** [/DEL][/COLOR] 81 Straight Dope employees that were known to the administration of the Straight Dope as being members of the Anti-Fascist-Troll Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the Straight Dope. Clearly these ban happy “Moderators” are nothing but radical premature Anti-Fascists. I propose an in-House Committee be formed to investigate these subversive Un-Straight Activities! CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/304 "2016-05-02T17:10:31Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > What the fuck are you talking about? I have yet to see an explanation regarding the lack of Warning. If you’d like, provide what you think comes closest and I’ll comment on it. If not, that’s fine too. At least we’ll no longer have to pretend that the explanation was given. Miller’s post that I was directed to only uses the word “warn” once, and not in relation to HH. > > And you may have noticed that I’m not the only one troubled by this. Well, SqrlCub got the banhammer with out benefit of warnings. That was, as I’m told, 15 years ago. Seems to me there’s 15 years of precedent there. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/305 "2016-05-02T17:10:43Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > I know it IS an option. But what was so egregious that he had to be banned without the benefit of a Warning? Especially when multiple mods were responding to him. It seems like a long time poster deserves a note or warning. And I’ve yet to hear a reason _why_ that was not done. Yet to hear a reason? The Mods _gave_ reasons in posts they made in this thread, but you refuse to accept those reasons. You keep pretending that answers aren’t forthcoming, when the real problem is that you aren’t being given the answers you want to hear. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/306 "2016-05-02T17:14:49Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > I know it IS an option. But what was so egregious that he had to be banned without the benefit of a Warning? Especially when multiple mods were responding to him. It seems like a long time poster deserves a note or warning. And I’ve yet to hear a reason _why_ that was not done. They used their judgment and determined that the specific way he was trolling was so egregious as to be immediate-banning worthy. It’s a judgment call – they decided that this was _so bad_ that he _didn’t_ deserve a note or a warning before being banned. That’s why. You might disagree, but that’s why they did it – they thought that the violation was so bad that he didn’t deserve a warning before being banned. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/307 "2016-05-02T17:23:28Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Well, SqrlCub got the banhammer with out benefit of warnings. That was, as I’m told, 15 years ago. Seems to me there’s 15 years of precedent there. I’m unfamiliar with that poster or his history. But, again, I accept that the mods _can_ do whatever they want. I just think that a long time poster deserves a warning or a note first and am flummoxed as to _why_ that was not done. I think it’s hilarious that a moderator will take the time to insist that an explanation as to why HH was not warned has been given, neither he nor anyone else was able to provide a quote when I politely asked. (I figured, “Hey, maybe I missed it.”) Well, one poster, **TokyoBayer** was nice enough to point me to Miller’s post #246, but that really doesn’t address the issue. Perhaps pigs will appear in the sky and drop leaflets emblazoned with this reason I’ve been asking about, or perhaps a little more fantastical, Czarcasm will dip his toe into new territory and make himself useful by facilitating the discussion which he obviously has some interest in. I’ll keep an eye out for the pigs. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/308 "2016-05-02T17:26:53Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > They used their judgment and determined that the specific way he was trolling was so egregious as to be immediate-banning worthy. It’s a judgment call – they decided that this was _so bad_ that he _didn’t_ deserve a note or a warning before being banned. > > That’s why. You might disagree, but that’s why they did it – they thought that the violation was so bad that he didn’t deserve a warning before being banned. But that doesn’t jibe with the fact that this all happened in a four-page thread in which multiple mods conversed with him. If he had opened a thread with an ban-worthy OP and the mods let the hammer drop immediately, your explanation would make much more sense. But four pages? With multiple mods communicating with him? Exceedingly odd. Which is why I ask, “why”? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/309 "2016-05-02T17:29:47Z")
The fact that the detailed explanation the Mods gave doesn’t give you what you want pretty much tells us that you cannot be given what you want, _unless the Mods change their reasons for why they did what they did and/or change the outcome._ You either accept the reasons and the outcome, or you don’t. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/310 "2016-05-02T17:30:44Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > But that doesn’t jibe with the fact that this all happened in a four-page thread in which multiple mods conversed with him. If he had opened a thread with an ban-worthy OP and the mods let the hammer drop immediately, your explanation would make much more sense. But four pages? With multiple mods communicating with him? Exceedingly odd. Which is why I ask, “why”? Considering that the mods regularly converse behind the scenes for days (or more, perhaps) before taking major action, this doesn’t surprise me at all. I think it’s very likely that they were discussing it for a while behind the scenes, at the same time that some were engaging in the thread as posters, not as moderators (except perhaps for minor moderating), and after discussing it and deciding on the ban, they executed the ban. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/311 "2016-05-02T17:32:35Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > But that doesn’t jibe with the fact that this all happened in a four-page thread in which multiple mods conversed with him. If he had opened a thread with an ban-worthy OP and the mods let the hammer drop immediately, your explanation would make much more sense. But four pages? With multiple mods communicating with him? Exceedingly odd. Which is why I ask, “why”? Explanation already given by the Moderators: He wasn’t banned for just one post, but for his actions throughout the whole of the thread. They have said this over and over again. ---
**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:** [May 2, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/312 "2016-05-02T17:35:01Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Considering that the mods regularly converse behind the scenes for days (or more, perhaps) before taking major action, this doesn’t surprise me at all. I think it’s very likely that they were discussing it for a while behind the scenes, at the same time that some were engaging in the thread as posters, not as moderators (except perhaps for minor moderating), and after discussing it and deciding on the ban, they executed the ban. Correct. We are not all on-line at the same time. We generally allow time for everyone to comment and for a consensus to form before taking action. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/313 "2016-05-02T17:40:46Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > … > > Clearly these ban happy “Moderators” are nothing but radical premature Anti-Fascists. > > … I really hope you’re kidding about that because IMHO, it couldn’t be further from the truth. As I said, I hope I’m misreading your post. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/314 "2016-05-02T17:56:08Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > … There isn’t any precedent for insta-banning a long term poster for trolling as far as I’m aware, but then, there isn’t really any precedent for a long-term poster to start trolling the boards as hard as **handsomeharry** did. > [@Miller](#): > > … > So, to **handsomeharry**. It was clear that **handsomeharry** _wanted_ the sort of board-wide anger that **Starving Artist** attracted for a while. It seems impossible to me that **harry** ’s admission in that Pit thread would not be brought up frequently against him in inappropriate threads. We’d probably end up having to note or warn otherwise good posters who understandably lost their temper with an honest-to-God _Nazi_ - and probably lost a poster or two permanently, because we’re “protecting” him. And what are we protecting? A troll. Why? Why go to the effort to keep around someone who’s deliberately trying to fuck up the boards? To me, these are the reasons. 1) He trolled too hard. 2) Even if his behavior changed after a warning, other users would not have been able to let it go and it could have gotten ugly. Like them or don’t like them, they are the reasons that have been given. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/315 "2016-05-02T18:18:53Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > I, for one, denounce the Mods who have joined the Cecil Adams Brigade to fight in the civil war against Ignorance, with the phrase “This Machine Kills Trolls” their spam hungry clarion call. > > I have in my inbox a list of [DEL][COLOR=“Black”]205[/DEL][/COLOR] [DEL][COLOR=“Black”]57[/DEL][/COLOR] [DEL][COLOR=“Black”]Hi **Opal** [/DEL][/COLOR] 81 Straight Dope employees that were known to the administration of the Straight Dope as being members of the Anti-Fascist-Troll Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the Straight Dope. > > Clearly these ban happy “Moderators” are nothing but radical premature Anti-Fascists. > > I propose an in-House Committee be formed to investigate these subversive Un-Straight Activities! You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/316 "2016-05-02T18:21:17Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I really hope you’re kidding about that because IMHO, it couldn’t be further from the truth. > > As I said, I hope I’m misreading your post. It’s called “parody.” Or maybe “sarcasm.” In any case, the whooshing noise you hear… ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/317 "2016-05-02T18:21:38Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I really hope you’re kidding about that because IMHO, it couldn’t be further from the truth. > > As I said, I hope I’m misreading your post. You are- **Fenris** got it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/318 "2016-05-02T18:25:05Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Explanation already given by the Moderators: He wasn’t banned for just one post, but for his actions throughout the whole of the thread. They have said this over and over again. SO? he was banned for one thread, without warning. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/319 "2016-05-02T18:28:15Z")
There have been a number of posters banned for one post–not even one thread, without warning. None recently, but it used to be an uncommon but not unheard of option. 24KaratGoldie (or something similar–circa 2001) comes to mind. I don’t particularly object to it in obvious cases of trolling combined with racist/anti-Semitic posts. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/320 "2016-05-02T18:29:00Z")
Sometimes if you’re even hardly fascist, the banning comes hard and fast-ish. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/321 "2016-05-02T18:29:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > SO? he was banned for one thread, without warning. Yeah, we know, but thanks for pointing it out yet again. That part has been talked about already, by both the Mods and the posters. The Mods gave their reasons, and the posters either accepted their reasons, or they didn’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236.md?page=17)