# Has Anyone That's Been Banned Been Allowed Back? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 10, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318 "2012-10-10T15:41:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/1 "2012-10-10T15:41:13Z")
Has this ever happened? I was browsing some old threads with the likes of the prolific **Diogenes** and the crazed **gonzomax** posting in them, and it occurred to me that in some ways, I miss those guys. But the question I thought of was: has anyone that’s ever been banned been allowed back? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/2 "2012-10-10T15:46:10Z")
It’s happened a few times, yes. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/3 "2012-10-10T15:49:21Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’s happened a few times, yes. Which leads to my next question: did any of those folks end up getting banned again? My initial curiosity was wondering if someone had acted boorishly and had received a ban but came back to the mods, hat in hand and mitigating circumstances at the ready, mods conferenced, poster gets one, very last get out of jail free card… ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/4 "2012-10-10T16:02:41Z")
I suspect Marley is referring to the incident, which I sadly missed, in which he banned the entire board for a short while. I don’t know if there are any ‘proper’ answers to your question but I suspect not. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/5 "2012-10-10T16:03:33Z")
Ha, I forgot about that. No **Marley** , I don’t mean inadvertent bannings. ---
**Author:** ![Miltonyz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Miltonyz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miltonyz)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/6 "2012-10-10T16:08:14Z")
There was a poster a few years ago who was banned and then brought back. His name started with a C I think. By my memory he was a poster that was extremely informed on some issues and brought a lot to discussions about his area of expertise, but he was kind of a jerk a lot. Sorry I can’t remember more but it was a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/7 "2012-10-10T16:14:50Z")
> [@Nancarrow](#): > > I suspect Marley is referring to the incident, which I sadly missed, in which he banned the entire board for a short while. I don’t know if there are any ‘proper’ answers to your question but I suspect not. That would be downright misleading of me. I was referring to the situation **FoieGrasIsEvil** asked about: individual users being banned for rules violations (as opposed to an accidental IP address ban) and being allowed back later. [This guy was one example.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=600850) He registered in 2004 and was quickly banned for jerkish behavior. Years later he asked for another shot and we gave him one. He did not stay on the board very long, but he posted without incident and would be welcome back any time. **lissener** might be a better known example. He was banned in 2004 and was reinstated about a year later. He was not banned again, but received some warnings over the years and was suspended at one point. He continued posting until mid-2010 before leaving the board. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/8 "2012-10-10T16:25:04Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Which leads to my next question: did any of those folks end up getting banned again? > > My initial curiosity was wondering if someone had acted boorishly and had received a ban but came back to the mods, hat in hand and mitigating circumstances at the ready, mods conferenced, poster gets one, very last get out of jail free card… This has happened a few times. In most cases, the person gets banned again (I always vote for termination with extreme prejudice, and I always get overruled). In a few cases, the poster is able to restrain him/herself, and not get banned again. However, bans are generally regarded as permanent. When we (mod staff) discuss a banning, we don’t discuss a temporary banning, we intend for the ban to be in place forever. A temporary ban would actually be a suspension, not a ban. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/9 "2012-10-10T16:26:47Z")
> [@Miltonyz](#): > > There was a poster a few years ago who was banned and then brought back. His name started with a C I think. By my memory he was a poster that was extremely informed on some issues and brought a lot to discussions about his area of expertise, but he was kind of a jerk a lot. Sorry I can’t remember more but it was a few years ago. That was **Collounsbury**. The Middle East / North Africa region was his specialty. ---
**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:** [October 10, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/10 "2012-10-10T16:31:32Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > In most cases, the person gets banned again (I always vote for termination with extreme prejudice, and I always get overruled) If I recall correctly, you were only overruled because in most cases it would involve crossing state lines, which would bring in the F.B.I. ---
**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:** [October 10, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/11 "2012-10-10T17:01:46Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Which leads to my next question: did any of those folks end up getting banned again? > > My initial curiosity was wondering if someone had acted boorishly and had received a ban but came back to the mods, hat in hand and mitigating circumstances at the ready, mods conferenced, poster gets one, very last get out of jail free card… This used to happen occasionally back a long time ago when banning was the only option we used, before we started using temporary suspensions as the last step before instituting a permanent ban. A few banned posters came back suitably contrite and asked for reinstatement. In general it didn’t work out too well, and most returnees ended up being banned again for the same type of offenses as before. Now that we usually suspend a long-term member before banning them, that gives them a “last chance” to change their behavior. There’s little reason to expect that someone who has been banned under the present system would abide by the rules if they were let back in. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/12 "2012-10-10T19:19:16Z")
I’m still waiting for them to lift the ban on **Satan**. I miss him. Also, if I’m not mistaken, my buddy **Demo** at one point decided he was done with the board and posted something highly inflammatory just to get banned; then thought better of it. I can’t remember if it went down precisely like that, but I think he did get the ban-hammer for about a day or two. Of course once he was reinstated he didn’t hardly post anymore. I miss him too. Not that I don’t see him on Facebook and Steam, but that’s not the point. People are automatically cooler when they post here. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/13 "2012-10-10T20:05:56Z")
**mswas** also committed suicide by mod. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/14 "2012-10-10T22:16:51Z")
There was a bunch of people who got banned for arguing with Ed Zotti over changes to the board rules. Most of them were allowed back, but one created a sock puppet, and was banned permanently. > **[Two posters reinstated, one stays banned](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=483391)** > > I’ve reinstated two members who had their posting privileges revoked during the controversy earlier this week, Baldwin and the PC apeman. The third member, Otto, is another story. Some background: Contrary to wide impression that Otto was an innocent... ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/15 "2012-10-11T00:06:23Z")
Only if they promise not to capitalize every word in their thread titles. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/16 "2012-10-11T01:29:15Z")
Pardon the brief hijack, but, don’t banned posters still post, or are their posts retroactively branded? ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/17 "2012-10-11T01:32:38Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > Pardon the brief hijack, but, don’t banned posters still post, or are their posts retroactively branded? They’re retroactively branded. What would be the point of banning someone, if they could still post? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/18 "2012-10-11T01:33:13Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > Pardon the brief hijack, but, don’t banned posters still post, or are their posts retroactively branded? Once you’re banned, you can’t post anymore. And your username has the word “BANNED” underneath it. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/19 "2012-10-11T02:20:22Z")
For a while, I was bland. Then I was un-bland for a spell, but then I got bland again. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318/20 "2012-10-11T02:56:58Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Ha, I forgot about that. No **Marley** , I don’t mean inadvertent bannings. So we’re assuming that was inadvertent, are we? 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-thats-been-banned-been-allowed-back/637318.md?page=2)