# How does the "banning" process "work" on message boards, technically? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 11, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-banning-process-work-on-message-boards-technically/147991 "2003-01-11T18:53:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-banning-process-work-on-message-boards-technically/147991/1 "2003-01-11T18:53:54Z")
I am assuming it does more than just “ban” their username, since if that is all it did what would stop them for signing up under a different one? Same thing with the email addy. Does it void a block of IPs? If so, what about other legitimate users that use the same ISP? If I am treading on a SDMB “secret” that Mods aren’t keen on sharing I apologize and please close. However, I am damn curious. (And no, I’d rather not try to find out first handed if I can avoid it!) ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-banning-process-work-on-message-boards-technically/147991/2 "2003-01-11T19:00:31Z")
Depends on the board package and the preferences set by the administrator. In phpBB, for example, you can ban a username or an IP, or both. If you want to ban a whole IP block, you can do that too. It _does_ mess it up for other users with the same dialup ISP, but you’d be suprised at the high percentage of idiots who have some sort of cable broadband, and therefore a static IP. They’re also usually too stupid to figure out proxies. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-banning-process-work-on-message-boards-technically/147991/3 "2003-01-11T19:05:01Z")
It’s not a SDMB secret because anybody can buy and install the vBulletin software. On the two message boards that I administer (both are free YaBB software) there is a ban member feature that allows me to ban • IP addresses (e.g. 192.168.12.213 or 128.0._._) • e-mail addresses • screen names ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-banning-process-work-on-message-boards-technically/147991/4 "2003-01-11T19:07:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by black455 \* > … but you’d be suprised at the high percentage of idiots who have some sort of cable broadband, and therefore a static IP. Care to explain this opinion in the GD or the Pit? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-banning-process-work-on-message-boards-technically/147991/5 "2003-01-11T22:01:41Z")
Thanks for the replies. I was wondering as the SDMB doesn’t appear to have a high-percentage of “repeat” offeneders, re-registering under a different name after banning. At least, not that I know about… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Coffeeguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@Coffeeguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coffeeguy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-banning-process-work-on-message-boards-technically/147991/6 "2003-01-11T23:13:42Z")
I’ve noticed that (in the little box to the left of posts) some users are listed as **banned**. _What does that mean?_ ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-banning-process-work-on-message-boards-technically/147991/7 "2003-01-11T23:20:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coffeeguy \* > \*\*I’ve noticed that (in the little box to the left of posts) some users are listed as **banned**. _What does that mean?_ \*\* They have been banned from further posting. Old posts are not generally deleted. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-banning-process-work-on-message-boards-technically/147991/8 "2003-01-11T23:49:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duckster \* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by black455 \* > > … but you’d be suprised at the high percentage of idiots who have some sort of cable broadband, and therefore a static IP. > > \*\*Care to explain this opinion in the GD or the Pit? > 😃 \*\* Hmmm, high percentage of idiots have static IP/broadband does not mean that high percentage of people with braodband/static IP are idiots. Most ducks weigh less than ten pounds; not everything that weighs less than ten pounds is a duck. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-banning-process-work-on-message-boards-technically/147991/9 "2003-01-12T00:34:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*Most ducks weigh less than ten pounds; not everything that weighs less than ten pounds is a duck. \*\* But if they do, they’re a witch! Or is it the other way around? Anyhow, you don’t need broadband or cable to have a static IP. But shouldn’t this be in ATMB? Not that you’re going to get the mods to volunteer information on the technicalities of banning. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-banning-process-work-on-message-boards-technically/147991/10 "2003-01-12T18:59:14Z")
What **Mangetout** said. Thirteen of the twenty-one people I’ve banned are on Roadrunner. I like to think that AOLTW’s dumbass commercials are targeted specifically at the dumbass demographic, and that the non-gluesniffers who sign up are just gravy for the margins. If an eleven pound duck asks what rhymes with “-gry,” does it echo? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-banning-process-work-on-message-boards-technically/147991/11 "2003-01-12T19:54:02Z")
I think this is better suited to ATMB. Off to ATMB. **DrMatrix** - General Questions Moderator