# I disagree with Weirddave banning **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 2, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086 "2009-02-02T04:49:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/61 "2009-02-03T00:37:24Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I tend to agree with **Cervaise** above: **Weirddave** was always an angry poster; for some time now he’s been simply a venomous one. I agree . ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/62 "2009-02-03T00:39:36Z")
> [@wring](#): > > whoosh. I think. Not really. I was away from the board when he really got bad and missed a lot of it. But two votes no in just minutes tells me you saw things I didn’t get a chance to see. Accepted ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/63 "2009-02-03T00:47:26Z")
To the extent that there is some question about this being motivated by political viewpoint… I don’t see it. And I offer this opinion only because as one of the beleagured conservatives here, I thought it might have some greater relevance than the same view offered by Larry Leftypost, in any of his incarnations. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/64 "2009-02-03T01:14:08Z")
A compromise idea regarding banning: For every warning, your default font color gets set to something lighter than before, and you can’t change it. If you get too many warnings no one will be able to read your posts, but you won’t be banned, win-win. For example: I’ve been warned Dang, I did it again I just can’t help myself HELP I CAN’T SEE MY OWN POSTS ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/65 "2009-02-03T02:07:11Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > This one’s okay, but could we bring Satan back? I miss Satan. Do you think he’d be interested in coming back, though? ---
**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:** [February 3, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/66 "2009-02-03T02:58:46Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > A compromise idea regarding banning: > For every warning, your default font color gets set to something lighter than before, and you can’t change it. > > If you get too many warnings no one will be able to read your posts, but you won’t be banned, win-win. > > For example: > I’ve been warned > Dang, I did it again > I just can’t help myself > HELP I CAN’T SEE MY OWN POSTS You can highlight the text and read it anyway. Wasn’t there a certain type of quasi-banning used at some boards where people would post, but nothing they wrote would be visible to others and they weren’t aware of that? “Hmm why isn’t anyone responding anymore?” No, I think that is pretty despicable-just kick the guy so at least he knows the score. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/67 "2009-02-03T03:08:00Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > You can highlight the text and read it anyway. > > Wasn’t there a certain type of quasi-banning used at some boards where people would post, but nothing they wrote would be visible to others and they weren’t aware of that? “Hmm why isn’t anyone responding anymore?” No, I think that is pretty despicable-just kick the guy so at least he knows the score. Just having some fun with it. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/68 "2009-02-03T03:47:16Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I’m not saying that this should be done for everyone, but a guy like Dave who has been here for a decade, almost 10,000 posts, has hosted dopefests, met his wife here, etc (what I’m getting at is that he obviously cares a lot about this place, no matter what he’d probably tell you right now) should be given some extra leeway. You are actually advocating that we have special rules for long-timer posters? We get enough complaints from newbies who think that we give old timers special leeway. This isn’t going to fly at all. Long time posters should know the rules and be able to follow them. Personally, I’m actually _less_ inclined to give special treatment to someone because they have been around a long time than to a newbie who doesn’t know the ropes. We give few warnings in comparison to the number of posts and posters, and we ban very few members. We banned exactly _one_, count 'em, one poster in all of 2008 for insulting other posters. The moderators as a group issued roughly 200 official warnings in all of 2008, or an average of something like 0.05 warnings per active member. Weirddave’s two warnings in 2008 represented 40 times more warnings than the average poster received. The rules aren’t that hard to follow. Thousands of posters somehow manage to get through every year without a single warning. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/69 "2009-02-03T04:27:53Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > You are actually advocating that we have special rules for long-timer posters? Yeah, it sounds inconsistent at first but is it really that bad if you think about it? I’m not saying an entirely different set of rules for this group or that group of posters, but just to take certain things into consideration. If a guy wanders in from the cold and makes 10 posts in a week, 5 of them drawing warnings, I think that’s a lot different that a guy like Dave getting 5 warnings in a year and a half. Or if Dave had only made 50 or 100 or so posts in that time, and 5 of them got warnings, I think even then it would be a lot different. A ban would be a lot more understandable in that circumstance. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/70 "2009-02-03T04:35:26Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I think that’s a lot different that a guy like Dave getting 5 warnings in a year and a half. Isn’t getting five “last chances” a lot already? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/71 "2009-02-03T04:40:30Z")
I guess. Hell, what do I know, I would be a horrible moderator. They just seemed like pretty minor infractions to incur the wrath of the banhammer, in my opinion. It just seems like there’s Rules (don’t have a sock, don’t spam, don’t discuss current illegal activities) and then there’s Guidelines (don’t be a jerk.) I think there should be more wiggleroom for guideline fouls. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/72 "2009-02-03T04:53:37Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Yeah, it sounds inconsistent at first but is it really that bad if you think about it? Yes. It’s absolutely a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/73 "2009-02-03T04:54:45Z")
Personal insults outside the Pit are a pretty bright line rule that Dave was warned about over and over and over again without seeming to care. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/74 "2009-02-03T04:54:45Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I guess. Hell, what do I know, I would be a horrible moderator. They just seemed like pretty minor infractions to incur the wrath of the banhammer, in my opinion. It just seems like there’s Rules (don’t have a sock, don’t spam, don’t discuss current illegal activities) and then there’s Guidelines (don’t be a jerk.) I think there should be more wiggleroom for guideline fouls. Yeah, that’s kind of why there were five of them. When someone’s received that many warnings and are on the final straw, I think we end up looking for reasons _not_ to ban them. You can’t say somebody who given a final warning almost two years ago and then received five more warnings was rushed out the door. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2009, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/75 "2009-02-03T04:56:37Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Guidelines (don’t be a jerk.) Here’s where you’re wrong. Although it’s phrased as “a guiding principle” in the Registration Agreement, “Don’t be a jerk” is not a guideline but rather the most basic rule of all. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/76 "2009-02-03T06:15:35Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Here’s where you’re wrong. Although it’s phrased as “a guiding principle” in the Registration Agreement, “Don’t be a jerk” is not a guideline but rather the most basic rule of all. Then there should be a lot more bannings. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/77 "2009-02-03T06:22:55Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Here’s where you’re wrong. Although it’s phrased as “a guiding principle” in the Registration Agreement, “Don’t be a jerk” is not a guideline but rather the most basic rule of all. Cite please. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/78 "2009-02-03T06:32:03Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Then there should be a lot more bannings. You know, I don’t see a lot of jerkiness around here, and when I do, someone usually calls the person on it. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/79 "2009-02-03T06:55:00Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > I miss Satan. Do you think he’d be interested in coming back, though? Good question. I don’t know. Drain Bead might know. ---
**Author:** ![Krav\_Manga](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krav_manga/32/3153_2.png) [@Krav\_Manga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krav_Manga)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-disagree-with-weirddave-banning/484086/80 "2009-02-03T11:27:34Z")
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