# I have been warned, now what? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 17, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485 "2007-05-17T17:49:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/1 "2007-05-17T17:49:39Z")
My temper got the best of me and I insulted someone in MPSIMS [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=421008&page=3) . What exactly does this mean? Is it really one more infraction then I’m banned? I mean reall, I’ve been around here for years and only had one warning I can’t be that close to the edge can I? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/2 "2007-05-17T18:24:12Z")
I’m not a moderator, but I have been warned. I can’t specifically answer your questions, but if you don’t mind, I’ll offer a little advice. Go to the top of each forum, and read the rules. If you follow them, you’ll stay out of trouble. I know how it goes; something gets you riled up, and your razor-tipped fingers race across the keyboard. That’s when you have to STOP. Scroll up to the top to see what forum you are in. No personal insults, except in the BBQ Pit. Don’t get political in General Questions (that’s where I got in trouble.) Sometimes, you have to say, “If this weren’t GQ, I’d have a blistering reply here.” You can say that in print, but not what you would have said. If you still are really really pisto, you can go to the Pit to start a new thread. By the time you do that, though, you might decide it’s not that big a deal. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/3 "2007-05-17T18:38:06Z")
Not a mod, but they’re said many times that there is no specific count involved. Warnings are useful because they mean they can ban a persistent troublemaker without having to hear, “but no one ever warned me I was in danger.” If your warnings start coming closer together and or really pile up, then watch out. Otherwise, there must be dozens of happy posters who have been warned once. ---
**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:** [May 17, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/4 "2007-05-17T18:38:39Z")
I would email the mod. Some mod actions go into your permenant record, others won’t. It didn’t seem to be a very big infraction to me so I doubt you will have any future problems. Unless you don’t listen and keep breaking the board rules. ---
**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 17, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/5 "2007-05-17T18:39:05Z")
In my experience, warnings are just that. It usually takes a pattern of behavior and repeated warnings before they ban someone, unless they are hell-bent on committing “suicide by Mod.” Keep your wits about you and you’ll be fine. After all, you were ok until the final word in the post that got you into trouble. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/6 "2007-05-17T19:16:10Z")
> [@SkipMagic](#): > > \You were okay up until you threw “prick” into the mix. Anyway, please confine insults to the Pit or just leave 'em out altogether. This sounds like an informative warning to me. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/7 "2007-05-17T19:28:54Z")
I got a warning once and I’m still here! ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/8 "2007-05-17T19:30:29Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] Some mod actions go into your permanent record… [/QUOTE] Oh yeah? Well don’t get so distressed. Did I happen to mention that I’m impressed? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/9 "2007-05-17T20:10:23Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] I got a warning once and I’m still here! [/QUOTE] Yeah, but after the warning, you stopped trying to play **Tuba** ’s brass without her permission. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/10 "2007-05-17T21:24:17Z")
The answer is, as always: it depends. It depends on what the warning was for. For instance, an eruption of hate speech and racial epithets might push you real close to the edge, and a repeat would probably result in a boot to the butt. However, most warnings that occur when someone loses their temper occasionally – well, that happens to all of us. Generally, we do try to track such things so that we can detect repeated behaviors. If you lose your temper once every six or eight months, that’s a very different situation from someone who loses their temper once every six or eight hours, for instance. One warning is usually not a big deal. Repeated warnings for the same offense over a short period of time will probably result in some action. Usually, we’ll let you know by email if you’re running headlong down the plank. We don’t WANT to have to take actions against anyone; we much prefer that simple verbal warnings will keep people in the acceptable range of behaviours. Some people, however, keep pushing the limits and don’t pay any heed to warnings, and then some actions are required on our part. **Christopher** : if you’ve had one warning in eight years, don’t sweat it. That’s a wonderful record. We’ll expect you to get another sometime in the next eight years. No biggie. Relax. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/11 "2007-05-18T19:34:32Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866] Oh yeah? Well don’t get so distressed. Did I happen to mention that I’m impressed? [/QUOTE] No, nor did you ever mention you were a Violent Femme. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/12 "2007-05-18T19:48:38Z")
I got quite a handful of mod notes on my back. Without getting into specifics, they can be summed up as “being stupid” with or without some “trying to be funny” mixed in. I have always seen the fault in my offending post (always after being modded, of course. Stupid 20/20 hindsight) and sent a quick message to the mod in question. Most of the time, I have gotten a “that’s fine, just stop doing it” reply. I want to think I am getting better at this. I don’t think the mod’s have a picture of me right next to the shredder. _crosses fingers_ Not that my word is worth that much after an admin already chimed in, but nothing you should worry about if it was an honest mistake. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/13 "2007-05-20T01:05:39Z")
I have been much more carefull with my posts since then. I don’t want to break the rules, I like this place too much. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2007, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/14 "2007-05-20T01:54:24Z")
Relax. When we see good behavior, nothing happens. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2007, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/15 "2007-05-20T05:48:57Z")
[QUOTE=C K Dexter Haven] if you’ve had one warning in eight years, don’t sweat it. That’s a wonderful record. [/QUOTE] Oh man, I’m behind on my warnings. Should I gratutiously use a naughty word just to play catch up? 😕😕 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/16 "2007-05-21T01:51:32Z")
Fuck, no. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-been-warned-now-what/404485/17 "2007-05-21T01:52:11Z")
Just a joke, really, nothing else to see here, move along, please. 🙂