# I've forgotten; can we ask why someone has been banned? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 14, 2009, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-forgotten-can-we-ask-why-someone-has-been-banned/513786 "2009-10-14T14:59:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-forgotten-can-we-ask-why-someone-has-been-banned/513786/1 "2009-10-14T14:59:58Z")
If a longtime poster gets banned, and there’s no announcement, and the person’s posting history doesn’t show any gigantic flameout in the last few days, am I allowed to ask about the reason for the ban? The rules note that one should not post a thread asking about a disappearance, but I didn’t see anything about a banning. If the answer to my question is no, and this thread is inappropriate, my apologies. Feel free to lock it or remove it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-forgotten-can-we-ask-why-someone-has-been-banned/513786/2 "2009-10-14T15:03:16Z")
You’re allowed to ask, we just prefer people ask in private. With bannings like these, the reason is almost always the same: the poster in question turns out to be a sock puppet account of a previously banned poster. We don’t post announcements so these people don’t get the extra attention they’re after. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-forgotten-can-we-ask-why-someone-has-been-banned/513786/3 "2009-10-14T15:34:56Z")
Thanks. I’ll PM you if that’s OK. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-forgotten-can-we-ask-why-someone-has-been-banned/513786/4 "2009-10-14T15:44:01Z")
Go ahead. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-forgotten-can-we-ask-why-someone-has-been-banned/513786/5 "2009-10-14T16:56:52Z")
We generally do post announcements when a long-time poster gets banned, to explain reasons. When we don’t, you can take it almost always that the poster had multiple socks, or was a banned returnee. We don’t want those [del]jackasses[/del] people to get any more public notice than we’re stuck with; they thrive on publicity and attention. If we don’t give it to them, perhaps they’ll go away and leave us alone. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-forgotten-can-we-ask-why-someone-has-been-banned/513786/6 "2009-10-14T18:25:23Z")
Damn man, you’ve been here for seven years with 2,000 posts and don’t know that it’s preferred that you e-mail or private message an admin to ask why someone was banned? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-forgotten-can-we-ask-why-someone-has-been-banned/513786/7 "2009-10-14T18:27:16Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > Damn man, you’ve been here for seven years with 2,000 posts and don’t know that it’s preferred that you e-mail or private message an admin to ask why someone was banned? :dubious: A lot of people don’t know that, or at least it’s often forgotten - and he did ask what to do. There’s no need to get on his case. ETA: We do explain most bannings. It’s the remaining, un-commented on bannings that tend to confuse people. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-forgotten-can-we-ask-why-someone-has-been-banned/513786/8 "2009-10-14T18:36:58Z")
> [@](#): > > and he did ask. There’s no need to get on his case. That’s true, I apologize. My excuse is that I apparently haven’t had enough caffeine. Allow me to go alleviate that. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-forgotten-can-we-ask-why-someone-has-been-banned/513786/9 "2009-10-14T19:13:53Z")
**Bees!** makes a fair point. It’s the sort of thing an educated Doper ought to know. Mods, you’re welcome to lock this thread. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-forgotten-can-we-ask-why-someone-has-been-banned/513786/10 "2009-10-15T02:03:16Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > **Bees!** makes a fair point. It’s the sort of thing an educated Doper ought to know. > > Mods, you’re welcome to lock this thread. In that case, I think it should be in [Guidelines and Etiquette](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=384745). ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-forgotten-can-we-ask-why-someone-has-been-banned/513786/11 "2009-10-15T02:24:07Z")
Yeah, Dex. Since you got nothin’ else to do. 😉