My understanding is that the mods aren’t doing that anymore, as everyone they’ve ever let back on after a banning just ended up getting banned again later.
Ilsa had been banned once. 
:smack:
And yet we are still haunted by the Grim Spectre of Pithecanthropus.
Well, shoot - how is it I’m always the last to know? I only “met” lissener recently, in the 14-page trainwreck, and found his posts really fantastic. He’s exactly the kind of person I enjoy reading. It’s true he became virulently hostile towards the end, but frankly that idiot CandidGamera was having that effect on a lot of us. If the banning was a 2-point shot, Candid would have to be credited with the assist.
Still wish Zenster would come back. I was glad Liberal returned (even though I’m disenchanted with his Libertopia).
I like the feisty ones.
Hmm, apparently, a lot more people have been banned and returned than I was aware. (When the hell was Liberal banned?!?) I do seem to recall a mod saying that they were no longer giving out second chances, though.
IIRC, his case was voluntary.
C’mon man. That’s really a cheap shot.
I wasn’t reading that into your posts. If that’s what you meant, fine. I’m not ignoring you, and I’m not trying to fight with you either. I see myself as getting along with you and lissener, even if the two of you don’t.
Well, like I said earlier, I hope he can come back (provided he wants and tries to, that is). I would hope that the mods would at least give advance warnings if they are going to change their policies in this regard. Maybe include in a warning that if the poster is banned, it will be permanent…something like that.
But still, it’s a shame and I hope lissener makes it back. He’s kind of like Diogenes the Cynic in that he’s very smart and often has insightful or educational things to say, and once you figure out that his rantings are just part of his nature, you can separate the wheat from the chaff and you’re still left with quite a bit more interesting and/or educational info than you get here from the average bear.
I think overall the board is much better off with him than without him…and this is coming from a poster whom he has called at various times a fascist, Nazi, homophobe, etc. However, he has also admitted on occasion that he kind of likes me nonetheless, and we’ve had a couple of semi-courteous, semi-respectful emails pass back and forth between us.
If you read even a few of his autobiographical comments it becomes obvious that he’s had a pretty difficult life and I’m sure this has colored his posting style more than a little. But when you get down to it (and cover your ears and go “lalalalalala” when he’s acting up), he’s a pretty good guy who often has quality things to say.
You should have seen the half dozen responses that I didn’t post.
Even so, you’re right, that was still a cheap shot. I’m not looking for a fight here, either. Sorry.
What bothered me wasn’t that you were reading into my posts, it was that you apparently weren’t reading my posts at all. Else you would have picked up on the bits where I said stuff like, “There’re a lot of posters on the board I disagree with whom I would be sorry to see banned, because the whole point of the SDMB is arguing about our contrasting opinions and world views. That’s what makes posting here fun.”
On preview, I pretty much agree with everything Starving Artist said.
(Better bookmark this thread, SA, 'cause that’s the last time you’ll ever hear me say that. ;))
Similar things could be regarding many of us. And yet, we somehow are able to interact peaceably with most of the Dope.
I, too, agree with Starving Artist. I apologize, Miller, for skimming your posts. I read them, just not thoroughly enough.
Similar things could be said regarding many of us. And yet, we somehow are able to interact peaceably with most of the Dope.
S’alright. No big deal, really.
Say what? :eek:
But seriously, I regard you as right up there with ETF, Zoe and a few others whose opinions are usually the opposite of mine but whom I respect a great deal nonetheless. And it heartens me that I’ve been able to bring you over to the dark side here with me, even if it is in regard to such a relatively benign issue. (But hey, I’ve got EddyTeddyFreddy quoting Ronald Reagan and swaggering about with an AK-47, so who’s to say I shouldn’t be making at least some headway with you, eh?) 
Not likely! You can have my lack of a gun when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers!
I think it would take more than two hands to count the number of times he has been warned here.
[John Wayne]
Sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.
[/JW]
But you’ll never make me give up my Saturn for a Hummer.
Besides, swaggering about with an AK-47 might keep the attack chickens at bay.
I had a professor in college who had a teaching style that was firmly grounded in derision. If you said something stupid or foolish in his class, he would not only take you to take your statement apart, he would follow up by dismantling you as well. Limbs flying, arterial spray…it was Tarantino in that lecture hall every Thurs from 8-10:30!
The result of this verbal abuse is that every student would examine his or her response quite carefully before speaking. The result of that is that the quality of the discourse to be found in his classes was exceptionally high.
Now everything I have learned about teaching tells me that this is wrong. They teach us that students need a safe environment that is free of risk. But I question this because I know that a risky environment can actually have a motivating effect. A safe environment means that anything goes and all things are met with approval…so why bother? Why make the effort?
My point is that people like lissener keep this board from becoming too safe. He had a motivating effect on those around him in that he forced them to offer only the best arguments, only the strongest opinions on any thread in which he was participating. I would hate to see SDMB become a safe environment filled with nodding heads and approval for all.
I don’t post much. I’m a reader, not a writer.
Yeesh, I miss that prof. Now I miss lissener too.
Like, don’t you people GET it? Lissener wasn’t a jerk, he was the perfect satire of a jerk. YOU’RE JUST TOO STOOPID TO UNDERSTAND!
I first noticed Lissener in some thread when he was ranting about Microsoft, and kept insisting on calling it “Microsuck”, which betrays a certain immaturity that he, bless 'im, clung to right to the very end.
Good riddance.