# Site in read only mode **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 12, 2021, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/site-in-read-only-mode/932738 "2021-02-12T09:48:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/site-in-read-only-mode/932738/1 "2021-02-12T09:48:51Z")
What was up with that? ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/site-in-read-only-mode/932738/2 "2021-02-12T09:55:33Z")
It happened to me yesterday (Thu am). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/site-in-read-only-mode/932738/3 "2021-02-12T13:32:04Z")
This has come up before, > [@Read only mode and composing posts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-only-mode-and-composing-posts/931502/5): > > Yes, we are looking at moving this instance to a more powerful cluster soon. Sorry about that. (Lots of history and data here, larger sites = more database and thus more power needed) I don’t have any other information than that though. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/site-in-read-only-mode/932738/4 "2021-02-13T06:15:27Z")
Is the “read only” note exactly what you would get if you were banned? Or do banned posters get notified in some other way? Not good for the blood pressure. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/site-in-read-only-mode/932738/5 "2021-02-13T14:47:02Z")
Banned posters get a different message, though I’m not sure what the wording is. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/site-in-read-only-mode/932738/6 "2021-02-14T14:04:28Z")
Banned users get the message “Account suspended until (date): (reason)” Example: > [@](#): > > Account suspended until February 14, 3021: Because your name is BannyMcBanface It’s the same message for short term suspensions as well as long term bans. In Discourse a ban is just a permanent suspension (the software says permanent but then it puts in a date that is 1,000 years in the future). vBulletin would put you in a different user group if you were banned or suspended. Discourse just doesn’t allow you to log in. FYI, BannyMcBanface is a test account we use to train new mods. He gets warned and suspended a lot. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/site-in-read-only-mode/932738/7 "2021-02-14T14:29:56Z")
Now I’m curious what is the longest anyone has got away with having a sock account (and still been caught, obv). Or is that classified information? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/site-in-read-only-mode/932738/8 "2021-02-15T06:52:55Z")
I was concerned because “read only” is pretty absolute. Even clicking “contact us” down in the Dark Space eventually leads to a denial intercept. I do know that a banned poster can interact with the site, because I was once range-banned until I changed my IP.