# warnings - eventual expiry? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 16, 2017, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361 "2017-07-16T01:15:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/21 "2017-07-16T23:27:02Z")
Note that there’s absolutely nothing in the system that uses the warnings automatically: I think you can set vBulletin to automatically ban someone when they get a certain number of warnings, but we don’t do that. Every decision to topic-restrict, suspend, or ban anyone is made by us human moderators (well, mostly-human, at least). The warnings are just a convenient way to keep notes about past behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/22 "2017-07-16T23:32:05Z")
Sometimes I think that the Straight Dope Message Board is a bit like the movie _Logan’s Run_ - except that one doesn’t get terminated upon reaching the age of 30, but instead upon accruing a certain number of warnings or violating board rules. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/23 "2017-07-17T00:27:47Z")
**Walken** , that’s exactly what I just said doesn’t happen. Too many warnings is likely to get you banned, but there’s not a set number for “too many”: Someone who racks up three in their first month is going to be in a lot more trouble than someone who gets four over the span of ten years. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/24 "2017-07-17T00:55:11Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > **Walken** , that’s exactly what I just said doesn’t happen. Too many warnings is likely to get you banned, but there’s not a set number for “too many”: Someone who racks up three in their first month is going to be in a lot more trouble than someone who gets four over the span of ten years. Oh yes, I understand that the “certain number” is a variable, not a constant. Perhaps it is a bit like the [Wanted Level](http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Wanted_Level_in_GTA_V) system in the _Grand Theft Auto_ series: “To escape a wanted level, the player must stay out of sight of the police pursuers for a period of time (the length of time depends on the severity of the wanted level).” ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/25 "2017-07-17T01:17:55Z")
Not so much, really. In practice, getting several warnings in a short amount of time is far more likely to put someone on the sanction-train than a low, steady set of warnings over the course of years. Even then, in my experience, we’re far more likely to vote someone a suspension or some other sanction long before moving to ban. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/26 "2017-07-17T01:25:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But that was some Olympic-level threadshitting. Yeah. There’s quite a difference between “I don’t like your dumb topic because …” and “You’re a horrible excuse for a human being, etc. …” The latter kind of threadshits are especially welcome in MPSIMS. Not!! Really makes one wonder whether uncontrolled use of controlled substances was involved or the OP inadvertently dredged up some bad history buried deep in that guy’s past. Either way it wasn’t nice to watch. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/27 "2017-07-17T01:25:54Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > That’s when we initiated the automatic system that registers your infractions on your profile. Before that we compiled them manually. You actually have warnings back to 2004. And before that they may not have been consistently compiled. 2004? I’d already gone through a couple of my mutually-agreed-upon voluntary suspensions! ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/28 "2017-07-17T01:34:33Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Not so much, really. Perhaps it’s a bit like contact with/proximity to radioactive material then. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/29 "2017-07-17T02:30:14Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Jokes aside, surely it’s silly to keep warnings on file for years and years? A five year old warning for a not particularly egregious remark made during a heated exchange really isn’t an indicator of anything. We really delete hardly anything around here. Even spam that was vaporized years ago is still in the system and can be retrieved if we wanted to. So they’re not exactly “on file,” we just don’t erase stuff. A five year old warning, if there has been nothing since, is not going to figure into a current discussion about sanctioning a poster. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/30 "2017-07-17T03:00:06Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > We really delete hardly anything around here. Even spam that was vaporized years ago is still in the system and can be retrieved if we wanted to. So they’re not exactly “on file,” we just don’t erase stuff. > > A five year old warning, if there has been nothing since, is not going to figure into a current discussion about sanctioning a poster. That’s great to know - is there a reason it can’t be removed so the poster doesn’t see it every time they log in, though? ---
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/31 "2017-07-17T04:25:13Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > That’s great to know - is there a reason it can’t be removed so the poster doesn’t see it every time they log in, though? Do you actually see the warning itself when you log in? We would either have to set an automatic deletion of warnings from the infractions page, which we would not want to do, or we would have to do it manually. In any case, the original warning would still be available on Search. We’re not going to delete those posts. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/32 "2017-07-17T16:03:52Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > That’s great to know - is there a reason it can’t be removed so the poster doesn’t see it every time they log in, though? Maybe you have to acknowledge the warning somehow? Is there something clickable on the notice when you log in? My warnings do not show up at all unless I go to my user CP. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/33 "2017-07-17T16:09:29Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Maybe you have to acknowledge the warning somehow? Is there something clickable on the notice when you log in? My warnings do not show up at all unless I go to my user CP. Same here. When I log out and log back in I just go right to the board. You have to go to your profile to even see the infractions tab. Then you have to click on the tab to see the warnings. AFAIK you won’t see your warnings unless you actively look for them. Correct me if I am wrong. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/34 "2017-07-17T16:12:24Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Same here. When I log out and log back in I just go right to the board. You have to go to your profile to even see the infractions tab. Then you have to click on the tab to see the warnings. AFAIK you won’t see your warnings unless you actively look for them. Correct me if I am wrong. if you click on “User CP” on the top strip, the first page it takes you to lists any recorded infractions. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/35 "2017-07-17T16:27:51Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Same here. When I log out and log back in I just go right to the board. You have to go to your profile to even see the infractions tab. Then you have to click on the tab to see the warnings. AFAIK you won’t see your warnings unless you actively look for them. Correct me if I am wrong. I am rather certain when I first got a warning there was a specific popup notice, similar to when you get a PM. I clicked it, was redirected to the warning and then never saw it again. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/36 "2017-07-17T16:44:34Z")
Yes, when you click your “User CP” the list of recent warnings, if any, will display. If you have few then it will show the most recent, even if very old. There is an option to minimize this display by clicking on the two up arrows to the right of the screen if you’d prefer to not have them display on your User CP. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/37 "2017-07-17T16:44:44Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I am rather certain when I first got a warning there was a specific popup notice, similar to when you get a PM. I clicked it, was redirected to the warning and then never saw it again. I’ve never received a warning so I can’t say for sure, but don’t you get a PM when you get a warning. That may simply be the PM notification, and the PM contains a link to the warning. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/38 "2017-07-17T16:48:53Z")
Well we could test it. Gimme a warning, Bone, you pansy! ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/39 "2017-07-17T16:55:48Z")
But a quick look says yes I did also get a PM with my warnings. Can’t remember if/what additional clicks I had to make. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361/40 "2017-07-17T18:01:12Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Jokes aside, surely it’s silly to keep warnings on file for years and years? A five year old warning for a not particularly egregious remark made during a heated exchange really isn’t an indicator of anything. I have asked what purpose really old warnings have, but have not got a satisfactory answer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warnings-eventual-expiry/791361.md?page=3)