Please read tomndebb’s post, #9 in this thread.
No one’s being banned for using that emoticon, OK? Did you miss this:
The emoticon in question is commonly used by the banned poster. He can’t seem to resist using it regardless of the identity of his socks. It doesn’t mean there is wholesale banning of everyone using certain emoticons.
Demorian was Zadagka? Strange. My hat off to the moderators.
Although while we’re on the subject, has anyone heard from ChiefScott lately? 
Why was Zagadka ( Demorian ) originally banned for then ?
Eh, pretty sad.
You know, if you’re being such a dick that you get banned, it is not unknown for the mods to reinstate people after a suitable cooling off period and a solemn undertaking not to act like such a dick in the future. Zagadka could have gone that route, since he seemed like a reasonably intelligent guy.
However, creating multiple sock puppets isn’t the way to go about being reinstated. I mean, if you love the board so much you can’t bear to be away from it for a few months, creating sock puppets and circumventing the rules seems like a low percentage move.
Especially considering they’ve all been paid socks. Jesus, how many accounts has he purchased only to get banned?
Didn’t he say he had problems with schizophrenia?
With luck, enough to cover the cost of a new accelerator board for the SDMB server. 
No, he did.
No they didn’t… 
If you assume different personalities without going back to the old ones its not schizo is it ? We’ll think about it.
I know you’re kidding, but schizophrenia has nothing to do with multiple personalities. Sorry, but this misconception must die.
I could have sworn he once said he was on meds for something, but I could be wrong. I was just curious.
The Boardsess iss our Preciousss! We lovesess it and we hatesess it! Givess it to uss! It’ss our birthday and we wantss it! Preciouss!
If I recall correctly somewhere in one of his posts he made mention of the fact that he had schizophrenia and that he was losing his insurance due to job loss or down sizing. Thus he was losing his meds for his conditions and would soon shudder revert to to that unfortunate state.
I’m not sure of the specific post, but I am sure he said that much.
I remembered that post too. Here.
All the socks have been pretty obvious (to me anyway). By the time he became Demorian, it seemed to me like the mods were deliberately looking the other way to let him stay.
I hope he’s not using money he can’t afford to keep subscribing. Does anyone know him personally, or enough to send him an email?
I have $10 that says you don’t need to email the little prick.
Maybe so. That’s why I asked if anyone knew him personally. From your remark, you appear to have intimate knowledge…
Still, even pricks need help on occasion.
No, no intimate knowledge. Just guessing. Sort of like Colombo!
I’ll just call you Cybill
And yes, Paranoid Schizophrenia is different from Dissociative Identity Disorder.
Lose your job, lose your scizophrenia medication? What is wrong with you people?