# What happens to banned users? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 26, 2015, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819 "2015-10-26T21:26:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/21 "2015-10-27T02:12:34Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > First time you say anything good about the Leafs. > 😃 Hey man, it’s a rebuilding year! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/22 "2015-10-27T02:16:26Z")
The first seventy six were given trombones. Then they started handing out the cornets… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/23 "2015-10-27T02:46:11Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Stupid question, but I log in from home and work, and occasionally my phone. If I got banned and created a new username, how would you know it was me? > > If you don’t want to answer this I completely understand. Unless you switched ISPs, threw out your phone, and changed jobs, your posts would still show up as coming from those three IP addresses. There are easier (if more technical) ways around that, but then there’s the hockey. People who get banned from here are often banned because they’ve got some behavior they cannot or will not modify in order to stay. Usually, they’re not any better able to control themselves when they make a sock. So, if we had to ban you because you just wouldn’t stop posting “GO LEAFS!” in every single thread, when some guy named **MapleEnthusiast** shows up and posts, “YAY TORONTO!” in every single thread… well, it’s not exactly a Sherlockian deduction, you know? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/24 "2015-10-27T03:14:17Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Unless you switched ISPs, threw out your phone, and changed jobs, your posts would still show up as coming from those three IP addresses. There are easier (if more technical) ways around that, but then there’s the hockey. People who get banned from here are often banned because they’ve got some behavior they cannot or will not modify in order to stay. Usually, they’re not any better able to control themselves when they make a sock. So, if we had to ban you because you just wouldn’t stop posting “GO LEAFS!” in every single thread, when some guy named **MapleEnthusiast** shows up and posts, “YAY TORONTO!” in every single thread… well, it’s not exactly a Sherlockian deduction, you know? Thanks. 😃 I don’t think I’ll be posting much about the Leafs for a couple of years though. 😉 ---
**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:** [October 27, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/25 "2015-10-27T03:14:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Miller** : > > Well, yes, but I think you’re confusing me with Marley. Wait, you mean you’re two different people?😕 ---
**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:** [October 27, 2015, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/26 "2015-10-27T03:46:21Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > I’m curious how you determine that someone is a sock, if you can talk about it. > > There’s the IP address but aside from that, I’m wondering what the hints are in this medium. There are other direct methods besides ISP, which I’m not going to discuss. But as we’ve been saying, socks often have “tells” that they are probably not even aware of. Some are obvious, with others it may take some detective work. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/27 "2015-10-27T03:53:46Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, you mean you’re two different people?😕 Nah, same person, just one’s a sock of the other. :dubious: One can’t get banned for comments in the ban thread, right? Right??? ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/28 "2015-10-27T05:28:53Z")
So, banning seems to be kind of fatal. But, at least I get a warning first. Then I know when to reel it in. Sounds fair. Cause, I rather like hanging out here with you folks. Thanks for letting me play here. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/29 "2015-10-27T05:56:43Z")
Are banned posters still eligible for posthumous admission to the Straight Dope Hall of Fame? ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/30 "2015-10-27T06:12:46Z")
There’s a Straight Dope Hall of Infamy too. Some people confuse it with the HoF. Banned posters get a bye for the early rounds for HoI. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/31 "2015-10-27T06:23:18Z")
It is said that in years past, a poster was banned but was so widely admired for his warm charm and generous nature that he returned afresh that very day! Might just be a legend… ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/32 "2015-10-27T06:51:36Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > It is said that in years past, a poster was banned but was so widely admired for his warm charm and generous nature that he returned afresh that very day! Might just be a legend… Mods are not gods. If this is true, I am glad they realized the error, and there was a resurrection for the banned poster ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/33 "2015-10-27T07:34:33Z")
Many of the more well adjusted go through the standard KĂźbler-Ross stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. However, sadly, most of the banned go into a downward spiral of anger, despair, drug use, loss of home and family, homelessness, suicide attempts but ultimately an agonising and painful death from non-posting induced stress. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/34 "2015-10-27T08:51:18Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I think the mod just shoots them in the back of the head, post a little blurb in ATMB about the event (sanitized of course) and that’s that. [A user getting banned.](http://www.executedtoday.com/images/Nguyen_Van_Lem.jpg) [Moderator Note - spoiler tags added due to NSFW content (link to image of extreme violence)] ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/35 "2015-10-27T08:58:24Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Well, yes, but I think you’re confusing me with **Marley**. Is there something going around in the air? I think that’s twice this week that’s happened. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/36 "2015-10-27T09:08:36Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > ETA: They’re called “socks” because it’s kind of like a sock puppet. I don’t think it’s been explained yet in this thread exactly why sock puppets are called sock puppets, except that they are started for purposes of deception. Picture yourself putting on a play with two sock puppets, one on each hand, and they are having a dialog with each other. (Peanuts fans will remember that Snoopy was fond of staging [War And Peace with at least three or more puppets](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c3/14/d7/c314d75f29fdc6c6937a1e66f1827a29.jpg).) Users sometimes create multiple accounts with different names, for the purpose of posting conversations or debates with themselves to have the appearance of multiple actual different people having a debate. That where the phrase “sock puppet” comes from to signify message board users doing that. Yes, it’s a widely used phrase on various message boards that I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/37 "2015-10-27T12:38:18Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Well, yes, but I think you’re confusing me with **Marley**. You know, that’s just going to keep happening. You should embrace it! (by banning everyone on the board for a few hours) ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/38 "2015-10-27T12:40:46Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > They get memberships on a nice message board upstate. Since when is Giraffeboards “nice?” ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/39 "2015-10-27T13:44:10Z")
Why, they’re taken to a farm! Yes, that’s it… a lovely farm, with big green fields where they can run and bark and play with other banned users, all the livelong day! ---
**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:** [October 27, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819/40 "2015-10-27T14:15:15Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Why, they’re taken to a farm! Yes, that’s it… a lovely farm, with big green fields where they can run and bark and play with other banned users, all the livelong day! Well, it’s more of a cornfield actually. But it’s a good life. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-banned-users/735819.md?page=3)