# When you get a warning...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [December 4, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517 "2013-12-04T21:55:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/1 "2013-12-04T21:55:20Z")
When you get a warning, do you also get a PM or email from a moderator, or do you just get a notice in the thread?
(I figured asking about it here would be better than me doing something bad to try to get a warning, to see how it works.)
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### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/2 "2013-12-04T21:59:49Z")
You will get a PM if you get a warning.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/3 "2013-12-04T22:00:07Z")
For the last three or four years we’ve used a system that automatically sends users a PM when they get an official warning.
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### Author:  [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/4 "2013-12-04T22:08:08Z")
> [@Marley23](#):
>
> For the last three or four years we’ve used a system that automatically sends users a PM when they get an official warning.
Which is a huge improvement over the old system that sent users a BM.
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### Author:  [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/5 "2013-12-04T22:10:29Z")
I can’t recall getting a PM or an email when I’ve received warnings in the past, but I haven’t received any lately afaik so maybe they do that now. I’ve received emails and PMs from mods who rightfully told me I needed to calm down, and also some about other issues or just information for me however.
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2013, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/6 "2013-12-04T23:07:18Z")
A man named Luca Brasi comes to your door and drops off a fish wrapped in newspaper. Of course it’s the _Chicago Sun-Times._
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/7 "2013-12-05T01:08:49Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#):
>
> A man named Luca Brasi comes to your door and drops off a fish wrapped in newspaper. Of course it’s the _Chicago Sun-Times._
Unfortunately the accompanying message - “Don Adams sez you should get smart” - often confuses people into upgrading their cable.
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### Author:  [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2013, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/8 "2013-12-05T01:48:59Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#):
>
> Which is a huge improvement over the old system that sent users a BM.
I’m ashamed to admit I giggled.
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### Author:  [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/9 "2013-12-07T01:46:26Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#):
>
> Which is a huge improvement over the old system that sent users a BM.
Was it in a brown paper bag, left on your front porch and set ablaze?
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### Author:  [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2013, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/10 "2013-12-07T02:13:30Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#):
>
> A man named Luca Brasi comes to your door and drops off a fish wrapped in newspaper. Of course it’s the _Chicago Sun-Times._
Just don’t put it in my recycling bin.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/11 "2013-12-07T14:11:30Z")
> [@XT](#):
>
> I can’t recall getting a PM or an email when I’ve received warnings in the past, but I haven’t received any lately afaik so maybe they do that now. I’ve received emails and PMs from mods who rightfully told me I needed to calm down, and also some about other issues or just information for me however.
We usually use emails and personal PMs when we want to alert someone that they’re on the edge, just short of Official Warnings. The Official Warning PM is computer-generated and so not personalized. You’d know the difference.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/12 "2013-12-07T16:03:01Z")
With an Official Warning, there’s a message to the recipient that’s written by the moderator giving the warning. I usually just say “I’m giving you a warning for this post,” though. Dunno if other mods include a heart-to-heart talk or not.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/13 "2013-12-07T16:44:38Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Quoth **TubaDiva** :
>
> A man named Luca Brasi comes to your door and drops off a fish wrapped in newspaper. Of course it’s the Chicago Sun-Times.
Wait, did **Lynn** ’s cousin Vinnie get laid off? I hate to think what might become of that gentleman if he’s no longer gainfully employed.
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### Author:  [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/14 "2013-12-07T19:37:29Z")
> [@twickster](#):
>
> With an Official Warning, there’s a message to the recipient that’s written by the moderator giving the warning. I usually just say “I’m giving you a warning for this post,” though. Dunno if other mods include a heart-to-heart talk or not.
I generally go with the ‘you’re being warned’ with a short paragraph about why and how to avoid it in the future. Then a pitiful plea for the offender not to do it again.
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### Author:  [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/15 "2014-01-08T16:39:25Z")
How long do warnings stay on your record? If you get two warnings say five years apart are you officially a hooligan?
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/16 "2014-01-08T16:49:33Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#):
>
> How long do warnings stay on your record? If you get two warnings say five years apart are you officially a hooligan?
Yes, but not one in immediate danger of getting whacked. What really sets the Mods off is persistent douche-baggery over a relatively short period of time, or a long-term pattern of behavior that doesn’t respond to corrective measures. The odd warning here or there is just a sign that you slipped once in awhile. They can even be badges of honor, if you swing that way.
Others of us take pride in the fact that our smack-downs have been delivered personally, rather than officially. 😛
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/17 "2014-01-08T17:10:46Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#):
>
> How long do warnings stay on your record? If you get two warnings say five years apart are you officially a hooligan?
Pretty much what **silenus** said. We’re all human and we all slip up now and again; what the mods are looking for is not the occasional goof, but repeated behaviors despite multiple warnings, over a fairly short period of time.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/18 "2014-01-08T18:25:28Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#):
>
> How long do warnings stay on your record? If you get two warnings say five years apart are you officially a hooligan?
We don’t delete old warnings, but as has been said, we attach less importance to warnings according to how old they are. Two warnings five years apart are no big deal.
Two warnings spread out over five years indicates an occasional lapse.
Three warnings in three weeks means you’re just not listening, and is of much more concern.
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### Author:  [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2014, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/19 "2014-01-09T03:30:09Z")
Does a warning always show up when the person logs in or someplace else, even 10 or 15 years later?
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### Author:  [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-get-a-warning/675517/20 "2014-01-09T03:37:47Z")
Someplace else? No, just here. But so far as I know, unless revoked they’re there forever.
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