# Why was Zhen'ka banned? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 5, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655 "2010-09-05T02:13:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![splankt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@splankt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splankt)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/41 "2010-09-07T01:12:40Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > _looks at your sign-up date_ I don’t see what that has to do with anything. My opinion is valid no matter when I signed up, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/42 "2010-09-07T01:39:03Z")
> [@splankt](#): > > > [@kushiel](#): > > > > _looks at your sign-up date_ > > I don’t see what that has to do with anything. My opinion is valid no matter when I signed up, isn’t it? Sure, and nobody said it wasn’t. He was just pointing out the fact that if you had been here for awhile, you’ve have seen the constant, regular complaining of the mods by the same people. Thus you might be less likely to think they’re the repressed people here. ---
**Author:** ![splankt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@splankt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splankt)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/43 "2010-09-07T01:55:02Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Sure, and nobody said it wasn’t. > He was just pointing out the fact that if you had been here for awhile, you’ve have seen the constant, regular complaining of the mods by the same people. Thus you might be less likely to think they’re the repressed people here. You’re sort of implying that you think the mods are being repressed. I don’t know about this Myrnalene – maybe she’s constantly hectoring the mods, maybe not – but it’s hard for me to feel too bad about the sufferings of a moderator on an internet messageboard. From what I’ve seen in other communities, there are generally enough applicants that an unhappy moderator can step down when they like, without concern that the community won’t be able to survive without their efforts. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/44 "2010-09-07T02:07:51Z")
I’ve implied nothing of the sort nor do I think they are. I simply said that if you knew more history, you might be less apt to rush to anyone’s defense. Don’t understand what’s so hard to understand with that sentence. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/45 "2010-09-07T02:28:55Z")
I dare someone to ask. I know you want to do it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/46 "2010-09-07T02:31:35Z")
So…why was **splankt** banned? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/47 "2010-09-07T02:32:51Z")
You could always email a mod. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/48 "2010-09-07T02:35:34Z")
> [@Gfactor](#): > > Here’s a tip–if you don’t have a valid e-mail address registered with us, it’s probably a good idea not to report posts. :smack: Why not? ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/49 "2010-09-07T03:00:41Z")
> [@Hunter\_Hawk](#): > > > [@Gfactor](#): > > > > Here’s a tip–if you don’t have a valid e-mail address registered with us, it’s probably a good idea not to report posts. :smack: > > Why not? Might be related to a bounced reply message. On the board I run, there are ongoing problems with users that subscribe to multiple threads, turn on private message email notification, and then abandon their email address without updating their profile. All of the messages sent by vBulletin bounce into the general forum email account. I don’t ban such users, but I will sometimes suspend their posting privileges. They’ll usually write to me, and that way I get a good working email address, and a stop to the bouncing. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/50 "2010-09-07T03:10:21Z")
On a positive note, this thread caused me to check my email address. Found out it was a really old one which I no longer use, so I updated it. Probably would never have occurred to me to check it otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/51 "2010-09-07T03:30:53Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > > [@Hunter\_Hawk](#): > > > > Why not? > > Might be related to a bounced reply message. > > On the board I run, there are ongoing problems with users that subscribe to multiple threads, turn on private message email notification, and then abandon their email address without updating their profile. All of the messages sent by vBulletin bounce into the general forum email account. > > I don’t ban such users, but I will sometimes suspend their posting privileges. They’ll usually write to me, and that way I get a good working email address, and a stop to the bouncing. This. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/52 "2010-09-07T05:44:17Z")
Perhaps it might be better to have a different status for such posters, like perhaps “Suspended”? I admit “Banned” does lead one to wonder. OTOH I don’t see the purpose of starting a thread when a PM or email would be better. Of course, if the answer isn’t too your liking then perhaps a thread. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/53 "2010-09-07T08:26:18Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > So…why was **splankt** banned? Obviously, a bad email address. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/54 "2010-09-07T10:11:13Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Perhaps it might be better to have a different status for such posters, like perhaps “Suspended”? You’re right. We should make it Suspended, rather than Banned. I think we’d get the same questions either way, but that’s closer to the true status (and it’s not a punitive measure. As elmwood indicates, we do this to get them to email us.) Out of curiosity, **elmwood** , do you post an announcement when you suspend a poster as you’ve described? It seldom goes this far, so it hasn’t been an issue. Usually the poster responds to (the first) PM, or emails us soon after we’ve changed their status. But I’ll pass this around the mod loop. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/55 "2010-09-07T11:14:01Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > You could always email a mod. 😉 Is that just your preference, or is it an actual rule? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/56 "2010-09-07T16:16:05Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > You could always email a mod. 😉 I tried e-mailing a mod once. But they keep squirming when I try to slide the paper clip through their lip to attach them to the message. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/57 "2010-09-07T17:35:57Z")
Instead of “Banned” or “Suspended” why not use a specific term…“Unregistered”, for example. Then everyone would know it wasn’t worth starting a thread. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/58 "2010-09-07T17:53:06Z")
Good thing I read this thread. It reminded me to check my email here. Turns out it was one I haven’t used in many years. So I just updated it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/59 "2010-09-07T18:39:09Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Instead of “Banned” or “Suspended” why not use a specific term…“Unregistered”, for example. Then everyone would know it wasn’t worth starting a thread. That’s a really good idea. Maybe “Bad Email”. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655/60 "2010-09-07T18:45:54Z")
> [@Gfactor](#): > > Third time I’ve explained that in this thread. What I haven’t mentioned before is that I actually noticed that **Zhen’ka** didn’t have a valid e-mail previously, sent a PM, and got no response. So this was the second PM that I’d sent to **Zhen’ka** about this issue. And the second PM that didn’t work. Maybe he just doesn’t feel like responding to the PMs, and even if he received and read your e-mails, he wouldn’t have responded to them either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-zhenka-banned/552655.md?page=4)