Apart from transferring or threatening to transfer disputes from here
across to real life (whatever that is) I see no need to ban anyone from using this website. The site already has a user censorship mechanism for those who want to read only comments that don't offend them. If I were to make a complaint, it would be about allowing the influence of the complainers to prevent me from reading the comments that I want to read. I don't side with anyone in this. There have always been users who's stuff I don't want to read, so quite simply I don't. I have the ability to stop myself from reading. This provides me with my own infallible censorship tool. Why would I need a second layer (ignore2) and a third layer (banning users).

TBH I've I have found some of the contributions to this thread quite creepy. Should I be requesting bans and rejoicing if I get them?

Of course there's the possibility that we've all jumped to the wrong conclusion and that the bannings were purely management decisions without influence from users, in which case we can accept the decisions or leave. If this is the case I personally accept the decisions, albeit reluctantly. However I will miss some of the posts that used to make me laugh, cringe or spill coffee.
( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Mon 20 Oct 2014, 11:59, 3 replies)

for god's sake, where will the verminous trolling end?

(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Mon 20 Oct 2014, 13:31, closed)

I guess...
... that as users, management decisions have at least some interest to us, as they affect the future of the site

I did consider whether or not it was sensible to post anything here, and whether by doing so I'd perpetuate the storm. I'm aware that although my reactions in the past to trolling were motivated at first purely by displeasure at the effect they had on a highly innovative and entertaining community, over time they became less and less helpful

I've been trying to wind that tendency back in again. I've reacted to what I saw as a problem. I dont want to be part of the problem.
(Carpe Cyprinidae, Mon 20 Oct 2014, 19:40, closed)

I can see two arguments for it
1. there are certain red lines the mods don't want to cross, e.g. real names/addresses which can then be trivially googled. I mean, the top Google result for 'r*b f**rh*lme p*rth' is currently a qotw answer with the excerpt "R*b F**rh*lme of P*rth flirts online using his ex-wife's daughter as a profile picture", which I guess isn't what he wants his fellow school governors to find.

2. it's not just about the experienced users who know about 2.0 etc., it's about making the site welcoming to new users, because without new users the site will die on its arse. Yeah, ok.

Not sure I necessarily believe either of them (new users go straight to reddit these days, right?) but I can at least see the logic.
(Guy Debord cette mauvaise réputation..., Mon 20 Oct 2014, 21:47, closed)