How not to get banned.

[excalipoor]

Just don't do anything I wouldn't. Perfect record man, perfect record!

When it comes to arguments, you're probably safe as long as you don't directly insult anyone or any specific group. The worst that can happen is that you'll be ignored, and while being ignored hurts the ego like twisting a knife in the gut, you'll live to fight another day.

Actually, better yet, just don't fight!

 

[Basement Cat]

...is it odd that I read the thread title and immediately thought, "There are 35 people in this thread. <url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zekiZYSVdeQ>They have not been banned"?

It is not odd. I was thinking it as well.

However, instead of funny, the OP is playing the part of Canadian Prime, which is to say he is performing the dutiful-but-unnecessary task of things that one rightly leaves to a staffer. You can go ahead and remind people of the rules, even often, but under the rule of "People don't like to be told.", this is in no way a desirable thing. It's not technically wrong, but can be technically irritating like the guy who tells you not to smoke even though there is a right to. (I don't smoke, but the idea is that I also don't care if others do.)

So, I have to really ask...what's this thread here for again?

mostly because I hate to see people get banned, Maybe they don't know why they are getting wrathed? This is just a guide.

Think of this as a meta Thread. If knowing the rules was all that was involved it certainly wouldn't be pertinent, but as discussed here--

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/528.389495-Possible-Solutions-to-Impossible-Standards-Religion-Politics-and-Moderation

--even the Mods readily recognize that there are "grey areas" and that, since there are 15 Mods with different perceptions and different ideas about what constitutes acceptability posters can (and have) discovered that what gets an "Okay" from one Mod gets a "No way" from another.

Meta guidelines like the one I suggested--

11. The more warnings you have, the easier it is to get another warning. When you have one more warning=banning then you are walking on the THINNEST ice. Very minor infractions that wouldn't earn a warning for people without any can earn you a final one leading to your being banned.

--are intended to give people a feel for how the system works, not just what the rules are.

 

[JoJo]

Oh.

Ohhhhh.

I didn't account for that. That's just silly. That just...pulls more attention to the post. WHY WOULD SOMEONE DO THAT?!

Oddly enough, I have actually run into that. Words can't really describe what goes through one's head when one sees something like that for the first time.

Yeah, sometimes I wonder how some people even manage to log-in this site, in this case I think they took the low-content rule far more literally than they're actually interpreted.

Isn't this already posted in the forum rules? Doesn't that make this redundant? Also... why do you need to tell people not to be a dick. Shouldn't that be apparent? It's a sad world where people don't immediately act that way.

The forum rules aren't particularly concise, they repeat themselves in several places and include waffle about other site-related issues too. People signing up are meant to read them but given how common the story of "I got one warning for low content before I realised they weren't allowed" is, it's clear a lot of people don't read it carefully enough.

 

[chadachada123]

This is hard to put into words, but don't get overly offended over trivial stuff.

That was, I think, part of what did Mortai Gravesend in. He would constantly report (seemingly) any post that responded to him with any sort of disagreement, saying that he was deeply offended.

My suggestion, then, is to only report posts that you seriously think are inflammatory. Don't bring extra attention to yourself by reporting posts linked to yours if you're also being an ass.

I once got a warning after someone said that I was acting LIKE an ass, and I responded claiming that he didn't need to be a dick about it. The mod that reviewed my post agreed that his post was just as inflammatory as mine (as in, not very), and overturned my warning. However, it could easily have reversed, where BOTH of us got a warning despite both of us using only lightly-inflammatory language, not language at all worthy of a warning.

 

[Aurora Firestorm]

I've definitely seen people get mod-hammered here because they were extremely passionate about something, someone else was a 100% douchebag, and said person called the douchebag out on it in a way that was very blunt and very honest.

This rarely happens, but it bugs me. Sometimes you shouldn't soften the blow; after all, the douchebag didn't get warned/banned.

 

[Superbeast]

1) Don't post
2) If you do post, you will eventually get banned, no matter how much you try to avoid it.

It's just the way these things work.

I wonder why people say this (it is a sentiment I have seen over a few similar threads, I'm quoting you as you've reminded me of it). I've been here for nearly 4 years and have a spotless record. Admittedly my post-count isn't huge for someone whose been here that long and I mainly lurk these days - but I've been involved in some incredibly long and complex arguments (I would say heated, but that tends to imply insults on both sides, perhaps eager is a better word) with...less than polite users...yet have managed to avoid breaking any of the rules. Whilst virtually living in the Religion and Politics sub-section. I hardly have the patience of Gandhi, so how come so many people managed to get to suspension/ban levels so easily?

 

[neonsword13-ops]

I've got two things:

1. Follow the posting guidelines.

2. Have a nice attitude towards others.

Those rules have kept my Forum Health Meter clean. Plus, they aren't too hard to follow.

Also, if someone is being a jerk, don't argue with them. Just report and move on.

 

[anthony87]

I've only got two personal rules when it comes to posting.....and I've broken them both.

1. Never post while drunk. (1 warning for being aggressive towards another poster)

2. Sarcasm is a dangerous weapon, use it carefully or not at all. (2 warnings for "trolling"/baiting other users).

 

[Icehearted]

Wow, you make the mods sound like mystical and potentially unpredictable forces of nature... which has always been my belief anyway.

Generally I think one of the biggest problems other than obvious dickery is that some people mistake this place for an image board, and that simply will not do (clearly). Single word replies (I did that once.... once) or resorting to that kind of hostility feels wrong here, and I get that there is a place for that and this is evidently not that place. Personal attacks and nastiness also seems to go over poorly, which is something I actually like about things here. I've seen it slide, but never to levels I've experienced elsewhere. For that reason I don't mind the bans too much, certainly better than seeing this place turn into a war zone.

5. Don't endorse/admit to piracy or use of adblocking software

this kinda sucks. i mean, i was suspended for mentioning adblock once but back then there was absolutely no warning or rule regarding that. also,the second you admit to piracy you get modwrathed? thats kinda odd and if you ask me, unfair.

Ads generate revenue, obviously they won't like that sort of thing, clearly they will work against that. An understandable position.

I can't pretend to understand why they will smash you to jelly with the mighty hammer of ban for talking about piracy, but my guess is that letting your foot in the door with something like that in this particular context (and others) is a slippery slope they wish to avoid here. Maybe sometimes trigger happy, I've even seen mods admit to being overzealous before (the adblock thing was that one time I did see explanation and repealed bans), but generally I think there appears to be fair reason as to why they ban users.

Lest we forget too, they are human.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

5. Don't endorse/admit to piracy or use of adblocking software

this kinda sucks. i mean, i was suspended for mentioning adblock once but back then there was absolutely no warning or rule regarding that. also,the second you admit to piracy you get modwrathed? thats kinda odd and if you ask me, unfair.

Those two rules are practically universal across almost every forum on the internet that I've seen. It's not really right to condone any software that would prevent the website you enjoy from receiving the funding that helps to provide further enjoyment.

Many sites that deal with emulation and the like also have zero tolerance for actually talking about ROMs, where to get them, and so on. That said I do find it somewhat amusing that we get several updates about the state of The Pirate Bay in the news section.

 

[sky14kemea]

Hot to avoid ban:
Moderation is such a grey area on this forum. I feel I'm going to get infracted because I swore in this post.
Step 1: Don't be a fucking idiot.

End tutorial.

You shouldn't get Mod Wrath for a few swear words, provided you're not going overboard or using them as insults against other people.

 

[Shadowstar38]

I'm not trying to be rude but I find it hard to believe its so easy to slip up. You said that to avoid all trouble you would have to go through everything you say with a fine tooth comb. This is very reasonable but I think it is evident in this very post you have just made that you do not review what you have written at all. What I refer to is that your post is fraught with spelling and grammatical errors. I apologize if any factors unseen to me are responsible for this but I believe that for a person to have reviewed what they have written at all they would have to notice the spelling errors at least, after all a wavy red line is placed underneath them and all you have to do is right click and the error will be corrected for you. I'm sorry, I'm not usually one to pick on spelling but in this case it was relevant to my argument.

No, see, it'd be pointless to post at all if you have to look through your posts to find everything that might be offensive to someone, not for grammar and the like. Somewhat two different things.

 

[Launcelot111]

4. If you can say something in more words, do it. Additionally Stay on topic.
4.5. Merely adding "Extra words to avoid mod's wrath" to a low content post does not avoid a mod's wrath. Thanks madwarper.

To this I might suggest corollary 4.75- A picture or video without accompanying commentary is probably low content

 

[runic knight]

Well this is good, was just curious about recent bannings and how to avoid that fate myself and now and someone made a nice thread to help avoid that fate. Useful.

As for how to avoid, I don't quite know. Guess the easiest way might just "Be excellent to each other", though the forums wouldn't be as much fun without argument and debate. I guess don't let things get to you too much, try not to let anything get you angry (never good idea to get emotionally invested in forums, reports of why Boudica got banned show why), and try not to antagonize in discussion rather then engage. Try not to read an underlying tone in people's post/don't assume malice unless it is very clear. It is better to ask them to be more specific then to make assumptions. Maybe if arguing, ask yourself why you are? Sort of give yourself perspective on it?

Idk, I just woke up, mind takes a while to boot up...

Oh, don't post while tired unless you are confident in your ability to make sense at half functionality.

 

[Evil Smurf]

HOW TO NOT GET BANNED IN ONE EASY STEP:

1. Don't be me

I've been banned twice, one time was because I was a dick and the final part was a misunderstanding, the second was because of a computer bug caused it to go twice and ban me.

HOW TO NOT GET BANNED, 4 SRS:

1. Stay out of threads you don't like
2. Don't make obvious troll threads/posts
3. Don't call the OP a ******, even if he really, really, really is acting like one

I'm acting like a ******?

Just pointing out things that can save a user

Well of course, all OPs are fags, it just depends on if they're faggoty faggots like Bui or cool faggots like Freddy Mercury.
That was more referencing the reason for my latest suspension, in which the OP was attentionwhoring like a ************, getting all anally devastated that his step-bro said that MLP was like Cap'n Plannit, and I called him a ******-twice, actually-and then that really annoying type of ponyfag that doesn't understand why people hate ponyfags...

FORGET ABOUT IT

it sounds like you are stressed *gives hug* *unfair beer and hands to you*

I like this bit "Well of course, all OPs are fags, it just depends on if they're faggoty faggots like Bui or cool faggots like Freddy Mercury."

 

[Evil Smurf]

-snip-

You know, there have been what, 3 suspensions so far in this thread?

It's looking like this thread is actually having the opposite effect to what was originally intended...

It is sad, people just won't learn.

 

[Evil Smurf]

So what. I get banned, I make another account if I wish to post again. Or maybe I just stop visiting the site. Or whatever. I guess I could try and kick my addiction to the Internet and cobble together an existence less unworthy of living than this one.
Though that last one is highly unlikely.

Don't Ban Jump!

 

[Evil Smurf]

It is sad, people just won't learn.

Which is why I'm starting to think this thread was a bad idea. I mean, a lot of people are just using it to complain about moderation...

should I get it locked?

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

I was content to lurk until I got to here. Just like to point something out:

12: Don't forget advocating illegal activities is against the rules, the mods turn a blind eye to fairly innocuous ideas like legalising weed or gay marriage but people have been modded for advocating arson or murder.

Gay marriage isn't an illegal activity; it's not recognized by certain states/countries/whatever. It's also not against the law to advocate for gay marriage, at least in the US. I could even incite it, if I wanted. Watch this: "You there! Get gay married!" It's about dignity and legitimacy, not decriminalization.

On topic (which will ironically make it more likely for me to get banned), I find that the mods are generally permissive if the vast majority of a given post contains interesting, funny, or well-constructed arguments and you sprinkle in a few implicit jabs. I doubt I've outright broken the posting guidelines (aside from a low content warning or two), but I do take some perverse joy in making people angry while I'm otherwise making a point.

 

[manic_depressive13]

The problem is that on many occasions users have been modded for obvious sarcasm and the justification the mods gave on their user-group when challenged about it was (paraphased) "if someone reported it, they must have thought it was real and found it offensive and so it's infringing the rules, even if it's sarcasm." People can't take the risk as it's only takes one idiot out of a hundred readers to not notice the sarcasm and hit that report button.

I'll point to what Nasrin said- If you're going to type something super offensive it doesn't matter whether or not it's pink. If, on the other hand, you are simply trying to make a point by satirising someone's stance on a topic, I think it's better to be misunderstood and retain your dignity than to type it in pink. If you are going to make it so blatantly obvious that it is meant to be sarcastic, you might as well just say it outright and straightforwardly. The wit in sarcasm lies in subtlety.