Ban Log

[Magneto 316]

How about creating a thread here at ST that would keep record of all members that were outcasted and the reason why they were banned? I think it could be instructive, informative and even humorous... I mean, I'm pretty sure a majority of people never read forum rules (I rarely do...using common sense is often sufficient to stay out of troubles...).

 

A ban log could serve the purpose of "educating" forumers and provide an entertaining read at the same time, depending on how it is written. The point being not to make the fun or to mock at the banished member, but rather to state the reason leading to the ban in a lyrical or humorous way.

 

I've seen such a thread existing on another board and think it worked pretty well...

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Many of the bans are for obscene screen names.  I am not sure that this is the kind of thing you'd want to publish on a PG13 board.

[Terring 6,473]

I think it's a bad idea. Threads like that will be an excellent source of flaming and trolling. In the end, it will make the situation even worse.

[MandelSoft 2,769]

We don't like to put up a Wall of Shame. That would be insulting towards the banned member's privacy and we shouldn't lower ourselves to their level. Besides, such a thing would be rule-breaking on its own, since it would create a negative atmosphere on the boards.

 

Even if I give away the reason why a high-profile member has been banned, I'm intentionally keep it a bit vague for the sake of privacy and keep the sharp edges out from the comments. There are some things that the general public shouldn't know (and for the better; it can make you cynical :| )

 

It's your job to know the rules and follow them, that's all we can ask from you It's our job to keep this site clean from those who break said rules...

 

Best,

Maarten

[airman15 4,111]

That's a negative, Ghostrider.

 

Imagine if a member gets banned for a while but then they convinced the administrators to let them back in. What would they have to say if they saw their name put on display and they get mocked for reasons that should have been kept private? How would you feel if you were put in a situation like this and you see the whole site laughing at you because you were banned?

 

If someone gets banned, it's really their business as well as the business of the Simtropolis Staff. Not everyone needs to know who got their membership pulled and why it happened.

 

Edit- Spelling and grammar are not just not here today..

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Honestly you don't even need to read the rules. You should but you don't really have to. If you're not a dick you'll do just fine. And if you do happen to do something wrong, you'll just get a short note from a moderator letting you know, and everything will be ok.

 

People are banned because over a period of time their behavior demonstrates that they're not fit to participate in this community. I'm sure there are some people who think they're god's gift to earth who are reading this and have been banned, but it's really what it comes down to.

 

The stuff people do to get banned is usually pretty ridiculous and would be easy to make fun of or shame, but banning someone is mainly a practical way of removing someone from the community. If a troublemaker suddenly just stopped coming to the site (if they removed themselves), or if they stopped causing trouble, the same result would occur, and they wouldn't be banned.

[Cyclone Boom 16,851]

Apart from the practicality, having a "wall of shame" would likely have a negative effect, serving no other purpose other then showcasing bad behaviour. Banned members might get proud to have their names listed, using it as an incentive. Instead, we have ways of appreciating the positive efforts members bring to the community. That's what the MOTM and the Trixie Awards are for. Personally, I think it's much more educational to learn from those who set a good example, rather than what people have done wrong.

 

Generally we try to keep site matters undisclosed for a good reason. As staff, our objective is to use the fairest possible measures to ensure the site is an enjoyable place for all.

Banning is the last resort and will only happen when people make unwise choices.

[ROFLyoshi 1,760]

Aside from the reasons other moderators have stated, a lot of our bans are actually for obscene names, clone accounts or spammers. We (thankfully) have relatively few members who contribute content but abuse the rules.

[RipRap 4,400]

That sounds like a horrible idea. Simtropolis is here to show positivism in the community so that members can be motivated in a positive, happy way. Putting a wall of shame not only tarnishes the site's reputation as a positive community, it also destroys the credibility of other members who got banned.

This situations should only be handled by the staff, no need to humiliate other members who had been quite iffy (and provoke a flame war that only make thing much worse).

[Mr Saturn64 742]

Nah.  It doesn't seem fair to the banned.  It's like mocking people because they're dead.  I assume it is natural to wonder why some of these people are banned, but it seems degrading to put up a thread for all users to see that lists the banned users. 

 

Focus on the people on the forum, right here, right now.  That's my advice, at least.

[Ocram's Razr 963]

Also, some people get banned by accumulating warning points for rather stupid things, such as thread-specific rules that change often, vague rules, and moderator bias. Sometimes negativity alone, without explicitly breaking any rules can result in warnings. Putting a wall-of-shame of those that were banned because of these reasons might put undue negativity to people who according to some did not do anything wrong. That might contribute to some members, possibly even long-term respected members with high reputations and post counts to defend someone who was banned or contest the ban. Then again, if the ban was truly uncalled for, this might be a good thing (though that is not very likely)...

--Ocram

[Cyclone Boom 16,851]

I'm closing this now.

 

I think we've concluded that a ban log wouldn't really achieve much good.

[CaptCity 4,695]

While having a 'public' place to post actions involving rule violations may help 'educate' others and keep them from doing the same thing, it is and has been the policy of the site that any 'disciplinary' actions are kept between the staff and members involved. The rules of the site are clear and are required reading when registering, and any further discussion regarding staff/member interactions - which would probably arise in a public topic - would be fruitless and counter-productive at the very least. Staff members do not take 'banning' lightly. In the majority of cases, such actions are the result of a consensus of many and the members involved are provided with clear explanations of the reasons for such actions. So for this and the various reasons stated above....

 

Edit: Just saw that the topic was closed while typing this. Thanks CB...