Good questions!
I waver on how much transparency we want here and how much to respect people's privacy. I think the line for me is where it affects others, so as much as possible I'll try to stay in general terms, but names will be brought up, yes.
2 temp bans were recently handed out. One was to uber. I made it so both could still log in to see the boards but can't post. The bans are for a week and part of it is a board experiment to see if things calm down with these 2 individuals gone or if the problems don't in fact lie with them at all.
Part of it is that I have formalized another rule for the boards-- Don't be a pain in our ass. Overall, the rule is "Don't be disruptive". That's why there aren't black and white rules like "no spamming" or "no flaming"-- sometimes spam isn't disruptive and sometimes flaming is funny.
There is a range though of disruption and once you've passed the sweet spot of safety, the hammer will be brought down. Uber lept over this line and kept on going when we asked him to come back on the other side, hence the temp. ban.
This spot is going to be different for everyone though. If you contribute and are productive, this negates some of the pain you may cause, but not entirely.
Some things that cause a pain in my virtual ass:
1) Getting multiple reported posts about you
2) Having people tell me they'll leave if you are allowed to continue
3) Having to spend time cleaning up your mess
4) Ignoring me or another mod when we tell you to cut it out
5) Continuing on a line of conversation after a thread has been closed.
6) Dragging petty bickering into on-topic, legitimate threads
7) Making the boards feel like a sandbox for whiny 12 year olds.
8 ) Asking for help but insulting me, the boards, and the moderators at the same time. We don't have thin skin, but it doesn't paint you in a good picture to tell us we suck in the same message you are asking for help. If you can't ask us constructively, how much of a benefit are you really on the boards? Messaging us isn't an interview, but we're looking for people who can be mature. Be mature when you are contacting me or the other moderators for the first time.
This isn't a comprehensive list, just some of the things that I have experienced thus far.
Impressions are a big deal. This is the internet, I don't have a complete picture. Maybe you are a great poster and I've just never seen your posts, but if you pm me and start calling me names, um, I'm naturally going to assume you are a troublemaker and not worth the effort (as an example).
So- going back to Uber- I'd like to say that no one would ever be surprised by a ban but I'm sure that's not necessarily the case. What I can promise though is that the warning signs will all be there and it's up to you to notice them (us sending you messages to knock it off, posting in a thread to knock it off, or posts being deleted with a reason why in the garbage can).
If you are ever curious where you stand, ask. I'm trying to get better about giving people a head's up before it gets time to take action, but I want to balance that with not pushing people down a path they are just teetering on too. If you get a message from me or another mod that says "Be careful"- it's feedback. Take it or leave it. If you want to continue posting uninterrupted on these boards though, you have to take it. Ignoring it is your choice, but could very well lead to action being taken against you.
Don't make us want for you to leave. If we want you gone, it may already be too late. Prevent that from happening.
As for the fu issue and the signature change--
I posted at least 2 or 3 times that the fu request was completely out of line and was abusing the system. I said at least twice that anyone giving or taking fu just because someone else asked would have their powers removed (temporarily). But it kept happening. Uber kept asking. I said it again and it went in his sig.
I changed his sig because people were still doing it even though I feel it's extremely clear in the g-fu thread that they shouldn't. But benefit of the doubt, maybe not everyone saw that, so I edited. I would've asked Uber to do it himself, but with being banned, I don't think he has access to it. I don't forsee editing sigs as being a regular thing, though if you put something extremely inappropriate it it, chances are we'll just wipe it clean and tell you to start again.
Please use this thread to ask any other questions about decisions I've made- I believe in giving whys behind and reasonings more than just blanket rules because I want everyone involved, so please ask!
