Your policy on banning people

[Mr. Graves]

I was wondering, is there a certain hidden code of conduct to deciding who you ban for flaming? Like say, a member has been here for 1 and a 1/2 years or so, then suddenly attacks some guy because he perceives something as personally offense. Do you think, "Oh, well, he's been a really good member, never bothered no one...lets just tell him to back it down and then if we ABSOLUTLY have to, we'll ban him."

New lets take it to the other extreme, and say this newbie, whos been here barely 3 days, starts flaming someone for his comment on a touchy subject, lets say homosexuality. He flames the guy. This is his 5 post, for the other 4, he seemed to be following the rules. Would you ban him, based of a bad first impresson of becoming a flamer, because he's a newbie? Or would you give him a fair chance?

Basically what I'm asking is, does the length of a flamers' membership have a heavy influence on your deciding to ban him/her? I'm quite aware that you're lenient (sp?) on who voilates certain rules, and immediatly ban people who break certain others. (Posting nasty pictures, etc.) But on the flaming, does the previous good behavior of a longtime poster affect your tendency to be easy on him?

[Big Ogre Umaro]

You'll never see anyone banned for flaming on a first offense. If someone flames someone else in an especially nasty way, they always get a warning. This allows the decent human beings to figure out what goes and what doesn't at this board. It takes a lot to warrant a warning from us, I'd say. Common sense will ward it off most of the time. If you continue to be a jerk after you've been warned, then you're usually pretty gone. It's easy for good people to not get banned here. If they do get banned, and they genuinely are good people, then I apologize on behalf of the Staff. But it's no big loss, mate. 'Tis just a video game message board. There's a million like it.

I do take seniority into account when dealing with this minor stuff. I can't speak for everyone else on this, but I do have that bias. People who stick around for a long time and have proven themselves to be good additions to the board generally don't need too much reminding, so a simple warning is usually enough.

What I'm trying to say is that this stuff is generally not an issue.

[Dr Unne]

People who are here for a long time without causing trouble are unlikely to be doing things that would cause them to be banned in the first place. That kind of situation hardly ever comes up. I can't really remember when it has. More likely the people who're banned after being here a long time have caused trouble consistently for a long time. The longer you're here, the more likely you are to get more warnings, I believe, I'm biased that far, but we have banned people who've been "veterans", whatever that might be. If Scottie snapped and started posting porn and flaming people, I'd ban him myself. If I did that, I'd expect to be banned too. No one is above the rules. Except maybe Sean, I suppose he could turn EoFF into a porno and flaming MB if he wanted, since he owns the place, but I don't see him ever doing so.

On the other end of the spectrum, a newbie who does something blatantly wrong like flaming someone or posting porn is banned instantly. No need to put up with people like that, there are a billion more people out there. If someone has been here a little while and has shown themselves to be worth keeping around, I suppose they do get more warnings.

[Citizen Bleys]

I don't take seniority into account at all. If someone rates a warning, I warn them whether it's their first day here or they're a Recognized Member.

As BOU said, nobody's ever been banned for flaming on a first offense. There's always a warning first, and they're added to the warned members list. I've never banned anyone who wasn't on the warned members list, that I can recall.

Of course, posting porn is different. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards pornography. First offense does equal a ban in that case.

[Mr. Graves]

Thanks for clearing that up! You may close this now is you wish....

Its just I was looking through old threads and I was just wondering about that. I saw newbie get banned easily. Whereas several "vets", i guess, got numerous on-thread warnings.

Thanks again guys!

[Loony BoB]

As requested.