On allowing long banned members to return

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
D

DerekWilson

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2003
2,920
34
81
In spite of the fact that we aren't planning on unbanning everyone whose ever been hit with the banstick, we will be allowing some previously permabanned members back in.

Some members will be automatically unbanned by our mods, but we will listen to requests for account reinstatement from anyone who has a case to make.

Spammers, scammers, bad traders and the like will not be let back in with zero exceptions.

Please check our banned usernames list to see if you are, in fact, banned by username before asking to be unbanned. This will help us keep the workload on our moderators and admins manageable.

When requesting that your ban be lifted, we will ask you to explain why you think you should be unbanned, why your ban would not stand under the new rules, or why you think you deserve another chance here at AnandTech Forums.

In some cases, we may allow members back with no question, but in other cases we may place conditions on the return of a member. This will be on a case by case basis. In all cases we will expect unbanned members to follow all AnandTech Forum Guidelines for a 3 month probationary period as a sign of their commitment to return as an upstanding member of the community. Unbanned members will have their permaban reinstated for violations of our guidelines in a way that is similar to the reason the ban was imposed in the first place.

In order to help cut down on the workload imposed on the moderator email address, we have created a temporary gmail account to handle unban requests. Please contact us at AnandTechForumUnbanMe@gmail.com for unban requests.

Please do not contact us with requests to unban someone else's account.
 
S

Steve

Lifer
May 2, 2004
15,945
11
81
LoKe is a he, and his skill could be put to good use and prove to be valuable.
 
S

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
13,264
2
0
Originally posted by: Steve
LoKe is a he, and his skill could be put to good use and prove to be valuable.
Click to expand...

It could have until he acted like a little child in need of attention. He will act the same.
 
D

DerekWilson

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2003
2,920
34
81
Originally posted by: SVT Cobra
Originally posted by: Steve
LoKe is a he, and his skill could be put to good use and prove to be valuable.
Click to expand...

It could have until he acted like a little child in need of attention. He will act the same.
Click to expand...
LoKe requested consideration under our offer to reconsider permabans.

After a great deal of consideration and debate we have decided to offer LoKe a second chance.

This was based on quite a number of factors including his actions since the incident and our communications with him. It was not an easy decision.

We believe that he has changed and will no longer pose a threat to the boards or the community. I have asked him to post a public apology and he is on strict probation.

For you guys who might be worried about security breaches, the holes in FT have long been patched, and hackers don't need accounts to be malicious ... your security has neither increased nor decreased with the return of LoKe.
 
C

Creig

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,170
13
81
I realize that there are changes being made within the AT forums, but why are bans being revisited? If someone did something that was ban-worthy under the previous forum rules, how do new forum rules make any difference? You can't simply 'grandfather' someone back in just because the rules have changed. They broke the rules that were in force back then and were punished accordingly. Changes made to those rules today shouldn't have any effect.

However, if allowing banned members to return is going to continue, will there be advance notice given to the AT Forums at large? It would be nice to know who is being considered for reinstatement so that we could give examples of why or why not a specific person should be allowed to return. I realize AT is not necessarily a democracy, but the Moderators could gain additional insight from people who post examples of why or why not an individual should be allowed to return.
 
D

DerekWilson

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2003
2,920
34
81
I realize that there are changes being made within the AT forums, but why are bans being revisited? If someone did something that was ban-worthy under the previous forum rules, how do new forum rules make any difference? You can't simply 'grandfather' someone back in just because the rules have changed. They broke the rules that were in force back then and were punished accordingly. Changes made to those rules today shouldn't have any effect.
Click to expand...

The rules themselves have not changed dramatically on the whole.

The major reason this is happening has to do with the SEVERE MISCONCEPTION that there was moderator bias at AnandTech before these changes.

In fact, our moderator team is highly diverse, depends on eachother to keep things balanced, and tries very hard to treat everyone equally. This has always been true and it has not changed at all.

The big problem with anonymous moderation was the fact that it allowed the appearance of bias and favoritism. We banned members in the past for repeatedly questioning our ability to remain impartial. We were unable, due to the anonymity of moderators and a lack of public guidelines, to properly defend our decisions and practices in specific cases to the satisfaction of some members.

We believe this inability to be specific, thorough and public about some difficult topics was the major cause for some members of the community to act poorly, violate our rules, bait and abuse our moderators, and subsequently find themselves permabanned. We understand, in these cases, the frustration our old system may have caused, and we will have chosen to be forgiving in allowing some members to return.

This does not, by any means, indicate that previously banned members were banned unjustly. Members who acted out, even in frustration over misconceptions they had about our moderation, broke our rules and were dealt with accordingly. But we are not without heart, and with these changes we have decided to offer forgiveness for this.

While we will, as we always have, listen to your complaints about moderation, we expect that our new public face will provide us with a better way to clearly demonstrate the fairness of our staff and sufficiently answer any questions or complaints. We expect that those who had a problem will no longer find the frustration that caused them to break our rules and find themselves banned.

This was the motivation behind our decision to revisit bans. This is a one time opportunity which will not be repeated and has only come about because of the specific change from anonymous to public moderation.

While were decided to revisit bans for this specific reason, we felt extending the opportunity for consideration to any member who wished to have a second chance was only fair. Not all members who ask for reconsideration will have their bans lifted. Reconsideration of bans will be handled by the moderators and admins and not the general membership.
 
J

josh6079

Diamond Member
Mar 17, 2006
3,261
0
0
Originally posted by: DerekWilson
The big problem with anonymous moderation was the fact that it allowed the appearance of bias and favoritism. We banned members in the past for repeatedly questioning our ability to remain impartial. We were unable, due to the anonymity of moderators and a lack of public guidelines, to properly defend our decisions and practices in specific cases to the satisfaction of some members.

We believe this inability to be specific, thorough and public about some difficult topics was the major cause for some members of the community to act poorly, violate our rules, bait and abuse our moderators, and subsequently find themselves permabanned. We understand, in these cases, the frustration our old system may have caused, and we will have chosen to be forgiving in allowing some members to return.
Click to expand...

I'm going to go ahead and say this here since it's the first place I've seen an executive member of Anandtech address this, so I'm sorry it doesn't have much to do with the acceptance of previously banned members.

You're admitting the previous, anonymous moderation was retarded?

:Q

Who are you guys and what have you done to the nick-named mods?

:p

You guys have really turned this place around a lot within these last few months, and - with that statement - I'd have to say that overall it's been for the better.

I primarily post in Video, or rather, what was Video. I don't have to tell many frequent members who've been here a while how that subforum was considered the runt of Anandtech Forums.

No dedicated moderation + cesspool of fanboys = need I say more?

Things have changed, whether or not they're for the better remains to be seen. But I feel that they are better overall. The site itself has been updated, more organization and classifications have been given, and there is a more fluid communication between the users of the site and it's administrators. This is all very appreciated and me, being one who used to be vacationed at times when I was fed up with the characteristics of the older system, just wanted to voice that.

Turns out, I hardly frequent this place anymore and seem to only lurk when I do. I wish it had been more like it is now back then.

:beer:
 
pontifex

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Are the returning banned members required to use the name they were banned under or are they allowed to create new accounts?

I hope they have to use the name they were banned under.
 
D

DerekWilson

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2003
2,920
34
81
so far we haven't changed the name of a banned member who has returned under this program.
 
S

Steve

Lifer
May 2, 2004
15,945
11
81
Originally posted by: pontifex
Are the returning banned members required to use the name they were banned under or are they allowed to create new accounts?

I hope they have to use the name they were banned under.
Click to expand...

These people aren't on parole; this is the internet. If they want their name changed they can submit a request.
 
M

montypythizzle

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2006
3,698
0
71
I like my MontyPythizzle account.

BTW, how did LoKe know they were making ban reconsiderations? :p
Anyone think he had a second account, like it would matter anyways?
 
S

Steve

Lifer
May 2, 2004
15,945
11
81
Originally posted by: montypythizzle
I like my MontyPythizzle account.

BTW, how did LoKe know they were making ban reconsiderations? :p
Anyone think he had a second account, like it would matter anyways?
Click to expand...

There are other forums on the internet, you know.
 
olds

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,124
779
126
Originally posted by: montypythizzle
I like my MontyPythizzle account.

BTW, how did LoKe know they were making ban reconsiderations? :p
Anyone think he had a second account, like it would matter anyways?
Click to expand...

Then if you want to keep it, don't make unfounded accusations against other members.
 
I

imported_LoKe

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
19,723
1
0
Originally posted by: montypythizzle
I like my MontyPythizzle account.

BTW, how did LoKe know they were making ban reconsiderations? :p
Anyone think he had a second account, like it would matter anyways?
Click to expand...

I still read the forums. Plus I post on TFNN which just feeds me more information.
 
Pliablemoose

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
0
56
Originally posted by: montypythizzle
I like my MontyPythizzle account.

BTW, how did LoKe know they were making ban reconsiderations? :p
Anyone think he had a second account, like it would matter anyways?
Click to expand...

Loke & I post on another forum and I contacted him there, let him know banned members were able to ask to return.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom