# banned



## audia

While browsing old threads, I notice "'banned"" under someone''s name.After reading the rules , I didnt understand exactly what could cause someone to be banned.
What could have caused him/her to be banned or to have the word under their name?
Interestingly enough I found that person later active again.
Thanks


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## Bienvenidos

Here are some links:
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=383896&highlight=banned
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=147740&highlight=banned
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=81072&highlight=banned
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=3084&highlight=banned


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## elroy

Users are banned for repeated violations of forum rules, or for initiating their forum experience with spam or a post that contains something promotional, offensive, or otherwise highly inappropriate.  Also, additional user names created by the same user are usually banned. 

Bans can be lifted, so it is possible for a user you once saw with the "Banned" label under their name to be active again.  This is very rare though, and to my knowledge it has never happened on WRF.  *While* a user has the label under their name, though, it is not possible for them to post.


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## jann

Hello audia,

I think perhaps you are a little confused about relative timing of the posts you saw and the banning.

The status that you see in a person's profile and written under their name in a thread is *current*.  For example, imagine the hypothetical user X.  Imagine that he joined and posted for the 1st time in June 2005.  Over the next few weeks, he posted a total of 106 posts.  In spite of several moderator warnings, he persisted in insulting other users on the forum.  Consequently, he was banned in September 2005.   

Now it is March 2007.  If you examine any of his posts, the status will be "banned" and the post count will be "106," because this is user X's *current *status. 

If we had banned a user by accident, and then un-banned them when we realized our mistake, you would not be able to tell by looking at old threads.  Since the user's current status would be e.g., "Senior Member," that is what would appear under their name in ALL of their posts.  You would not see the word "banned."

I hope this helps to clarify a bit 

Jann


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## audia

Thanks elroy, I guess I was able to read the word banned then because it was placed by the moderators ex post facto. ?


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## elroy

audia said:


> Thanks elroy, I guess I was able to read the word banned then because it was placed by the moderators ex post facto. ?


 The word "Banned" is not added manually by the moderators. It appears automatically once a member is banned. 

As Jann said, it is possible for a member to post hundreds or even thousands of times before being banned. The word is then seen under every one of their posts.


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## audia

Thanks jann I must be mistaken then. I thought I saw them again recently reactivated. I'll go do some homework!


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## TrentinaNE

There are certain fields for which the current value is displayed on all posts, for example, the signature field.  There are members who've been around for years, who change their signatures almost weekly.  Every time they do, every post of theirs will show only the most recent signature, not the one they had when the message was posted.

Same thing happens for the membership field.

Elisabetta


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## audia

If I understand, the act of banning does not prevent the person from re-registering under a differnt name immediately.
Is one formally warned before one is banned? ( I have made a lot of typos )


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## elroy

audia said:


> If I understand, the act of banning does not prevent the person from re-registering under a differnt name immediately.


 That's correct.


> Is one formally warned before one is banned? ( I have made a lot of typos )


 Yes, except in cases of spam and highly objectionable first posts.

You will not be banned for typos!


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## fenixpollo

audia said:


> If I understand, the act of banning does not prevent the person from re-registering under a different name immediately.


 My understanding was that this is *not* allowed, if the administrator becomes aware of it. 





> Is one formally warned before one is banned?


 _Theoretically_, one should be formally warned by a moderator before one is banned, "except in cases of spam and highly objectionable first posts."


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## elroy

fenixpollo said:


> My understanding was that this is *not* allowed, if the administrator becomes aware of it.


 Re-registrations by banned members are handled on a case-by-case basis. 


> _Theoretically_, one should be formally warned by a moderator before one is banned, "except in cases of spam and highly objectionable first posts."


 Yes, and one is.


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## Alxmrphi

> Just thought I'd hop on the banned-wagon (ouch!)



Oh you make me cringe!



> Interestingly enough I found that person later active again.



Maybe you saw they were banned, and you read a later post of theirs that was made before they were banned, by "active" do you mean with the green-light? Or just the fact you saw another post by them?


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## Jana337

> by "active" do you mean with the green-light? Or just the fact you saw another post by them?


Certainly the latter.


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## Alxmrphi

That's what I thought, that it wouldn't be the green light. As suggested certainly by the former (part of my sentence I mean)


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## elpoderoso

Bienvenidos said:


> Here are some links:
> http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=383896&highlight=banned
> http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=147740&highlight=banned
> http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=81072&highlight=banned
> http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=3084&highlight=banned


Thanks for the links, but what exactly is a 'Troll'?


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## Jana337

Someone who should get a life.


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## Zingapuro

The last post was deleted for reason "rule 45", but I only see 20 listed in the Forum Rules!

Did there use to be more?


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## jann

Yes.  There were about 50 rules, but they have since been renumbered and reorganized into the 20 you see now.

The old rule 45 is covered by current rule 15. The post above was deleted in 2008 because (to quote the rules): 





> Discussions about moderator or administrator actions should be discussed via email or Private Messages – not in the public forums.


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## Zingapuro

Ah. Makes sense!
Thanks for clearing it up.


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## swift

Yes, but the rules were revised.


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## jann

I'm afraid I don't understand you, Swift. 

Did you mean "revised"?  When I said the rules were renumbered and reorganized, I certainly did not mean that they were otherwise unchanged.  Reorganization implies revision.


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## swift

I was addressing Zingapuro's question, Jann. I didn't notice that you had already answered.  And yes, I meant "revised". Sorry.


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## jann

No need to apologize.   I understand about posting without seeing earlier replies!


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## Orlin

Btw, when a user is finally banned after a decision of the moderator team because (s)he didn't improve behaviour, is the user informed about this decision in some way? Or (s)he realizes it only after an attempt to log in?


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## Cagey

They find out when they attempt to log on. 

However, before that happens, they have been given a very specific official warning by the moderators as to the behavior ~ or behaviors ~ they should avoid.


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## JamesM

Just to add to Cagey's explanation, they have usually received multiple communications from moderators and a couple of official warnings.  Immediate banning is only for extremely serious offenses, such as commercial spamming or extremely abusive posts.


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## Nunty

A full explanation of member banning, including an important section entitled "Who should be concerned about banning" can be found here or by searching the forum FAQ.


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