On Banning

Given the recent events of a Rhydin roleplayer’s request for a ”Banned Account Explanation” over at Dragon’s Mark, I wanted to make something clear:

I don’t condone banning members of an online community for something they’ve written on another site, or for something they might do at any site.

Nor do I agree with bans for grudges or “personal reasons,” for treating an admin horribly, or for causing insult or affront to another member of the community. Banning people, after the fact and on the sly, because they’ve burned their bridges is wrong. Lifetime bans are worse than wrong.

I only condone banning members who have violated actual site guidelines either in an egregious or repetitive manner.

And before people start screaming “POT KETTLE BLACK” and pointing to the permanent vacation Ehzoterik earned from the RhydinWiki, I want to make it clear that Ehzoterik was not banned for what she wrote about me, RhydinWiki, or any other site I’m involved with on her LiveJournal or at Mutual Endeavors or at any other site. The Admin has already explained that. However – I do not believe RhydinWiki should attempt deal with bans behind closed doors, so I’ve updated the appropriate thread with the specific guidelines that proved problematic.

I won’t pretend to be happy or complacent about what was written elsewhere – but that’s not why Ehzoterik was banned. If that was the case, there’d be a couple of other members who would have their accounts at RhydinWiki blocked as well. Yet, they don’t. Even Ehz is welcome back, once she can express that she’s willing to communicate using the tone we expect of our users and follow the site’s guidelines. I don’t think it will happen – but I know that things can, and do change.

I am disgusted that a misunderstanding of the reasons behind a situation may have set a precedent for another site.

I am hopeful that the admins at Dragon’s Mark will do the right, responsible thing and remove their “ban”.