What Triggers Long-Time Forum Members to Get Axed?

[inflector]

I've been hanging out here for a little over a year trying to learn as much as I can. I tend to read a lot of older posts in addition to trying to keep up with the latest discussions for topics of interest to me.

Every once in a while, you'll get some bozo that thinks they're smarter than everyone else and who doesn't follow the forum guidelines, so after a while I noticed that they seem to get "erased" fairly quickly; they get the dreaded line-through over their forum names.

Some people last 10 posts, some last 50, some as far as 100, but eventually moderators get tired of the complaints, I suppose and they get axed. This makes sense to me.

What doesn't make sense to me is the forum members that have 1,000 or more posts that get axed. I mean, do they just implode one day and start going all cranky? Do they wake up one day and just decide to make all the regulars and moderators angry?

I haven't been around to see one of these relative long-timers get axed but I've seen the tell-tall line-through on their names.

Any idea what takes them over the edge?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

There are many members who participate in the educational forums regularly who are not always as restrained when it comes to other topics. From what I have seen the Politics & World Affairs forum is probably the one where you are most likely to find long standing members getting a time out. A lot of people are, often understandably, rather strongly opinioned on certain topics. Some discussions in GD get a bit heated too.

 

[Chi Meson]

Some members are "edgy," and to a certain point their edginess is appealing. Some of them obviously try to be so, and their deliberate attempts at "controlled-whackiness," or "semi-trollishness" offer opportunities for comedic effect. Most seem to know the line that they should never cross, and they are predominantly "civil."

Some members actually lived on that edge of acceptability, and their posts would drift back and forth over the line. One bad day could set them right off. In some cases, a temporary ban might cause them to stay away forever, which in their mind perhaps constitutes a "punishment" for the forum. You can see it the final posts, something like: "I can no longer tolerate the censorship that goes on in this forum, so I'm going to post my inane comments somewhere else, blah blah blah."

 

[Born2bwire]

I noticed this on another forum that I have been a member for around 9 years now, joining a few months after it started. One thing I noticed about the long term members, some even being or have been moderators, imploding is that I think they get too wrapped up in the forum. They become too invested emotionally with the forum and how they feel it should be directed. Eventually a change comes along that they do not agree with and it starts up a chain reaction. It's probably also something that builds up over a long time too.

 

[apeiron]

Isn't the duller answer that your sig gets scored out when you leave voluntarily too?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Isn't the duller answer that your sig gets scored out when you leave voluntarily too?

Leave voluntarily? If only it were that easy.

 

[Chi Meson]

Leave voluntarily? If only it were that easy.

I know I should get that reference, but I don't.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I know I should get that reference, but I don't.

Hotel California: You can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave.

 

[Born2bwire]

Hotel California: You can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave.

How does that work exactly? I mean if I check out am I relegated to the lobby and other common areas? Can I no longer participate in the feast held for the guests or is the hotel actually not applying any charges to the bill and thus your entry in the guest register is merely a formality?

 

[zoobyshoe]

How does that work exactly? I mean if I check out am I relegated to the lobby and other common areas? Can I no longer participate in the feast held for the guests or is the hotel actually not applying any charges to the bill and thus your entry in the guest register is merely a formality?

All I know is no one can delete their PF account. You can be banned, or you can stop posting, but you can't have your account deleted.

 

[Born2bwire]

All I know is no one can delete their PF account. You can be banned, or you can stop posting, but you can't have your account deleted.

But who pays for the pink champagne on ice? This Hotel California keeps sounding more and more like a poor business venture.

 

[leroyjenkens]

Your question reminds me of psychos who one day do something crazy. Like that guy who cut off someone's head on the Greyhound bus. He was like 40 years old. He went through 40 years of not doing stuff like that, to suddenly doing the craziest thing you can do.

 

[MotoH]

All I know is no one can delete their PF account. You can be banned, or you can stop posting, but you can't have your account deleted.

So our 200,000 members is really puffed up with a lot of junk?

 

[Chi Meson]

So our 200,000 members is really puffed up with a lot of junk?

defunct members, sock puppets, and spiders. BUT THEY ALL COUNT!

And @Zooby:

So, you are telling me that she is programmed to receive?

 

[zoobyshoe]

defunct members, sock puppets, and spiders. BUT THEY ALL COUNT!

And @Zooby:

So, you are telling me that she is programmed to receive?

Mirrors on the ceiling. Pink champagne on ice. Yes. But it gets kinky when they bring out the steely knives.

 

[cronxeh]

i have so many infractions, I am like a joke away from being banned.

 

[zomgwtf]

It just has to do with the topic being discussed. For instance when it comes to scientific topics I think I'm generally 'well-behaved' as most people at the forum are. However blatant and willfull ignorance sometimes seen in the Philosophy... or even in the Cosmology forums just gets annoying after awhile of seeing the same thing pop-up once a month.

As well people will have much more strongly opinionated voice in the Politics forum sometimes it gets out of control but normally the mods are there to clean things up. You should have seen the Global Warming threads... and this one thread about the seal hunt where people completely disregarded evidence in their 'opinion'.

 

[Evo]

i have so many infractions, I am like a joke away from being banned.

Ooooh, cronxeh is offline. Wouldn't it be funny to ban him now and surprise him when he logs back on?

 

[WiFO215]

Leave voluntarily? If only it were that easy.

<Off-topic>
Zooby,
Did you draw that? If so, it is FANTASTIC!
</Off-topic>

 

[cronxeh]

Ooooh, cronxeh is offline. Wouldn't it be funny to ban him now and surprise him when he logs back on?

That's how these things happen, one day you leave to work and your wife moves out with all the furniture and stuff, even takes ice trays from the fridge.

Not that it happened to me, but the hilarity is there for anyone to relate to

 

[Norman.Galois]

You can see it the final posts, something like: "I can no longer tolerate the censorship that goes on in this forum, so I'm going to post my inane comments somewhere else, blah blah blah."

I think you are holding the forum in very high regards up to the point where if someone chooses to punish the forum and leave then the member is truly crazy.

Your post screams self-biasness.

Some people may find that the academics of the forums is not up to par for them and leave. Or they just find it boring after awhile. Or they find the members actually don't have as much depth as they once thought.

There is writing on both sides of the paper.

 

[D H]

Some people may find that the academics of the forums is not up to par for them and leave. Or they just find it boring after awhile. Or they find the members actually don't have as much depth as they once thought.

The loss of those formerly-solid posters whose contribution level tailed off to almost nothing is a concern to the mentors at this site. However, this thread is not about those people, Norman. Their user names are still there, ready to use should they wish to come back.

This thread is about the formerly-solid posters whose return would not be welcomed.

 

[WhoWee]

There are many members who participate in the educational forums regularly who are not always as restrained when it comes to other topics. From what I have seen the Politics & World Affairs forum is probably the one where you are most likely to find long standing members getting a time out. A lot of people are, often understandably, rather strongly opinioned on certain topics. Some discussions in GD get a bit heated too.

Can't ALL wars be traced back to money, sex, religion, and politics?

 

[Office_Shredder]

Can't ALL wars be traced back to money, sex, religion, and politics?

And watering holes

 

[zoobyshoe]

<Off-topic>
Zooby,
Did you draw that? If so, it is FANTASTIC!
</Off-topic>

Yes, that's one of mine. Thanks! Larger version here:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=2124895&postcount=254

 

[GeorginaS]

<Off-topic>
Zooby,
Did you draw that? If so, it is FANTASTIC!
</Off-topic>

Oh! Oh! I know the answer!

D'oh! Beat by Zooby.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Oh! Oh! I know the answer!

D'oh! Beat by Zooby.

I'm sorry, Miss, I didn't see your hand up. Next time have a seat in the front row.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

defunct members, sock puppets, and spiders. BUT THEY ALL COUNT!

I don't think spiders are included in the member count; only on hits and the number of guests online.

We may ban three to five people a day. With two to three hundred per day joining, I wouldn't expect the banned members count to be siginficant.

 

[Integral]

It is not uncommon for members who are causing trouble in some fashion to be cut some slack if they are making good contributions in other areas. These members become frequent topics of discussion among the Mentors. There have been some that have been coddled along for months or even years. If it ever gets to the point that the trouble they cause is more of an issue then their positive contributions they will be banned

 

[Chi Meson]

You know, I just remembered that I created a sock-puppet here in 2004. I had this great idea of establishing this other character in order to have a drag-out, knock-down argument with it. I think "he" lasted only 4 posts before I realized that the idea wasn't new, and this wasn't the right forum.

 

[Vector Sum]

You know, I just remembered that I created a sock-puppet here in 2004. I had this great idea of establishing this other character in order to have a drag-out, knock-down argument with it. I think "he" lasted only 4 posts before I realized that the idea wasn't new, and this wasn't the right forum.

And so you just left me out to dry? Just like that? You're a total %$#$@#$! I'm outta here!

 

[zoobyshoe]

And so you just left me out to dry? Just like that? You're a total %$#$@#$! I'm outta here!

Hehehehe. The sock puppet who came in from the cold.

 

[pallidin]

Being totally honest, I recall a few times where, late at night, having had a few beers, I posted overly-aggressive comments that, in the next day, I regretted.

I would assume this has been true for some other members as well(posting during some form of intoxication; alcohol or other drugs)

 

[lisab]

Being totally honest, I recall a few times where, late at night, having had a few beers, I posted overly-aggressive comments that, in the next day, I regretted.

I would assume this has been true for some other members as well(posting during some form of intoxication; alcohol or other drugs)

Some people could use an internet interlock device on their computers.

 

[rootX]

I got following three infractions:

Post / Reason Date / Posted By Points / Expires
1)
Caught Staring!
Reason: Posting comic without attribution
Oct3-09 10:55 PM ***** 0 / Expired
2)
Private
Reason: General Warning
Aug27-09 07:05 PM ***** 1 / Expired
3)
Private
Reason: General Information
May7-09 07:26 PM ****** 0 / Expired

1) was because I linked directly to the xkcd image without posting the link to the comic itself
2) because of a humorous video I posted of squirrel being catapulted. That was animal cruelty.
3) because I posted an adult joke which I did not read all before posting