I’m not willing to discuss particular moderating decisions, that is, why did member X get certain actions, but we can talk in general terms.
So, we used to warn via PM, which is cumbersome. Now, there is a warning system built into Xenforo, and you'll get a notice. The warnings have points, depending on severity, and expiration dates. If you get a warning, it’s visible in your profile, and the alert on the top right of the site (the little bell) will register. It’s quick, and you can read the comments/reason in that alert.
Banning works the same as it always did. Moderator discretion on duration, as before, and it really depends on the circumstances and history of that member. A ban can last any period from a day, up to forever.
In general, if someone ignores warnings, or has multiple warnings, then a ban is the next level. But it really depends. An egregious post, I mean really bad, has resulted in a permanent ban as step one. You’ve may have seen some of those posts...in the few minutes they existed...
In general, those entire threads have been removed from view, because they were already contentious. A bunch of Vitriol is helping no one. The really offensive posts have always been removed from view. For example, a member once suggested an anatomical impossibility, in the most profane terms, and made their complete contempt for the board, and other person(s), crystal clear. That was egregious enough to merit a permanent ban on the spot...and it was removed from view on the spot.
I’ve seen some members, who have a long history of reasonable behavior, step out of line, and a quick PM (now warning) was enough to resolve the situation.
I think it’s true that moderator actions have been both necessary and proportional to maintain BITOG‘s clearly articulated standards of behaviors. I’ve seen members get a lot of second, third, fourth, or more chances....but it depends on the member, what was said, what happened in private conversations, and extenuating circumstances, if any.
If a member is banned, they won’t be able to log in for as long as the ban lasts. You can still email the admin as a banned member. In the Xenforo software, a banned member will have a line through their username.
One final point/request. If you disagree with a moderating decision, a polite, thoughtful, private message (now called conversations, the little envelope in the upper right corner) discussion is recommended. Starting an acrimonious public debate is, in itself a violation of BITOG conduct, and it really isn’t going to be effective in changing someone’s mind... But I’ll listen to a rational point of view.
Hope this helped.
