My understanding is that we can't really ban people permanently. We don't do IP bans (which can be circumvented anyways), so as long as a user doesn't (1) keep doing bannable stuff or (2) make it apparent that they're a banned user, they can easily get back in.
So why not do warnings, temp bans, etc.? It adds a whole layer of administrative work for the mods and a bunch more opportunities for people to dispute how they've been treated. A system that creates a bunch of work isn't a great one, and we want to have a way to push back on shitty behavior without causing tons of "I've been treated so unfairly!" drama. Making bans less of a big deal would accomplish both, and (because we can't perma ban people anyway) it would have the same effect on more persistent assholes.
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My understanding is that we can't really ban people permanently. We don't do IP bans (which can be circumvented anyways), so as long as a user doesn't (1) keep doing bannable stuff or (2) make it apparent that they're a banned user, they can easily get back in.
So why not do warnings, temp bans, etc.? It adds a whole layer of administrative work for the mods and a bunch more opportunities for people to dispute how they've been treated. A system that creates a bunch of work isn't a great one, and we want to have a way to push back on shitty behavior without causing tons of "I've been treated so unfairly!" drama. Making bans less of a big deal would accomplish both, and (because we can't perma ban people anyway) it would have the same effect on more persistent assholes.