Important discussion over BAN. Newbies must read.

[Stedsm]

As I have been over the forum since more than 5 years, I've been thinking why there isn't a page specifically mentioning everything about bans and some rules to be followed in order to prevent themselves from getting ban-hammered?

I'm introducing a few rules (you may address your concerns as well) in order for admins to look and see if this is something really needed on the forum:

[For users] Rules to be followed to prevent yourself from a ban:

- Don't plagiarize.
Plagiarism here is one of the major reasons why many people got banned here. In most cases, I've seen bots doing it just for the sake of increasing their post count (mostly potential accounts) to get their accounts ready for a signature campaign (this was before the merit system was introduced). This not only decreases your chances of getting accepted anywhere but also increases the possibility of a permaban (you heard it right, you copy-paste one's post and bang, you have been permanently banned from the forum). Even if you copy-paste someone's content, it is mandatory to give credits to that person by either showing the link from where you picked their content or use their name and confess that the content is not yours, and therefore not original. This will show that you've already said in your comment that the post/article doesn't belong to you and nobody will have problems with it because you shared someone's content addressing that it's theirs, not yours.

- Don't be repetitive.
It is said that when something is said once already, it needs not to be said again and again by others or even the one who said it before. Repetition shows that you've got nothing new and are repeating one thing tens or hundreds of times even if your way of representing it is different but the speech is the same - that's one way of spam.

- Don't use foul language.
Don't try to inflate things by spewing out fire off your mouth. Unless it's literally needed in a conversation, don't try to be over-smart by using foul words as it'll only add disgrace to your credibility and subtract respect for you in everyone's heart here. Try to remain calm (I'm not saying that you need to be in anybody's shoes, maintain your self-respect as well be nice to others if you expect kindness from others as well because you're being watched just like anyone on the forum and they see your posts to determine the type of person you are).

- Don't make unsubstantial posts.
Making comments here is like giving your opinion on something you know about, try to be constructive in your posts while "constructing" them. Making unsubstantial posts {which doesn't really contain any substance (content) related to the subject the thread (talk) is all about} increase your chances of getting banned as there is a "Report" button on the top right of each post here which others use to report you to Admin/Mods if you're not contributing anything to the community and just trying to increase your post count.

EDIT:

- Don't use CAPITAL LETTERS unnecessarily.
Making your post look like a shout out in the herd of opinions is not really needed here as everyone's opinion is heard and can be seen, so no need to use CAPITAL LETTERS in your comment unless it's not really needed there. It's like trying too hard to be heard, but then the comment should really have some real substance in it and that too doesn't need the whole comment to contain CAPITAL LETTERS as you can make a point, put it in CAPITAL and elaborate more about it than writing everything in CAPITAL. (An example for how to make points and describe more on the same is this OP itself).

[For admins] A request for a page belonging to BAN related information only:

- I just need this information (and some more additional one if you can add) to be added to a ban-related-info page. As well, I wish there should be a table where we should get stats like:
Total banned (which defines total number of users ever banned)
Currently banned (total number of users who are currently banned)
Average (from least timeline to permaban with either a graph or number)
(This is optional) List of usernames who are banned with their timeline as for how much time they're banned
Reason for their ban (so to set example for others to see what not to be done to stop themselves from getting banned)
Ban-evasion (anyone who evaded the ban should be shown here with a Yes/No added in this box)

P.S.: There's nothing personal as my intention here is clean and I just want those spammers and copy-pasters to be revealed to the community and to newbies in order to set an example for those to learn what they shouldn't do here.

P.P.S.: This is not a self-moderated topic and hence, I request you to please think a thousand times before quoting my full post and replying. Please don't quote this complete post and save the forum some space.  

[1714139308]

1714139308

[1714139308]

1714139308

[1714139308]

1714139308

[1714139308]

1714139308

[Geraldo]

This should be pinned. But I dont think newbies even read the rules before they start posting. Maybe there should be added some terms and conditions on registration that they have to agree on, cause they come with excuses like I didnt read or didnt know about this rule. That way there is no excuse cause they will have already signed a message stating that they read and accept the rules.

[krishnapramod]

Isn't there the unofficial (official) thread for not how to get yourself banned, https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=703657.0

It's not stickied on main or local boards. I guess that's what needs to be done.

[TMAN]

- Don't use foul language.
Don't try to inflate things by spewing out fire off your mouth. Unless it's literally needed in a conversation, don't try to be over-smart by using foul words as it'll only add disgrace to your credibility and subtract respect for you in everyone's heart here. Try to remain calm (I'm not saying that you need to be in anybody's shoes, maintain your self-respect as well be nice to others if you expect kindness from others as well because you're being watched just like anyone on the forum and they see your posts to determine the type of person you are).

Whilst I agree with everything else you have written, this is a load of horse shit - how someone chooses to express themselves is nothing to do with the shitposts we have here. For instance I could classify you as a smelly used tampon for the way you are advising people not to swear.

sorry mate, but other than that your posts is bob on, the fact you have put that makes your post pretty shit

[xtraelv]

- Don't use foul language.
Don't try to inflate things by spewing out fire off your mouth. Unless it's literally needed in a conversation, don't try to be over-smart by using foul words as it'll only add disgrace to your credibility and subtract respect for you in everyone's heart here. Try to remain calm (I'm not saying that you need to be in anybody's shoes, maintain your self-respect as well be nice to others if you expect kindness from others as well because you're being watched just like anyone on the forum and they see your posts to determine the type of person you are).

Whilst I agree with everything else you have written, this is a load of horse shit - how someone chooses to express themselves is nothing to do with the shitposts we have here. For instance I could classify you as a smelly used tampon for the way you are advising people not to swear.

sorry mate, but other than that your posts is bob on, the fact you have put that makes your post pretty shit

Technically swearing and shouting is against the rules. But I haven't seen it being moderated.

The policy to not remove anything worked when the forum was small. Now that we have thousands of posts a day, we can't afford 50% of them being junk. The moderators are now instructed to be less tolerant of low-value posts.

Some guidelines:

1. Free speech - you can say anything as long as it is relevant and presented in a calm and polite manner. Swearing, SHOUTING etc. make your post more likely to be removed.
2. No zero value posts or threads, like "SELL SELL SELL"
3. No pointless or uninteresting threads.
4. No referral code spam
5. No NSFW content

mPrep clarified it more:

Low quality posts:

1. Such posts like "SELL SELL SELL", "I agree", "+1", "Support", "Watching", "Interesting", "LOL", "SCAM", "LEGIT", "FAKE", other one word posts, posts consisting mostly of swearing, quote pyramids,useless introduction threads, threads about a topic already recently discussed in several other threads.

Insults:

Q: Someone insulted me. Why aren't you deleting his post/thread?
A: Possible (since we don't have the time or resources to check) insults are also allowed as long as they contain any kind of constructive opinion, info or something else substantial and aren't off-topic. For example, posting something like "you are dumb" will be deleted as it contains no meaningful content. However, if the post is somehwere along the lines of "You are dumb. This is wrong because this website/thread/etc. has explained it's not right", it's in most cases accepted.

Insults and swearing is not likely to get removed if it has context. Even some pretty dumb stuff doesn't tend to get removed. Growing some thicker skin is recommended if it offends you.

If swearing was totally moderated it would quickly become a very boring forum.

[For admins] A request for a page belonging to BAN related information only:

- I just need this information (and some more additional one if you can add) to be added to a ban-related-info page. As well, I wish there should be a table where we should get stats like:
Total banned (which defines total number of users ever banned)
Currently banned (total number of users who are currently banned)
Average (from least timeline to permaban with either a graph or number)
(This is optional) List of usernames who are banned with their timeline as for how much time they're banned
Reason for their ban (so to set example for others to see what not to be done to stop themselves from getting banned)
Ban-evasion (anyone who evaded the ban should be shown here with a Yes/No added in this box)

Not likely to happen. Many people have asked for the same before you.

It is more likely to become available through the https://bpip.org/ project.

[The Cryptovator]

As OP mention on title newbie must watch, I believe thread are  not belongs to Meta. Most of newbie has not been visiting meta. In my opinion OP should move on Beginners & Help from lower left.

Although there is lots of similar post, but not bad to remind again.

[r1s2g3]

[For admins] A request for a page belonging to BAN related information only:

.

I have no wish and interest in seeing that statistics page. If admin want to do something then they should send the "reason of ban"  along with their ban mails. At least  these "innocent", "clueless"  and "banned without reason" users creating Meta threads  will get some information on their ban.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

This should be pinned. But I dont think newbies even read the rules before they start posting.

That's the problem.  However, if you combined this with locking ban appeal threads when they get made, along with a link to the pinned thread, it might help clean up Meta.  Ban appeals threads tend to just get flooded with the same posts, and they all have the same ending pretty much.

Another solution that's been discussed is having a child board of Meta for ban appeals.  I'd actually love that, because it could be ignored and I'd never have to see these types of threads again.

In any case, I have little doubt that people will still keep making appeal threads, especially for copy/pasting which seems to be the reason for the vast majority of them.  It seems like people just don't realize that 1) plagiarism is wrong and shouldn't be acceptable even on the internet, and 2) it's actually against the rules on bitcointalk.  And then you get the lies and denial on top of the actual crime and the begging for a 2nd chance.  It's really old at this point.

[Theb]

As I have been over the forum since more than 5 years, I've been thinking why there isn't a page specifically mentioning everything about bans and some rules to be followed in order to prevent themselves from getting ban-hammered?

Even if there is one, I doubt that the newbies will be reading those pages relating to rules as they often go ahead posting right away. Even our pinned thread about our Unofficial list of BCT rules in this section is not getting enough attention to people who are intended to read it first (lower ranked members). I think the best solution for this one is for people who are registering in the forum be redirected to a page where they are needed to read and accept some important rules in order to avoid being banned before they can even create their accounts. But still this is not enough to prevent them while they are now in the forum, everyone here is capable of breaking the rules as the mods cannot monitor all of us.

[Stedsm]

This should be pinned. But I dont think newbies even read the rules before they start posting.

Thanks for that, but I don't believe that such threads would get stickied unless newbies themselves show some interest for the same. They should be encouraged about the rules the way Theb has mentioned:

I think the best solution for this one is for people who are registering in the forum be redirected to a page where they are needed to read and accept some important rules in order to avoid being banned before they can even create their accounts.

Isn't there the unofficial (official) thread for not how to get yourself banned, https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=703657.0

It's not stickied on main or local boards. I guess that's what needs to be done.

This one's completely based on BAN, and the ones I've tried to mention here are not there on that thread, else why would I create another one with same content?

- Don't use foul language.
Don't try to inflate things by spewing out fire off your mouth. Unless it's literally needed in a conversation, don't try to be over-smart by using foul words as it'll only add disgrace to your credibility and subtract respect for you in everyone's heart here. Try to remain calm (I'm not saying that you need to be in anybody's shoes, maintain your self-respect as well be nice to others if you expect kindness from others as well because you're being watched just like anyone on the forum and they see your posts to determine the type of person you are).

Whilst I agree with everything else you have written, this is a load of horse shit - how someone chooses to express themselves is nothing to do with the shitposts we have here. For instance I could classify you as a smelly used tampon for the way you are advising people not to swear.

Well then, at first you should be thankful to me for awakening of your senses (due to the shitty smell you had from a few of my words).   /jk
Jokes apart, I'm not trying to suck up anyone's blood here but want this place to be one of the best places to hang on, which is why I said that. And it was just a request and that the admins may/may not add any of the mentioned rules here. I've literally said that in the aforementioned OP that using foul language is not appreciated until the reason behind the said words is strong and it's really needed. Using capital letters here is not appreciated and I know that everyone here knows that but not newbies. It's good for them to know much and by trying to make them not say those words will just teach them something good only. Nobody here can decide what level of speech can anyone speak here, but it's like there's no need to use a sword when you could get your work done with a needle.

[For admins] A request for a page belonging to BAN related information only:

.

I have no wish and interest in seeing that statistics page. If admin want to do something then they should send the "reason of ban"  along with their ban mails. At least  these "innocent", "clueless"  and "banned without reason" users creating Meta threads  will get some information on their ban.

I've used the word "OPTIONAL" in that part as it wasn't my intention to expose anyone, but it was just a thought and could help out in the mentioned way. Still, even I don't want this to be disclosed as it is one kind of an insult to everyone who gets exposed on that page, and the way you said is better, that sending those guys - emails with reasons for which they were banned.

Another solution that's been discussed is having a child board of Meta for ban appeals.  I'd actually love that, because it could be ignored and I'd never have to see these types of threads again.

This, you said, is really needed as it would remove a lot of threads out of Meta section, because Meta is one of the most visited sections to discuss some important issues.

Moving this to Beginners and Help section as newbies are lazy enough to visit the Meta part, and they're the people for whom this thread is made.

[LTU_btc]

Good suggestions, but I think we can say that just in one sentence - Read f*cking rules and you wont be banned. Is it not simple?
We have many similar threads with suggestions how to not get a ban, but does it helps to change users behavior? Mostly of banned users just don't care, they don't read such threads and etc. And then they just open thread in Meta asking why they got ban, begging to lift ban, asking for second chance, even offering money to forum staff to remove ban. The problem that people are coming to Bitcointalk with wrong attitude.

[Jalal ud din]

This should be pinned. But I dont think newbies even read the rules before they start posting.

I am not agree with your thoughts. Because those newbies who doesn't read the rules and regulations of this forum are not actually newbies they are spammer. At the beginning their intentions is only to phishing in the forum so why they read the rules. But all fingers are not equal ,Those newbies who are positively participated in this forum is because of rules only, they read.

[elda34b]

Those newbies who are positively participated in this forum is because of rules only, they read.

Compared to those "newbies" who don't care about the rules, members like that are quite small IMO. Well, this is debatable.

[Stedsm]

Good suggestions, but I think we can say that just in one sentence - Read f*cking rules and you wont be banned. Is it not simple?

Yeah, it's easy to write everything in a simple one line sentence and make them agree to everything, but I've not asked them to follow the rules alone, but tried my best to describe here what needs to be followed.

We have many similar threads with suggestions how to not get a ban, but does it helps to change users behavior? Mostly of banned users just don't care, they don't read such threads and etc. And then they just open thread in Meta asking why they got ban, begging to lift ban, asking for second chance,

Those who care to be here for long time, read everything because once you're done with the forum with a ban, you come here and start asking about the reason you're banned, trying to acquire removal of ban which is completely impossible in case of plagiarism and least chances of unban when you did something that harmed/ could harm the community in any means.

even offering money to forum staff to remove ban. The problem that people are coming to Bitcointalk with wrong attitude.

Any specific case where you can clearly show me the proof that anyone here tried to bribe the staff for an unban? And yes, about the wrong attitude, it's because people don't take the forum seriously and think it's their ATM machine where they can swipe their cards off by getting enrolled in a campaign here.

[LTU_btc]

even offering money to forum staff to remove ban. The problem that people are coming to Bitcointalk with wrong attitude.

Any specific case where you can clearly show me the proof that anyone here tried to bribe the staff for an unban? And yes, about the wrong attitude, it's because people don't take the forum seriously and think it's their ATM machine where they can swipe their cards off by getting enrolled in a campaign here.

I'm a bit lazy to search for cases where users tried to bribe staff to unban account. But I'm sure that forum staff and users who check Meta regularly can confirm that there was quite many users who tried to offer monet to lift ban.

[Stedsm]

I'm a bit lazy to search for cases where users tried to bribe staff to unban account. But I'm sure that forum staff and users who check Meta regularly can confirm that there was quite many users who tried to offer monet to lift ban.

I believe they should follow the rules by not doing what's not needed, so not to create a situation where they either need to beg for mercy or to ask for forgiveness by luring with their money, but frankly speaking that at least here, nobody has the ability to bribe the admins of this forum.

I've added one more rule in the OP, newbies must please see to it and learn.