The rules are easy to find as long as you look for them and considering that a short term ban is a form of warning OP can just search now and be fine.
Like you said, the rules are easy to find, if you search for, but the symptom of an eternal september is, that new users give a fuck about netiquette or rules(if they have to search for them).
You have to tell them hundred times, with big fat banners, what you are allowed to and whats forbidden.
Its really sad.