Topic: Banning users - permanent or temporarily?

[SulevFan]

With the growth in our community, it has now been necessary to ban a few members. Usually for violating community standards, rudeness, and in one case a rogue moderator.  Of course, I'm not talking about outright spammers and haters of all persuasions.

Up to now our policy was that once banned, that was it - the book was closed. There is no come-back.

Now, a particularly difficult member that we've had a number of conversations with finally stepped over the line once too many. And got banned.

Unfortunately, he was also one who provided scripting support to another highly-valued member of our community. The latter has now asked if we could lift the ban or put a time limit on it. My inclination is that that is not going to happen, since this isn't as a result of a one-off, but a pattern of persistent misbehavior. So much so that the owner has expressed relief that this person is gone - apparently the owner has been avoiding certain areas when the offender started interacting there.

I'm asking if other admins/mods here have any experience on whether a ban that is rescinded still result in behavior modification? I really don't want to lift this ban and then have to go through another few months of mental agony until I finally pull the trigger again.

[Irisado]

Most members who have been banned usually demonstrate the same kind of behaviour which led them to being banned in the first place, in my experience.  On that basis, I would never revoke a ban, unless it were found to have been issued in error, for example, catching an innocent party in an IP ban, which has happened back when IP bans used to be used more than they are now.

In addition, assuming your forum has clear rules and moderation procedures, the member concerned would, I assume, have had to have committed a significant number of breaches of the rules to be banned in the first place.  On that basis, I would argue that reversing the ban would undermined this entire system, and result in other members of the community possibly, and justifiably, complaining about biased treatment of this individual.  This would be another reason for not going down this path.

[SulevFan]

Thanks for your input and for confirming my inclinations. I see the post got moved - my apologies, I didn't want to post it somewhere inappropriate and I somehow overlooked this board. Thanks for moving it.

[Diego Andrés]

Also adding to what Irisado said.
For someone else having ban permissions it could be useful for the team to have feedback on why someone is being banned, obviously is situational as well. Just be aware of who's being banned and why, it can help to prevent "personal bans".