Welcome • User Guide
ToS • Privacy • Canary
Donate • Bugs • License

©2025 Poal.co

1.2K

I have noticed this pattern on websites such as Reddit (while I was there).

One strict M/A is enough.

On many websites, if one moderator decides to ban a user, that user is banned even if 20 other M/A's who may have reviewed that user decided not to ban.

Some communities may use vote-to-ban, but I presume that the majority of Internet communities allow users to be banished already if one of many moderators decides to.

Ban appeal

Let's assume that the user files a reasonable ban appeal , but the first person the ban appeal arrives at is the same strict moderator who decided to ban the user when 20 other moderators decided not to ban.

Now, the user loses access to the ban appeal form. Had the ban appeal arrived at any other lesser strict M/A, that user would have been unbanned and possibly become a productive community member.

Terminating criticism

The only technically possible ways for that user to reach any other M/A can now sadly be dismissed as ban evasion , no matter how reasonable it is.

Let's assume that user creates another account to legitimately criticize the behaviour of the strict moderator, ask different moderators to review the ban, or maybe to make positive and helpful contributions and causing zero damage.

Now that user can be suspended again because ban evasion!!! . It almost appears that ban evasion is a logic-terminating buzzword that can be used to remove users for no logical reason, no matter whether they have actually evaded a ban or not.

Social pressure

A good-faith M/A deciding to unban a user would have to take responsibility and also might have to overcome social pressure from other stricter M/A's. Therefore, that tends to be unlikely to happen.

TL;DR:

One of e.g. more than twenty reviewing moderators who decides to ban a user is enough, even if the others decided against a ban.

All reasonable attempts of the user to reach out to other moderators can now be stigmatized as ban evasion .

If you have suggestions for improving the phrasing and/or wording of the text above, or of you have experienced this effect yourself, please let us know.

↓ expand content
I have noticed this pattern on websites such as Reddit (while I was there). ## One strict M/A is enough. On many websites, if **one** moderator decides to ban a user, that user is banned even if **20 other M/A's** who may have reviewed that user decided not to ban. Some communities may use vote-to-ban, but I presume that the majority of Internet communities allow users to be banished already if **one of many** moderators decides to. ## Ban appeal Let's assume that the user files a **reasonable ban appeal**, but the first person the ban appeal arrives at is the same strict moderator who decided to ban the user when 20 other moderators decided not to ban. Now, the user loses access to the ban appeal form. Had the ban appeal arrived at any other lesser strict M/A, that user would have been unbanned and possibly become a productive community member. ## Terminating criticism The only technically possible ways for that user to reach any other M/A can now sadly be dismissed as *ban evasion*, **no matter how reasonable it is.** Let's assume that user creates another account to legitimately criticize the behaviour of the strict moderator, ask different moderators to review the ban, or maybe to make positive and helpful contributions and causing zero damage. Now that user can be suspended again because *ban evasion!!!* . It almost appears that *ban evasion* is a logic-terminating buzzword that can be used to [remove users for no logical reason](https://poal.co/s/MeanwhileOnReddit/166962), no matter whether they have actually evaded a ban or not. ## Social pressure A good-faith M/A deciding to unban a user would have to take responsibility and also might have to overcome social pressure from other stricter M/A's. Therefore, that tends to be unlikely to happen. # **TL;DR:** One of e.g. more than twenty reviewing moderators who decides to ban a user is enough, even if the others decided against a ban. All reasonable attempts of the user to reach out to other moderators can now be stigmatized as *ban evasion*. ---- If you have suggestions for improving the phrasing and/or wording of the text above, or of you have experienced this effect yourself, please let us know.

(post is archived)

[–] • 1 pt 4y

Another thing is that often the other mods won't speak because the offending mod is around the block all the time while they aren't actively performing their moderating duties. So they kind of need him as a watchdog and tolerate his shenanigans for this reason. Take DrinkMoreCodeMore for example, he is frantically posting all day on various subs while being on stimulants while other mods appear once a week or never.

So they will choose to ignore protests because otherwise they will have to be more engaged in their subs instead of slacking. As a result, power hungry individuals will chime in and offer to "help".