I will attempt to answer a couple of your concerns/questions:
Permanent bans: No one is permanently banned without very good and valid reasons. Sometimes a suspension made permanent is due to reasons that go beyond what has been posted on MERB and is related to email communication with the member or their posts on another board. If a MERB member has something to say, he should say it here on MERB where the concern can be addressed. If someone runs to merc and takes shots at MERB from what they think is a safe haven because we cannot and will not respond to posts made there, he will find himself banned for a long time, possibly permanently. And anyone can be permanently banned, from new members to advertisers. If you look in the suspension thread you will find numerous examples that indicate no one is above the rules.
Suspensions being shortened or lifted after communicating with a member: This can happen on occasion when a member contacts the moderator who suspended him by email with an explanation or an apology. It has nothing to do with whether a member is new or senior or a supporting member or advertiser. In fact, we are more likely to shorten or even lift the suspension of a new member than we are of a senior member who
should be more familiar with our rules.
Moderators posting under their regular handle: Yes, we do participate in discussions on the board on occasion under our regular handle but we do not moderate the threads we participate in. We leave that to another mod except in cases of extreme rule breaking where something has to be done immediately and no other mod is available to handle it. And in case you were wondering, yes, mods have had their regular handle suspended when they break the rules also. But no, we cannot suspend a moderator handle - and yes, we have all tried to suspend other mods for the fun of it.
As for mods being anonymous, that is the tradition of these kind of boards. It was like that before any of the existing mods were here and we see no reason to change that.
Here are some tips to avoid being suspended:
1: Read the rules and then read them again. Read them every 6 months or so to refresh your memory. Follow them.
2: Pay attention when a mod posts a warning. If you have a question about it, send the mod a PM. Ignore it and chances are it will result in a suspension.
3: When replying to a post, write your post as if you were speaking to the person face to face. Do not be a 'keyboard warrior'. Preview your post before hitting the SUBMIT POST button. You would be surprised how often you will edit your post before hitting SUBMIT if you actually take a few seconds to look it over.
4: If you ever have a problem with a moderator or with MERB in any way, deal with it here on MERB. Contact a mod by email or PM. We are always here to answer questions as we have demonstrated many times in the past. We have nothing to hide. Running elsewhere to bitch and whine about MERB and the mods is one of the best ways to make sure you have made your last post here.
5: Do not bother challenging a moderator. You will not win the fight. While we are more than willing to discuss any decision we make, we do not enjoy being insulted or treated like shit any more than you do.
One final note about Sports threads. Think of the Sports section as a mosh pit at a concert. If you decide to go in there, expect a few bruises. If you are not tough enough to handle it, stay out. Yes, there are times when people do go a bit too far, but most of the time they do not. And if you cannot handle your favorite team or player being insulted, then maybe you should be on a knitting or crocheting board instead.
Mod 8
Thanksfully i never been suspended or banned, and i hope to keep it that way. Sometimes im very vocal of my opinions and a few times i had a bad chill than next time i may be coming here i could have been suspended. You never know obviously how people take what you say, especially on a board since its text and harder to put emotions and understand the way one say it...
I saw some people being permantly banned and i was like "holy shit really...?" or suspensions that where 4 weeks for exemple for something i would had maybe give 3 days at best. On the other hand i also saw others that i would had suspended way before they did if i was a mod. I guess it comes to the same thing as in life... Opinions and Tolerance. Mods are human, and sometimes they may be more tolerant with some, and have "la meche courte" with others. Does the years of being here, the post count or the paying advertising matter? They say no... but well... We all saw some exemple over the years. Post #25 of this thread could be an exemple as well. I doubt a new guy would had his suspension shortened...
In any case, this board is a little different than the usual boards i go, wich are mostly based on video games or movies usually. The main theme is more delicate, the Mods being "anonymous" is also a first for me. One of them explained it to me one time, but i still find it a bit strange. I will admit it bugs me sometimes that i could be talking to a mod without even knowing it when he use his "regular handle". But well if they want to do it that way, its there choice.
Like i said Merb ain't your typical forum, considering the nature of the business we deal here.
