Ban-a-thon

[Gandalf Parker]

How does any punishment work for anything? Internet or real world. Same comments, same answers.

And I agree about Norfleet.
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showp...1&postcount=35

[Zapmeister]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

How does any punishment work for anything? Internet or real world. Same comments, same answers.

Eh? I was asking a technical question: How does whatever-they-do actually prevent banned people from using the forum?

rdonj said they use an IP block, but if that means just blocking a single IP, thats never going to be effective in our DHCP world.

There's no analogy to this problem in the real world (that I can think of).

[Tim Brooks]

Eh? I was asking a technical question: How does whatever-they-do actually prevent banned people from using the forum?

rdonj said they use an IP block, but if that means just blocking a single IP, thats never going to be effective in our DHCP world.

Hi Zapmeister:

Actually our bans work on a couple of levels. Still there are always ways around any ban. The biggest detriment to the banned individual is that they can no longer use their username on the forums.

We haven't had to ban that many individuals, and most just don't come back, but every once in a while we have those trying to come back on with a new identity. We usually catch them in registration or not long after. Most people find it hard to change their ways and you can usually tell when someone has returned. And if they do return, change their ways, follow the rules, and play nice, well usually that is all we wanted from them from the beginning...

Hope that helps.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally Posted by Zapmeister

Eh? I was asking a technical question: How does whatever-they-do actually prevent banned people from using the forum?

rdonj said they use an IP block, but if that means just blocking a single IP, thats never going to be effective in our DHCP world.

There's no analogy to this problem in the real world (that I can think of).

[opinionated rant on]
The answer is that it doesnt. Just like nothing ever stops anything. Locks dont stop crime, death sentence doesnt stop killings, copy protection doesnt stop piracy, tickets dont stop speeding.

Ive been involved in enforcement at various levels in both real and virtual worlds for a couple of decades and I hear it so often. My usual response is "Its not my job to stop anything. If it was then things would be done quite differently. Its my job to make it as difficult as possible for as many as possible for as long as possible hoping they get the hint". The deeper purpose is to usually to avoid open blatant in-your-face violations.

In the case of IP bans, no they dont stop reconnection. A person can probably make it back in, under a new name, and act in a way that no one figures out its him/her. But if they can pull that off then isnt the purpose served anyway?
[/end of rant]

The above statements are not meant to any way reflect the opinions of the management, the military, my employer, nor any other organization I have ever been associated with.

[quantum_mechani]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

A person can probably make it back in, under a new name, and act in a way that no one figures out its him/her.

This is a real problem. It's especially hard to moderate if there person in question is in a position of power, fortunately when some sleazebag tries this it usually becomes quite obvious.