The recent bans on PianoWorld

Monoch

I think this is correct.

I remember that when I was banned, the forum would only show a blank page because I was banned but logged in. The solution is to log out after which the forum is readable because it's also public 🙂 I don't remember whether you can actually log out when banned but in that case just delete the cookie for PW in the browser and reload the forum. Or open a private tab.

Drew-r Would you please spell it out a bit more …. are you saying the banned are not allowed to even read at PW? This suggests they are monitoring IPAddrs, cookies or other embedded finger prints , which might be called for if we were Snowden wannabes, but we’re talking a garden variety web forum here, not the Pentagon ….. ? what, exactly, is incognito mode?

Your login at just about any web site is recorded by your browser in a cookie ... in the form of an encrypted code. The browser records it when asked to by the web site. So, whenever you visit a site, any prior cookies left by that site are sent to the site. That includes your I-am-logged-in-here cookie.

So if I was logged into PW (I was) and then banned (I was), then on my next visit the web site knows who I am and responds accordingly. Since I'm banned it replies with a "you are banned".

Whenever I log out (any web site) the I-am-logged-in-here cookie is deleted. In my case I manually deleted the PW cookies. So on my next visit I was able to view normally ... but not logged in. So I have no preference settings, and I have no identity there.

Incognito mode is available in some (most?) browsers. In this mode the use of cookies is restricted ... so you remain relatively anonymous. There are more details that I omit ... but being retired I just don't much care for techie stuff anymore. I was something like a CyberGene in my younger days. Now I'm more like grandpa in a rocking chair. 🙂

Drew-r While this is for anyone to answer I want to ask the multi-offender PW ex-cons if they know or at least have a good feel for - why all the cloak & dagger drama with how banning goes down ….

I have no problem with the moderators not writing a report for all to read, about why this or that member was banned.

What bothers me, is when the banned one gets no explanation, no prior warning, and no chance to contact the moderators, as to why he was banned, as CyberGene explained was the case with him, two times.

You can read about it in the Heads-up thread at Piano World.

Like CyberGene, I, too, am two-time banned.

I've been reading that heads-up thread on PW. Opinions are split on this affair. But I get a sense that many there are unhappy about the situation.

Regardless ... I prefer to forget about it. I'm enjoying this forum more than PW. So I'm here to stay, and there no more.

I'm glad to be here. I'm unhappy about the bans on PW because the explanation that the posts were off-topic and that a ban was warranted - isn't satisfactory enough for me. As a forum of adult members, I believe we can steer ourselves back on track as a community - which we have done on several threads (that Clavinova thread comes to mind.)

I'm also tired of the archaic architecture of PW - I'd prefer a contemporary solution like we have here.

You said it!

mmatthew I'd prefer a contemporary solution like we have here.

This is how it looks. Banned....😞😞😞

😉😉🍺🍺🍺

mmatthew - Usable on a mobile phone! I create an account just to say that ;0

MBiG This is how it looks. Banned....😞😞😞

There's no need for the sad faces.

I got the same message that you got.
Regarding the off-topic rules, it says If you feel as though you can't comply, don't bother coming back.
Well ... I don't feel that I can comply, so I won't be coming back.

bSharpCyclist Usable on a mobile phone! I create an account just to say that

Actually this has been my main motivation to start researching forum software because I've complained so much on PW. I chose this forum software exactly because it looks and feels so good one on mobile. But what is more, I installed an extension that would automatically follow the day/night mode of my iPhone and Mac and would automatically switch between the light and dark theme. I'm so happy with Flarum!

MBiG Are you even able to read the rules while banned?

MBiG

That seems condescending and spiteful.

It's how some parents (not me) might talk to a misbehaving child. It's not professional or courteous at all. Two qualities that should be present in this context when dealing with adults. SMH.

God bless,
David

MBiG

The king has spoken and the unworthy have to kneel. It is crazy how detached the moderation is.

/spit

In all fairness, I believe this is a template because my ban for off topic from a year ago had the same wording if I remember correctly.

David B That seems condescending and spiteful.

That was exactly my reaction.

I think the bans are discussed amongst all the mods and the owner. But I think this condescending tone is coming specifically from Ken Knapp. He's one of the mods, and also (apparently) the site nanny.

As for not being able to read the rules when banned ... I think you cannot. But it's too late now for me to try. I've deleted the cookies so I can only go there in public mode (not logged in).

But that brings to mind a funny situation from work in the late 1990s. The email system went down, which creates quite a hubbub in the corporate world. Anyway ... the support team create a notification about the outage, and sent it to everyone ... VIA EMAIL ! 🙂

@ dear PC members
Although I am not a native speaker, I had the same impression when reading. Something very arrogant and not with appreciation. It may be that this is the standard text or the standard page, which one holds at the temporary ban.

@Deleted
But the best is yet to come. I want to devote myself to self-study of PW's forum rules again in the next few weeks to become a better person. Unfortunately, the link on this page doesn't work for me and frankly I'm too convenient to search for the rules elsewhere. Well, it's not easy in life.....

MacMacMac
I will continue to honor PW in the future only as a reading member. (The experts are almost all here anyway 🙂 )

When I saw CG's post on PW, I pulled out today immediately.

This morning, I sensed (what I feel is) support for the mods action - which was to ban members stating off-topic as a reason.

The reason is lame. A public post, on the same thread, from the mods would have been enough - I have seen that approach in some other forums I am part of. Just a post warning members or gently reminding them, would have sufficed. I will admit that I don't know if the banned members were warned (via PMs) or not.

No warning. Just ... shazzam ... that ban-screen appeared.