Estoppel Suspensions

[AB Editor]

We've just suspended 13 members who decided to post nonsense in a thread in Law.

I'm making this post as it will hopefully cut down on the number of indignant emails we get... It's a bit of a special case as it's a large number of members and many of them are long serving and much liked members.

I shouldn't have to say this - but there's only one place for nonsense, and that's Chatterbank.

In Law heads roll when you muck about.

But you know that already...

Here is the thread:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Law/Question1307583.html

My comment is at the end here, where I closed the question:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Law/Question1307583-31.html

Users were suspended for passing judgement, spamming nonsense, being rude, counting the number of answers in hope of getting to whateverhundred, posting irrelevant answers, encouraging irrelevant answers, and generally taking the piss.

Some of these users also gave good answers and then went of the rails. It makes it a little sadder than restraint couldn't have been shown on their part.

I know it's easy to get swept up in a bit of playground bullying.

But they weren't in a playground.

I know sometimes those asking questions can be frustrating, but the lack of empathy and compassion was stunning. If you don't like something, please just avoid posting on it... I have no idea why this isn't obvious.

Apologies to the rest of you - you're probably as bored of this kind of behaviour as I am, and would prefer to not read any more about it.

All the best,

Ab Editor.

PS. I don't care if it's "unfair" in any way. Thanks.

[Saki]

I'm curious also!

[shoota]

I suspect "Alex" and his suspended friend were very closely related indeed.

[jno]

he had inquired about his friend before but I suppose hadn't got the answer he hoped for. Still, I'm glad his posts have been saved as some of them under Technology and Computers have been very helpful.

[pixie373]

How do you know who is suspended? The removed answers don't have avatars beside them? I'm wondering if i was a bit "skin of the teeth", as although i wouldn't treat anyone as a troll (i wouldn't know if they were), my "advice" was more practical than legal...

[boxtops]

If someone's suspended, they go back to being a jelly man, don't they..? I've only just come in, just catching up with what looks like a busy day....

[B00]

Might have a point there jno!

Ahhh, that makes sense shoota, ta x

[pixie373]

Ah. Thanks boxy, i didn't know that. But where can you see the avatars? Weren't they removed from the thread?

[jno]

pixie, if you click on their username it should come up with their details, including active/suspended. Plus if they had an avatar it vanishes. If your little blue butterfly vanishes I shall shed a tear.

[boxtops]

The posts you can see as removed were reported/ taken off as the thread progressed, by the look of it, so we've no idea who those people were - but I've just clicked on some of the jelly men near the end of the thread, and as jno says, you can see then who's still active or not. Threads don't disappear from suspended people, only banned or removed, as I understand it?

[pixie373]

Oh, i see. Thank you xx

[Sqad]

boxy....I still don't understand......the removed posts also have the avatar removed.....no jelly men or anything.

[boxtops]

As I understand it - if a single answer is removed because it gives offence or whatever, it goes altogether, avatar and all.

If someone is suspended, their threads stay (after all, they may be reinstated at a later date) - but their avatars turn to jelly - assuming they had a picture in the first place.

If someone's banned, the whole lot vanishes, history 'n'all.

Perhaps someone can confirm this?

[Sqad]

boxy.....LOL.....I love you!

[boxtops]

< flutter....>

[Sqad]

boxy...I have worked out one and had it confirmed on the profile.....;-)

Only another 18 to go....

[ladybirder]

So have I got to click through 600 odd posts if I want to know who has been suspended? Eckaslike, I go to the foot of our stairs!

[Spoonboy]

Can we get banned on Ed's blog for chatting?!!

[boxtops]

I wouldn't risk it, spoonboy :-)

[jno]

you bet, just look at the bleeding corpses littering the first few pages...

[Spoonboy]

I agree with Ed's suspension rule: especially if someone is rude.