The look of being banned

October 18, 2002 8:13 PM

I'm just curious. What does one see when they've been banned from MeFi? After a smoting, do they just get the 404, or is there some neener-neener message? (I would have emailed number 1 with this query, but I'll bet dollors-to-donuts I'm not the only one who wants to know.)
posted by Wulfgar! to MetaFilter-Related at 8:13 PM (40 comments total)

I would imagine folks who get banned are only banned from posting comments or links, not from viewing Metafilter alogether. Most likely they receive some kind of harsh email, after which their password no longer works and they can't log in.
posted by bonheur at 8:16 PM on October 18, 2002

If I am not mistaken they get sent to Plastic.
posted by riffola at 8:23 PM on October 18, 2002

Well that would be kinda anti-climatic don'tcha think? (I think you're right, but I'm still rather curious.) And I do have to say that that might be the cruelest punishment of all (the look but don't touch thingy. The Plastic idea is awesome!!!).
posted by Wulfgar! at 8:26 PM on October 18, 2002

There is one sure fire way to find out Wulfgar!

How are you going to do it?

I recommend posting a series of linkless posts over a few days in the blue, and then follow it up with a lengthy explanation/personal confession/meltdown on metatalk.

*grabs some popcorn*

On with the show!
posted by malphigian at 9:02 PM on October 18, 2002

May I have a moment of your time ...
posted by Wulfgar! at 9:06 PM on October 18, 2002

they can't post any more comments or links, then I bounce them to plastic if they've been especially bad.

If it's a light hand slap or a quick cooling down, I email them to tell them why, if it's bad like this last guy, they don't get the email, and are instantly bounced out of the site.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:43 PM on October 18, 2002

They seriously get booted to Plastic? I thought riffola was joking. That is so awesome.
posted by Hildago at 10:22 PM on October 18, 2002

The Matt™ is just and merciful, but has a wicked wit.
posted by ColdChef at 10:32 PM on October 18, 2002

Plastic: "Give us your banned, your trolls, your wretched spammers yearning to breathe free"

... and we will crush them with moderation. ;-P

posted by mischief at 12:42 AM on October 19, 2002

Alright, I shouldn't even bring this up. I feel bad doing it. But, anyway, sooner or later a "paid" username is going to get banned and ask: Do I get my $5 back?

So does s/he? Or is it forfeited as a troll-fee?
posted by Shane at 10:37 AM on October 19, 2002

Also, the time-stamp on the comment before my comment above is later than the time-stamp on my comment. Hmm...
posted by Shane at 10:41 AM on October 19, 2002

now available at mefi/meta: time travelling
posted by ginz at 10:54 AM on October 19, 2002

Also, the time-stamp on the comment before my comment above is later than the time-stamp on my comment.

No it isn't. 12am comes before 10am.
posted by daveadams at 10:56 AM on October 19, 2002

Bluebottle voice: That am stuff tricked me.
posted by ginz at 11:10 AM on October 19, 2002

Shane, I noticed it in the Kilimanjaro thread too.. for me, the second to the last comment was made an hour after the last comment.

I would ask Matt to fix it, but I don't ever want to go to Plastic.com again.
posted by Hildago at 11:45 AM on October 19, 2002

Wait, so the big hand is on the ... ok, and the small hand is on the.. damnit!
posted by Hildago at 11:47 AM on October 19, 2002

Where's Lisa when you need her, eh?
posted by Orange Goblin at 12:37 PM on October 19, 2002

That happened to me (but not really). Right after 9/11, a coworker of mine from my old job posted some ridiculous nonsense using the handle announcer, and Matt banned the IP. Alluva sudden, whenever I or dogmatic went to the site, we got booted straight to Plastic. All was worked out with Matt, but that's exactly what happened. We could see MeFi and MeTa, but when we tried to log in from that IP, Plastic.com it was.
posted by adampsyche at 3:55 PM on October 19, 2002

What does one see when they've been banned from MeFi?

They see this, for all eternity

posted by matteo at 4:05 PM on October 19, 2002

Not to derail the thread, but the time "glitch" is really an issue of time zones, Shane.

I'm in central Japan, so my posts rarely match the rest of the thread (unless planetkyoto happens to be around.)
So far, Sunday has been a good day.
posted by squasha at 4:28 PM on October 19, 2002

I told them digital watches would ruin everything.

Damn new fangled fintoozlers.
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:37 PM on October 19, 2002

Ah, well, so I'm not too sharp with a.m./p.m. Matteo, that was a cool link. That Borscht guy is great. (Least I know my art.)
posted by Shane at 5:12 PM on October 19, 2002

Hieronymous is the brother of Anonymous, who published so many wonderful poems.
posted by Hildago at 5:46 PM on October 19, 2002

I've read Anonymous! I'm a big fan.
posted by Shane at 6:04 PM on October 19, 2002

I've read Anonymous! I'm a big fan.

Thanks, but many write him/her off as an Idiot. - luv m . ;-P
posted by mischief at 6:17 PM on October 19, 2002

Darn! I thought I'd found an impressive, obscure author. Well, Cordwainer Bird is a relative of Anonymous, and HE's no slouch. Neither is Arland Hellisunk, for that matter.
posted by Shane at 6:28 PM on October 19, 2002

This is one of Anonymous's better works.
posted by mss at 6:55 PM on October 19, 2002

Gulp...I...I'd never been to Plastic before. It reminds me of Sartre's Hell--there's no outright torture, but the people will slowly drive you mad. Remind me not to get banned.


posted by hippugeek at 7:24 PM on October 19, 2002

Plastic can actually sometimes be more readable and all-round intelligent than our beloved blue 'filter, these days, I find. But the threading still puts me off, and after something like two years being a member there, I still haven't commented.

Guess that explanez teh inTelijens.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:20 PM on October 19, 2002

the threading still puts me off

Some people are linear, and some people are multidimensional.

posted by mischief at 2:54 AM on October 20, 2002

Now I'm trying to figure out if you're being insulting or not. But then, as I implied, I'm not really that clever.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 2:59 AM on October 20, 2002

I'll never tell. ;-P
posted by mischief at 4:01 AM on October 20, 2002

I've tied plastic. it makes my head hurt. so i will go back to paper.
posted by clavdivs at 6:59 AM on October 20, 2002

Is it just me or is clavdivs reading a lot more coherently in his latest few comments? That last one was really funny. Can you waggle your eyebrows furiously, too? ♥
posted by Lynsey at 6:11 PM on October 20, 2002

I think we can attribute that to his usage of short sentences.

posted by mischief at 6:41 PM on October 20, 2002

Plastic can actually sometimes be more readable and all-round intelligent than our beloved blue 'filter, these days

Perhaps I just read the wrong threads. The comments I saw reminded me of mine on a bad day. And nobody wants to read that.
posted by hippugeek at 12:39 AM on October 21, 2002

Plastic makes my head hurt too - like trying to listen to every conversation at a party at once. A teenage party. Perhaps it's just because I'm linear?
posted by dg at 5:50 AM on October 21, 2002

A piano is linear, a guitar is 2-dimensional; both make excellent music.

posted by mischief at 9:39 AM on October 21, 2002

I'm a piano? Now I'm really confused ;-)
posted by dg at 5:47 PM on October 21, 2002

Only because someone is pressing the wrong keys.

posted by mischief at 6:42 PM on October 21, 2002