I am not Dizzy

[PsYcHo]

Shouldn't inappropriate behavior have negative consequences so that the same behavior is less likely to reoccur?

I'm sure you and Brim will have a much more intellectual repertoire than I could provide, so I'll just say this then back off for a bit.

I've read back a bit, and as I see it, a member was banned for being an ass. Presumably, they came back under a new identity. Their new persona, while not being ideal towards the main objective of the forum, still managed to not be as vitriolic, and while they didn't contribute much to serious discussions, did refrain from being a total ass, and possibly managed to try and make the forum a more active place.

I'd say the initial ban worked, and there is always the option to impose another ban if said person returns to their previous ways. But as long as they're going by the rules of the playground now, what's the harm in letting them play?

[brimstoneSalad]

Holding grudges discourages change.

What do you think of operant conditioning? Shouldn't inappropriate behavior have negative consequences so that the same behavior is less likely to reoccur?

If it is repeated after remission, sure. But those consequences must be temporary. Persistent consequences aren't encouraging.
Like when people get life sentences; if that's the worst that can be done, what encourages improvement in behavior after that?

[Jebus]

If it is repeated after remission, sure. But those consequences must be temporary. Persistent consequences aren't encouraging.
Like when people get life sentences; if that's the worst that can be done, what encourages improvement in behavior after that?

That's not exactly the point of a life sentence. The point is to deter the potential criminal and if that doesn't work to remove them from society. Some may think there is no point in being civil on a forum if one can simply sign up again after being banned. In that case, a suspension period would be a better option. Being banned should mean being banned

[brimstoneSalad]

That's not exactly the point of a life sentence. The point is to deter the potential criminal and if that doesn't work to remove them from society.

Sure, but it's not possible to do that. People can always lie and say they're different people. Even an IP address can be faked pretty easily with a proxy (and banning IPs risks banning other members who use the same IPs, like at a school).

It's easier to ban people than for them to sign up for accounts, so the punishment becomes tedium of making new email addresses and signing up over and over again. Eventually that gets old when all they have to do is follow the relatively minimal forum rules.

Dizzy would have to weigh in on what convinced him to stop typing in caps. He changed pretty quickly.