How they work: Warnings, Infraction points and Bans

Warnings, Infraction points and Bans

The following procedures are in place regarding the issuing by moderators of official warnings, infraction points and bans.

1. For a first offence, for minor offences, or for any breach of the site posting guidelines, at moderator discretion members may be issued an official Warning. A yellow card appears on any post that attracts a warning, and a PM is sent to the member in question. No infraction points accrue for warnings.

2. A Warning may also be given where a member has had no warnings or bans for a considerable period of time.

3. For more serious breaches or repeat offences, or offences committed after previous warning(s), a moderator may issue a Temporary Ban. The maximum length of any ban will depend on the member's current infraction point total. You can view your current infraction point total by viewing your profile and looking at the "Infractions" tab.

4. Moderators may issue bans of the following lengths or less, at their discretion, depending on the member's current total number of infraction points:

Code:

Number of infraction points    Maximum permissible ban
0                               3 days
1                               7 days
2                              14 days
3                               1 month
4 or more                       1 month + membership reviewed

This is the "ban cycle".

5. Each time a member is temporarily banned, 1 infraction point is added to his or her active infraction point total.

6. Each infraction point expires automatically 4 months after the ban associated with the point was issued.

7. Any member with 4 or more active infraction points is a candidate for permanent banning from sciforums. This decision is made by administrators in consultation with the moderators.

8. After a member returns from a temporary ban, there will be a red card on the post (or one of the posts) that attracted the ban, and a PM will be available informing the member of why they were banned (including the offending post).

9. Obvious spammers or vandals may be immediately permanently banned by moderators without prejudice and without following the ban cycle given above.