Probation Rule

[Sunken Valley]

I was wondering. I heard somewhere in this subforum a while back before I officially joined that there was this new "Probation" rule which meant that people could get unbanned once there infractions expired. However, I can't find any official mention expect inthis thread with a post from our gunslinger and I see it nowhere in the rules. Am I misunderstanding the rules? Because I haven't seen banned people coming back. Not that it's a bad thing I'm just curious about it.

[willpell]

Having come very close to getting banned over a fairly minor infraction, I would be very much in favor of such a rule.

[Serpentine]

Once you're banned, you're banned. The "probation" rule is more like an official "hey! You're about to get banned! Seriously, don't screw up again or you're outta here!"
I'd kinda like to know whether one was also officially told when one was taken off probation (not that I need to know that for personal reasons or anything coughcough <.<).

[willpell]

Your infractions come with an expiration date, so I'd assume that when one of my three redcards expires, I'm off probation (assuming I manage not to infract again immediately thereafter, which I hope I will...manage, that is, not infract).

[Rawhide]

We don't ban someone lightly, when someone reaches over 300 points, all of their warnings and infractions, their expiry dates, the reasons for getting them, their posting history, and how they have behaved since getting them are taken into account before the user is banned. This is a manual oversight which has existed since the beginning of the warning/infraction system to prevent posters (particularly long time posters who may have infractions from a year ago) who made a few mistakes but learned from them, and have made a genuine attempt to improve from them, from being banned by a minor infraction if we think they can learn from their mistakes and abide by the rules. When we elect to ban someone, the ban is permanent. No one has been unbanned after being banned through this system.

When you reach 300 infraction points, you should be aware that you are officially "on notice" (aka probation), because any infraction, no matter how minor, will trigger this review for potential banning. This is a point that needs to be made clear, you will never be banned over a "fairly minor infraction", however the infraction that brings you over 300 points will trigger a review of all of your infractions and warnings.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff: When you reach 300 points, you are put on Probation. Any further Infractions while still at 300 points will likely result in immediate banning. You'll know you're on Probation because you have 300 points, though standard procedure is for the mod who issues the 300th point to mention it. You'll know you're off probation because you have fewer than 300 points. This was an adjustment from the older practice of issuing a ban at 300 points with an occasional stay of the ban. Banning in all cases of accrued points is done after a review and not automatically. Banning is permanent and subsequent accounts by the banned poster will also be banned.

Also, no one gets banned or on Probation for "a fairly minor infraction," it takes repeated violations to get there.