Is it ethical...

[nolongerhome]

... when you are banned from a forum to simply create a new username and continue posting as you were before?

 

[seashale76]

Nope. It's trolling. If you're banned- take your toys and go home. I was banned from a board once and I moved on. The board changed management and rules, and I was suddenly on the black-list and only realized too late the forum was not one for me. I never once thought to go back to annoy them with my unwanted presence. This whole inventing multiple personalities thing is a major reason why people need to take anything on-line with a grain of salt. You never know who you're really talking to on-line.

 

[Zebra1552]

 

[Blayz]

I wonder how often it happens. I run a board, and the number of repeat offenders is very rare. I have been kicked off a few boards too, and not returned.

 

[ToddNotTodd]

Name names.

Come on, you know you want to...

 

[keith99]

... when you are banned from a forum to simply create a new username and continue posting as you were before?

In general I'd say no. But I can think of some exceptions, none of which apply to this board as I see it.

Think of a real hate site that targets kids. If someone can stand being on it and can make a difference than I'd find it ethical. Don't think I could stand doing it myself. If I tried I'd consider getting booted the first time the sign that I had done my part.

 

[Mystman]

Continuing in your old behavior: bad. The management has made it clear that that behavior is unwanted, so you're intentionally behaving like a bad guest. Not good.

But using an alternative account when you've learned from your mistake and are now going to be a model poster can be acceptable I think. (coughImayormaynothavedonesuchathingsome4yearsagoonthisveryforumcough, especially when you think that your presence on a forum can result in some greater good.

 

[Rebekka]

Well some reasons for banning someone are silly. Also, forum rules change, so being a forum member doesn't necessarily mean that you agree with the current rules even if you did when you joined.

I don't have a problem with socks, I don't trust people anyway, including those on the internet. If the posts of the new account continue to be really offensive or otherwise ban-worthy (which is debatable, but that's another subject), then he/she will get banned again, and again, and again, and eventually he/she will get tired of having to create new accounts. And if this person has enough pride, he/she will get tired of that very soon.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

... when you are banned from a forum to simply create a new username and continue posting as you were before?

I say that it depends. I once joined some obscure forum dedicated to discussing one particular political issue. Most of the posts were biased in a particular direction. I wrote one long response criticising what seemed to be the prevailing opinion, only to return the next day and find that my post had been deleted by a moderator or admin. Since I hadn't been given a reason for why it was 'moderated' off the board, I continued posting, only to be banned from the forum. Since I hadn't violated any of the terms of use, or the code of conduct, I can only presume that alternative opinion wasn't welcome, and that this was a forum for people who more-or-less agreed with one another to offer self-congratulatory pats on the back to each other.

On another not too dissimilar forum, I was once again in a position contrary to prevailing opinion. Instead of engaging in serious debate, the posters would instead presume that I was merely a sock puppet representing some obscure (and often banned) user who apparently kept coming back. Of course, there was no way I could persuade them otherwise so I simply abandoned the board.

Yet another forum was even worse. I was debating with one particular person, who also happened to be the moderator. She'd post an argument, I'd post a counter-argument. She'd delete my counter-argument, and then write gloatingly about how I lacked a counter-argument.

Of course, you realise after a short while that re-joining such forums is futile anyway. It's probably not unethical, but you wouldn't do it simply because the effort isn't worth it.

 

[DarkProphet]

... when you are banned from a forum to simply create a new username and continue posting as you were before?

First off they would probably ban you by IP so that wouldn't even work. Second, no it's not ethical because they set the rules and you are a guest.

 

[Verv]

... when you are banned from a forum to simply create a new username and continue posting as you were before?

It depends on why you were banned, I would guess.

For instance, it would not be a huge crime for a man to break into another man's house to recover something that was his by right if the Police had failed him.

 

[seashale76]

n/m