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Notes -
I find this a fascinating question. It represents a very different cost for each of us. For me, even though I've been around since the original SSC CW thread, I've always been a very low-volume poster. As a result, I'd barely notice being banned, whereas it would probably be significantly impactful for the people you mentioned. Such a system wouldn't bother me. I'd eat a life ban for Ilforte or @TheDag or somebody, honestly, if it worked like that.
I recognize what you're saying, though, and I don't mean to minimize the costs imposed by misbehavior. Certainly repeat offenders should be penalized, and I don't disagree with your decision to ban BC for a while. From my perspective, though, as someone who is usually here with the intention of reading The Motte rather than digging in to the Culture War with my own hands, it's better to have someone like BurdensomeCount around rather than not. This is because while he does break the rules, I admit that, he also has a reasonably good chance of saying something that makes me think about things differently. That's what I'm here for, and that's why I felt like standing up for him. But of course - it's not all about me, by any means. Indeed I think it's probably more important to make mod decisions with the contributors in mind, not the readers. So I get it.
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