Form not content should be the focus of banning.
Racism was once the consensus opinion.
Snowdon revealed what would have been considered a conspiracy theory. Iraq war two was started by a conspiracy. (and yes, that one 'came out', but if we want to argue that any true conspiracy theory will come out, we are arguing something that is not falsifiable and also making a good case to reason around the issue)
Minority opinion holders or pernicious opinion holders should not be banned, (if they banned here with that as the jusfitication),regardless of how minor and how pernicious their beliefs seem.
People who post terribly, trollers, people who can only preach, etc.
Someone will likely say that the two usually or always go together. Well, then you have form criteria ready at hand to eliminate them. If they are not both present, then let reasoning rule and keep them present.

Speaking of bannings, could someone please remind me how to automate the ignoring of a user? I don't want them banned, just wish to "ban" them from my own view. It seems I'm stuck in an unconstructive loop and technology can probably help. Thank you.

The best way to get them to demonstrate their true intentions is to let them speak. Obviously by banning them in the first post, you only give an argument against the forum, as they have not yet shown their teeth. Obviously, if a person creates a post with the title "The Holocaust was Good" - for example - it should be banned immediately, but those who just "sympathize" with certain ideas - like Nazism - but do not make it clear, it is better to let them self-acuse with their posts.

part of the discipline is learning not to react to some posts.

In your case I believe that pharmaceutical technology would be most efficacious.

In your case I believe that pharmaceutical technology would be most efficacious. — praxis

Love pharmaceutical technology!

In your case I believe that less pharmaceutical technology would be most beneficial.

In your case I believe that less pharmaceutical technology would be most beneficial. — praxis

Lol. You know me too well!

Might I add, more might be beneficial for you.

Sometimes I wonder where the Great philosophers got their pharmaceutical tech from. How else did they think up that shit?

@Hippyhead was banned for being a returned banned member.

How did you figure that out?

When he joined, he was suspected of being Jake due to posting style and post content. He wasn't banned immediately because there wasn't sufficient evidence that he was Jake. Now, he's claimed to be a returning banned member in a PM.

Suicide by mod kinda thing.

Buddhism, which I claim only very limited knowledge of. — Jake

like myself who really know little about Buddhism — Hippyhead

Putin as the world's leading gangster — Jake

Putin is a gangster — Hippyhead

Maybe if it was 'Putin is a gangster', then 'Putin is a gangsta', it would have gone unnoticed by the mod bots.

he was suspected of being Jake — fdrake

I guess you need context for this not to make you laugh out loud. :lol:

I mean, to be fair there's not many views to hold and styles to express them.. but if you know you know I guess.

I guess you need context for this not to make you laugh out loud. :lol:

I mean, to be fair there's not many views to hold and styles to express them.. but if you know you know I guess. — Outlander

Yes, if you would have had a discussion with him, you'd think it was pretty evident... Knowledge is bad, nuclear missiles are very bad!

I guess you need context for this not to make you laugh out loud. :lol: — Outlander

I am a shambles.

@fdrake is DW

When he joined, he was suspected of being Jake due to posting style and post content. — fdrake

This is extremely impressive - or at least I am that impressed. And I'm not sure what to make of it. It implies the mods put in a hell-of-a-lot more work and labor on this site than I had even any clue of. Perhaps the mods might put their heads together (not too hard!) on a joint statement intimating just how much work they do, what and how they do it, and how much time and effort it takes. I'm pretty sure at least some of us would be humbled and amazed.

I suppose that a post I made in his ‘Suggestions’ topic yesterday may have had something to do with it.

I was considering starting a topic on it in the hope of putting it out of its misery and did some research, starting with a forum search for "nature of thought." Turns out that I appear to have discussed the topic with you more that I thought. You are Jake, right? a guy that was banned a couple of years ago for posting a picture of your wife's boobies. — praxis

It felt kinda shitty to out him like this but I couldn’t resist the temptation to see how he’d handle it. I bet he wouldn’t have been banned if he just ignored it. Anyway, ultimately his ‘Suggestions’ topic proved to be successful in improving the quality of the forum so he can put a feather in his cap for that.

And yes, Jake, I realize that banning me would improve the quality of the forum also.

This is extremely impressive - or at least I am that impressed. And I'm not sure what to make of it. It implies the mods put in a hell-of-a-lot more work and labor on this site than I had even any clue of. Perhaps the mods might put their heads together (not too hard!) on a joint statement intimating just how much work they do, what and how they do it, and how much time and effort it takes. I'm pretty sure at least some of us would be humbled and amazed. — tim wood

I built an AI that analyses everyone's posts and determines the probability that two posters are the same person based on subject matter and writing style. Took me most of a Sunday evening.

I was about to say @Michael does it all and the rest of us kind of just watch in awe. But he saved me the trouble.

You got me. I'm a self-programmed AI.

Modbot!

I built an AI that analyses everyone's posts and determines the probability that two posters are the same person based on subject matter and writing style. Took me most of a Sunday evening. — Michael

Um. You're not kidding? I am of being a dinosaur occasionally made aware, but they being ferocious and terrible I find some pride in it. But this just reminds that dinosaurs are also extinct. And in some cases even while they are alive!

From now on I'll only post in ancient Greek and Latin to avoid the bot.

You are Jake, right? a guy that was banned a couple of years ago for posting a picture of your wife's boobies. — praxis

Why the...? What the...? I mean... Why?!?

All kinds of people burnout or whatever and essentially ban themselves. Just indicates some lack of self-control, I guess.

All kinds of people burnout or whatever and essentially ban themselves. Just indicates some lack of self-control, I guess. — praxis

Maybe he had a major problem with the forum and his wife at the same time. Still... Bizarre!