Got my account locked on a big forum for a joke about a video game character

So I posted a dumb joke on a gaming forum about how a certain character in a popular RPG was basically just a reskin of another one from an older game. It was just a silly comparison, nothing serious. Next thing I know, my account is permanently locked for 'targeted harassment'. I'm not even sure who I was supposedly harassing, the fictional character? I lost access to a 5 year old account with all my old guides and posts, and I had a $20 site credit in my profile from a contest win that's just gone now. The mods wouldn't even tell me which rule I broke, just sent a copy-paste reply. On one side, I get that mods have a tough job, but on the other, it feels like they're just banning anything that might cause the slightest bit of friction without actually reading the context. Has anyone else had a forum just delete their whole history over something this trivial?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda6584d ago

Forum mods have turned into overzealous hall monitors lately. They see a joke and just hit the ban button without reading the room. It's why I barely post on those big sites anymore.

the_oliver4d ago

Got a three day ban last month for calling a server crash a "feature." The mod said it was spreading misinformation. I've started reading every post out loud in a monotone voice before hitting submit, just to be safe. You're right about the big sites, linda658, the fun gets edited out until you're just typing instruction manuals. My current strategy is to act like a confused grandpa who wandered into the wrong forum.