c/behind-the-ban

17

hannaho52•8h ago

Found out Reddit permanently bans 7 million accounts a year and that number blew my mind

I was reading through some transparency report Reddit put out for 2023 and it said they ban roughly 7 million accounts annually for policy violations. That's like the entire population of Washington state getting kicked off every year. What I didn't realize is most of those are spam bots getting nuked before they even post anything, but still. Has anyone else looked into how many are actual real people versus bots in those numbers?

16

skylercooper•2d ago

Got banned from a gardening forum for mentioning a specific weed killer

I found out last month that a popular gardening site quietly bans any mention of glyphosate products, even in DIY recipes. I posted a tip using a 2% solution for poison ivy and got permanently removed within 10 minutes. Has anyone else hit this kind of policy on a niche forum?

3

henrygrant•6d ago

My post about fixing a broken AC got deleted from a HVAC forum for 'promoting dangerous methods'

I posted a detailed walkthrough of how I bypassed a faulty capacitor on my window unit using a jumper wire, just to get it running for one more night until the part arrived. The mods swooped in within 10 minutes and nuked the thread, saying it could cause fires or shocks. I get the safety thing, but the forum is supposed to be for DIYers and I even put a big warning at the top. Has anyone else had a helpful tip banned because the mods were too strict about liability?

10

gavin_clark•7d ago

Paid $120 for a premium VPN after my ISP warning - did I just waste money or save my hide?

Got a nastygram from my provider about torrenting a Linux distro last month, so I shelled out for a no-logs VPN service that promised total privacy. Now I'm wondering if I just threw cash at a problem that could have been solved with free proxies or if I actually dodged a bigger headache down the road. Did spending that kind of money actually fix anything for you, or am I just paranoid?

27

black.amy•7d ago

Got banned from a local gardening group for posting a photo of my marigolds

Honestly, I just wanted to share a picture of the marigolds I grew from seed this spring. They were bright orange and covered about 3 feet of my front bed. The admin said I was 'promoting invasive species' because marigolds aren't native to our area in Ohio. Has anyone else dealt with a group that bans flowers just because they're not local?

18

henrygrant•7d ago

Banned from a Discord for a screenshot I didn't even mean to post

Ngl, I was in this fan server for a niche indie game, and I accidentally pasted a screenshot from a private chat with a friend. It had some dumb inside joke about a mod, not even a big deal. The mod gave me a warning, but then another user kept reporting it until I got banned. It stuck with me because I realized how one person can weaponize rules to mess with you, even when you didn't mean harm. Anyone else get banned over something accidental like that?

10

elliotr39•7d ago

Banned from a hiking forum for mentioning trail maintenance

Last month I posted in a big Appalachian Trail group about a section near Harpers Ferry that was getting overgrown. I mentioned a local volunteer crew had done some light trimming there back in March. Well, apparently the mods thought I was promoting illegal trail cutting because they flagged it as 'encouraging unauthorized alterations.' I tried to explain it was official work with the park service, but they didn't respond. Has anyone else run into overzealous moderation in outdoor communities?

21

ryan_nelson•9d ago

Finally got unbanned from a Discord server after 8 months of appeals

I got banned from a gaming Discord for 'spamming' when I just posted a link to a friend's stream once. Took me 8 months of sending polite messages to the mod team before someone actually read my appeal. They admitted it was a mistake and let me back in yesterday lol. Has anyone else had to grind that long just to get a ban reversed?

8

aaron896•10d ago

Got banned from a local foodie Facebook group for calling out a bad review

Last month I commented on a post where someone gave a 1-star review to my restaurant for serving medium-rare salmon. The reviewer said it was undercooked and dangerous. I replied explaining that medium-rare salmon is actually standard in most fine dining places and that the USDA even says it's safe at 145F. The mods deleted my comment and then banned me 24 hours later for "harassing a customer." Meanwhile the original review stayed up. Has anyone else gotten booted from a local business group for just sharing facts about your own job?

9

jesse773•12d ago

Got banned from a hiking forum for comparing trail runners to boots

I posted that trail runners are objectively better for most day hikes under 10 miles after switching last summer and shaving off 45 minutes on a local loop near Boulder. The mods said I was 'spreading unsafe advice' and gave me a permanent timeout. Has anyone else gotten flak for preferring lighter gear over the traditional stuff?

13

fiona_sullivan29•13d ago

I finally found out why my old Myspace account got deleted back in 2009

I was digging through old emails last week and found a notice saying my account was removed for posting "malicious links" which turned out to be a quiz I made about celebrity crushes that auto-shared to everyone's profiles. Turns out the site had a zero tolerance policy on auto-sharing scripts back then, even if you didn't know you were breaking the rule. Has anyone else gotten hit with a ban for something that seemed totally harmless at the time?

36

the_dakota•13d ago

Banned from a woodworking forum for pointing out a popular plan had bad joinery

I joined a big woodworking forum last year and saw everyone raving about a free table plan some guy posted. I built it and noticed the joints were basically just glue and pocket screws with no real strength. I wrote a polite comment saying the design would fail after a year, and the mod banned me for 'negative posting.' Two months later someone else posted a photo of the exact same table splitting apart. Has anyone else been booted from a hobby group just for giving honest feedback?

21

margaretrivera•13d ago

Got banned from a local gardening forum for saying I don't mulch my trees

Some guy named Dave went on a 3 paragraph rant about how my 8 year old oaks were doomed, so I replied that I've been running a tree service for 15 years and never mulch near the trunk, and the mod permabanned me for 'spreading dangerous misinformation' - has anyone else been kicked out of a hobby group for actual real world experience?

19

miller.avery•13d ago

Noticed something weird at the library in my town last month

I stopped into the public library in Springfield to return some books and saw a whole display of banned books. But the thing is, none of them were the classics you hear about like Huckleberry Finn or Catcher in the Rye. It was all newer stuff like graphic novels and books about gender identity. I asked the librarian about it and she said the display was because someone tried to get three books removed from the children's section. She couldn't tell me who complained but it got me wondering how often stuff like this happens in small town libraries. Has anyone else run into a situation like this where a book got challenged in your local library?

7

the_dakota•16d ago

Mods banned me from a gardening group for saying I don't use pesticides

I got permabanned from a local gardening FB group last week for posting that I let aphids stay on my rose bushes because the ladybugs need food too. The admin said I was 'promoting pest infestations' after I replied to someone asking about chemical sprays. I was trying to explain how I've kept my garden thriving for 4 years in Portland without any poison. Has anyone else been kicked out of a group for saying something that went against the popular method?

14

henry_palmer24•17d ago

Unpopular opinion: premium dog food brands are a total racket

I spent $80 on a bag of that fancy grain-free stuff for my lab and he got sick after three days, vet said it was the high protein content. Anyone else had a pet react badly to expensive chow?

7

king.kevin•18d ago

Twitter suspended me for calling a politician a 'liar' with no warning

I posted a screenshot of a local city councilman's broken promise about fixing potholes in my neighborhood, and I called him a liar. Twitter hit me with a permanent suspension within 2 hours, no appeal possible. The councilman had 400 followers and mine was a verified account with 3,000. Has anyone else lost their account for way less than the people who actually cause problems?

8

piper_dixon45•21d ago

Banned from a camera forum for comparing mirrorless and DSLR autofocus

I posted in a photography forum last month comparing my Sony A7III's eye tracking to a friend's Canon 5D Mark IV. I said mirrorless was way faster for moving subjects after testing both at a local dog park for 2 hours. The mods deleted my post and banned me for 'starting a flame war' but I was just sharing honest results. Do you think comparing gear performance is censorship or just keeping the peace?

30

roberts.jordan•23d ago

Got warned by a mod about using affiliate links in a review sub and brushed it off - permabanned next day

Posted a review of a cheap lens for my camera in a photography group. Someone said I should disclose my affiliate link. Thought they were being dramatic. Woke up to a permanent ban with no appeal. Anyone else get caught off guard by rules you skimmed over?

10

thompson.robin•25d ago

Hit 1,000 posts on a knitting forum and got banned the next day

I'd been on this knitting forum for about 4 years, just posting patterns and helping newbies with tension issues. Checked my profile one day and saw I'd hit exactly 1,000 posts. Felt kind of proud of that number, like I'd really become part of the community. Next morning I logged in and my account was gone. No warning, no message. Turns out I'd posted a link to a free pattern that was too similar to a paid one from a forum sponsor. The mods didn't care that I'd been active for years. That 1,000 post milestone felt like a slap in the face after that. Has anyone else been banned right after hitting a big milestone like that?

0

nathan545•27d ago

Got banned from a local hiking group for pointing out that their "leave no trace" posts still showed a campfire ring in every photo

I called out the hypocrisy after 4 months of watching the admin post scenic shots with visible fire scars, and they booted me within 20 minutes has anyone else seen this selective enforcement issue in outdoor communities?

10

paul_thompson67•1mo ago

Had to pick between reporting a toxic coworker or staying quiet

I worked at a small marketing agency in Austin for about 2 years. There was this one guy who kept taking credit for my work and making snide comments in meetings. I had to choose between filing an HR complaint or just letting it slide to keep the peace. I reported him after he stole my campaign data for a big client pitch. Got banned from the company Slack and eventually let go because they said I created a hostile work environment instead of dealing with it privately. Has anyone else gotten punished for speaking up about stuff like this?

12

barbara278•1mo ago

Got banned from a power tool forum for sharing a battery rebuild method

I posted step-by-step how to replace individual 18650 cells in a Makita 18V pack (with a spot welder from Amazon for $45). The mod said it was dangerous and people might burn their houses down, but I've done it 4 times now with zero issues. Has anyone else dealt with a group gatekeeping repair tips?

17

thompson.robin•1mo ago

Got banned from a recipe group for asking about MSG

Last Tuesday I asked if anyone had tried adding MSG to their chili. The admin said I was promoting 'chemical additives' and banned me on the spot. Has anyone else run into food science censorship like this?

22

taylor305•1mo ago

Got banned from a neighborhood Facebook group for pointing out a scam

There was this guy in my local Phoenix group selling "gym quality" equipment for way too cheap and I called him out. I said his photos were stolen from a closed down Gold's Gym in Ohio and I had the proof saved. The admin deleted my post and then banned me for "being negative". Has anyone else gotten the boot for just trying to help people spot fake listings?