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[User] was suspended for a year.

What did they do? Only low-level contributions isn't a reason to suspend anyone. Particularly not for such a long time.

And they had a lot of interesting questions, too. They are a young titan. I would like to cite @Plutarch:

The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.

The site now extinguished their fire.

I think they need at least a significant reduction of their term. In their age, time is going much slower, a year for them is like 5 years for us.

Note: just for 2 days ago, they asked: Can I get a warning before I am suspended?

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    $\begingroup$ Possible duplicate: meta.physics.stackexchange.com/q/5042/2451 and links therein. The answer is always the same: Moderators are not allowed to discuss specific suspensions in public. $\endgroup$
    – Qmechanic Mod
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 9:59
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    $\begingroup$ @Qmechanic I've seen a physicist of the future in him. (S)he was a young titan. (S)he was curious. (S)he was engaged. Now (s)he is gone with a terrible experience. Can you understand, what you did with him? $\endgroup$
    – peterh
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 10:19
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    $\begingroup$ Relevant Meta SE posts by the user: meta.stackexchange.com/q/290792/274942, meta.stackexchange.com/q/290800/274942. A third was deleted at some point; the user refused to acknowledge that the automatic system and the mods had warned them 104 separate times about question quality and other issues. $\endgroup$
    – HDE 226868
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 13:18
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    $\begingroup$ @HDE226868 There is nothing in these posts about previous warnings. Even he asked for a warning before a cage just 2 days ago. It seems he didn't get it. $\endgroup$
    – peterh
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 13:24
  • $\begingroup$ @peterh You do realize that Muze's previous username was jen, right? Either way, if you come from a non-gendered language this may be hard to understand, but: it is not appropriate to use gender-specific pronouns when a user has specifically refused to specify a gender. Use singular they or s/he constructions instead. If your language doesn't have that feature, it doesn't mean that it goes away, it just means that you don't understand other people's reactions to that language. $\endgroup$
    – Emilio Pisanty
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 15:15
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    $\begingroup$ I only lurk on Physics.SE, but even with only intermittent visits here I've seen the following for Muze: multiple downvoted posts; at least one previous suspension which was clearly explained as being for low-quality posts; and many comments about posts being too vague, badly researched. In addition to what's visible to anyone, it's almost certain that mods have gotten further flags on Muze's posts. Finally, in response to Muze's question about "am I close to being banned," a moderator said "yes" quite clearly. This is not a "surprise" suspension with no reasons given. $\endgroup$
    – Ward - Trying Codidact
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 15:54
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    $\begingroup$ @Ward Making bad posts is not a reason to cage, particularly if Muze made a lot of good ones, too. The acceptable behavior was that Muzes bad posts had been downvoted/closed/deleted as usual, while the good ones made the site better. This was being done - until Muze wasn't caged. $\endgroup$
    – peterh
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 16:07
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    $\begingroup$ @peterh If the moderation team were to misrepresent the public-facing reason for a suspension (for instance, that an account was temporarily suspended for low-quality contributions), that would be a breach of our responsibilities which would warrant attention from the Stack Exchange community moderators. If you think that's the case, you should contact the SE team with your concerns --- they have access to non-public information. Please do not continue to engage in speculation and rumor-mongering --- it is, at best, not productive. $\endgroup$
    – rob Mod
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 18:06
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    $\begingroup$ @rob The CMs automatically review every "temporary" suspensions. If they get such a contact request, it will arrive after their decision about the case. I never heard even a single case as a "temporary" suspension had been revoked by the CMs. Thus I can't think that such a request is useful (although it may be better as doing nothing). I deleted that comment. $\endgroup$
    – peterh
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 18:11
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    $\begingroup$ @rob Sometimes punishment reductions, or silently solved troubles behind the walls, can happen. I think, it should be done also now. Maybe it was a too harsh punishment, and a goodstanding compromise - which could include a reduction of the suspension term - could be reached with CM mediation or without it. $\endgroup$
    – peterh
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 18:19
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    $\begingroup$ @peterh Community managers have stated elsewhere that they can and do overturn suspensions if new information comes to light. I can't immediately find a link to any examples, but perhaps if you reach out to them they can provide some. Or perhaps they will confirm that such examples exist, but decline to provide details for privacy reasons. $\endgroup$
    – rob Mod
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 18:19
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    $\begingroup$ @rob Next to my previous comment, I would like to point his/her young age and that (s)he made also a lot of good posts. I think the system can handle him(she) by filtering his(her) posts with the usual solutions (voting, closure), particularly considering that (s)he will be probably much more careful after this event. Furthermore, his(her) posts made high visit counts which is obviously important for the SE (company). Furthermore, the PSE wants to be partially an educational site, to teach people, which goal prefers teaching against serious punishments. $\endgroup$
    – peterh
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 18:35
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    $\begingroup$ @peterh I can see how you might come to have that perspective. I cannot figure out how to reply to you, in a way that will satisfy you, without revealing information that I am required to keep private. If you would like to continue, please use the contact form to talk to the SE team. $\endgroup$
    – rob Mod
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 18:48
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    $\begingroup$ @rob Understood, you don't have to reply, it is enough if you understand. $\endgroup$
    – peterh
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 18:53
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ @rob Why are you editing posts like this and replacing usernames with [user]? $\endgroup$
    – Danu
    Commented Feb 11, 2017 at 16:05

1 Answer 1

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$\begingroup$

The moderators do not discuss individual suspensions in public.

I suppose this doesn't technically answer the question, but then again all I can say is that there will be no answer to this question.

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    $\begingroup$ Not exactly: 1) the mods can disclose some details if they wish to 2) there should be a short reasoning in the cage on the user page. It is missing. $\endgroup$
    – peterh
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 9:16
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    $\begingroup$ (1) We will not; (2) There is, on the top of the profile page. $\endgroup$
    – David Z
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 9:25
  • $\begingroup$ The low-quality contributions happened in the chat, or on the main site? $\endgroup$
    – peterh
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 9:33
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    $\begingroup$ I repeat, we do not discuss individual suspensions in public. $\endgroup$
    – David Z
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 9:33
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    $\begingroup$ @peterh the only time moderators might discuss suspensions in public is if the suspended user brings it up in public and even then only to reply to specific issues raised. $\endgroup$
    – ChrisF
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 9:54
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    $\begingroup$ @ChrisF How could he bring it up in public, if he is in cage? If he comes back with an alternate account, he gets 10 yr long network-wide ban. $\endgroup$
    – peterh
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 9:56
  • $\begingroup$ @peterh - on Meta Stack Exchange perhaps, or after the suspension was over (I know that's a year away in this case). $\endgroup$
    – ChrisF
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 10:00
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    $\begingroup$ The Physics SE wants to have an educational line. What a pedagogy is this? You had to teach him, not to harm him. $\endgroup$
    – peterh
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 10:21
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    $\begingroup$ I think moderators should discuss suspensions in public. Because I believe in open justice, not secret police. $\endgroup$
    – John Duffield
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 13:17
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    $\begingroup$ @peterh Moderators sign an agreement which means that they cannot discuss this even if they wanted. If you want to change this, bring it up with Stack Exchange on the mother meta or through the contact page, but it is entirely pointless to go over this well-trod ground here. $\endgroup$
    – Emilio Pisanty
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 15:19
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    $\begingroup$ @EmilioPisanty This is the moderator agreement, the only relevant part is that they have to follow the relevant policies. These policies 1) aren't specified very clearly 2) know some exceptions 3) I've seen multiple times as cages were discussed openly on the meta, partially by mods, if you wish I can try to dig out same examples. $\endgroup$
    – peterh
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 15:46
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    $\begingroup$ @EmilioPisanty Just to clarify for future readers of these comments, the moderator agreement prohibits us from disclosing certain information that is sometimes relevant to suspensions, but it doesn't actually prohibit us from discussing suspensions in public. Our choice to take a hard line against doing so is our own, and is specific to this mod team. It's partly based on advice from the SE team and partly based on experience. (This is why I wrote in the answer "we don't" rather than "we can't".) $\endgroup$
    – David Z
    Commented Oct 12, 2017 at 17:52

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