Yes, She is banned.
Some of you might know, other's might not, that Kindred is my real mother. I do know (well loosely, from what's she has told me) why she was banned, and think it's absolutely ridiculous.
I am an admin (and have been one for 6 years) at another website that maintain 60,000 people from all over the world. At this place we have discussions and debates too, but we maintain a G-PG-rating, and make sure it is civil. I know this site is different, but we never ban "both" members that "get into it". We ban the one most responsible for what is going on.
I hardly ever sign on here anymore for the mere fact that this place is not monitered very well (at least from my experience), and at times people get verbally abused, just because of someone disagrees, is mean, is bored, is facetious, or just thinks it's fun. I was one, that every post that I went to, I was called out, insulted, and had to endure many snide comments. I found myself being snide back, and that is totally out of my character to do, so I took myself out of the equation.
Don't get me wrong, I am not naive, I know that people on the internet sometimes gets their socks in a twist, and I know there are people on the internet that also enjoy slandering others for the fun of it. I really wish, on forums especially, that people would realize that there are real people behind that monitor, and that no matter the reason that's being discussed or debated, that person does at least deserve to be treated humanely.
My mother, albeit loves to chatter sometimes, is a good, decent woman. She has endured a lot, coming from this site that I have personally seen, and the admins know what I mean by this. I don't consider her a busy body, but then again, I don't see everything she posts, nor do I always agree with her, but, when it does come to certain subjects she does know a lot about them.
The aforementioned ones, she does, and is staunch in what she believes. Now, I might be wrong, but for the most part she doesn't /give/ unless she /gets/ first with people, and she isn't the type for the most part to be a "smart donkey", just on principle. I don't come here quite enough to see, but I have read over her shoulder many a time, and she's never been too bad that I have seen.
I will admit, I am totally biased here with my mother, but banning her just further's my need to not even want to visit here. The admins here that read this, need to really step up their game a little, before jumping to that big delete gun, and I speak that as an admin myself. It's /very/ trying and sometimes very hard to have to mediate between adults that might be acting like children, but when you have a public website like this, that comes with a job of being a moderator, it Really Does. To get respected by your members you have to almost earn it, just like any other job. And the job you do is reflected in how your members act and react to one another. Eventually a common ground of understanding happens, where the members /know/ the do's and dont's very well and can tread the road to where it is acceptible, civil, but still not censored to the upteenth degree.
As an admin, Most the time the blame (no matter what) is going to fall on your shoulders. So, learning to delve into the problem/argument/whatever, makes them easier to solve, and once you get in there and figure out what the heck is wrong, you can find out the whole story of a situation. You can find out who the agressor is, and if someone is intentionally causing harm to another, that's when you delete the guilty party. Now, I don't know all the details, but I do know (from what I've seen on my end when I've watched my mother type on here), that in my personal opinion she's never been bad enough even to be banned. I've seen much worse on here than what I have seen her do. Maybe a redrafting of rules and outlining the undermentioned rules or unwritten rules, would make things like this more understandable?
Above all, ALWAYS try to be fair, you're not perfect, so yes there will be mess ups, but yet you shouldn't ever punish an innocent, when there is a situation going on.
It's entirely possible that I am missing a crutial piece of evidence to this, that might would make me more understanding. *shrugs* I do offer this as pure, true advice though to any admin/moderator that reads this.
I have told her about everything you guys have written here, and she very much so appreciates your concern and support. I do hope the admins reverse their decision on this, because unlike my experiences here, she's really enjoys the TD forums.
I am not really into debating all the time, or listening to people that should be wiser than I, and older than myself, belittle others. When I was followed around on here, when it started, I honestly didn't deserve the disdain I received. This place and me, really don't fit, at least last time I was here, we didn't. I don't know anything though about the other categories, last time I was here, I don't think they were. Who knows, I might like it now. *shrugs again*
Anyways, that's my rather long two cents, that I'll share. If anyone replies back to me, I don't know if I will see it. Most my internet time is spent doing the job that I love and volunteer to do as an admin. I don't get paid there, to care about the members, but I thoroughly enjoy it. I do wonder if TD admins do get paid, I might apply! lol.. . However, I very much so do care about the members of the place I volunteer, many of them have become really good friends of mine, and show me respect and most of my job is fairly easy because they are civil to one another 'most' the time.
I can only hope that eventually the admins here will find their way to the same respect, whether paid or not; I also hope that they care about what goes on here as well.
So, if you read this, I'm very sorry it was so long. Just irked me when I found out today that my mother was banned from here. No, strike that, I was actually shocked. I didn't think anyone ever got banned from here. LOL!
~Amanda