connie - I expect that ita's email will be worded in such a way that if it's not the same guy, he can just select another, less confusing, username.

Gah. I've changed my mind. Let /mieskie post. Let's see how it turns out, and we'll inactivate as content dictates.

Someone should tell him outright that we see him trying to do it and we want him to stop.

If this is the same individual, I'm sure that being seen/noticed is very much a part of the intent.

Someone watch the Firefly thread then, I guess?

I believe in everyone getting one free shot, though supervision of that shot will depend on the potential danger of that shot. What can I say, I'm a real-world redemptionista.

Thanks Jon B! and sorry about that everybody!

Connie, there's no chance this is a coincidence, and mieskie doesn't deserve a second chance. We aren't pre-emptively deactivating him, we're just enforcing our decision to suspend.

I'm starting to worry about his continuing attempts to come bother us. Also, it's pissing me off.

How about this for an email:

Dear Sir,

Your username is easily confused with that of mieskie, whose account was recently deactivated for violating our community standards. If you are the same person, shame on you. Please stop. You're only validating our decision.

If you are not the same person, please reregister with a username that isn't likely to cause confusion. This account will not be activated.

Gah. I've changed my mind. Let /mieskie post. Let's see how it turns out, and we'll inactivate as content dictates.

I think that's the wisest course, ita. We'll probably be watching posts from the new screen name very closely, so reaction to more problematic posts should be quite swift. But in the unlikely event that it's someone unconnected choosing a controversial screen name, best not to tar him/her with the same brush before hearing him/her speak.

Hi guys. I've been busy with a NYD party, but just wanted to chip in here in the post-mortem. I have nothing substantial to add, but I'd just like to say that I'm happy to see such an extensive post-mortem. It's true, no one likes taking this sort of action. It should be regarded as a serious step, not to be taken lightly. I think the extent to which the matter was discussed before the suspension (three weeks?), and now is being discussed afterwards, shows that this is the case.

I'd also like to say, mieskie wasn't suspended until he had been repeatedly warned, including official warnings, and some time had passed. Further, he hasn't, to date, been banned, only suspended. That his final response was to blame it on his having dissented from a broad consensus position, instead of on failing to uphold a broad consensus standard of behaviour, IMO tends to justify the action taken. The 'public goods' we foster on this board - certain levels of trust, civility and acceptance, rely very heavily on understanding the distinction between disagreement and personal insult.

That doesn't make it easy or pleasant. If mieskie had wanted to start playing the ball rather than the man, I'd have liked to see him stick around. He had some good posts, and at a more civil level his devil's advocate discussion would be worth going into. If he'd been 100% pure troll (and yes, I am imagining Crystal Waters singing that as I type) it would've been easier.

To which I must add, Mike, I'd like to thank you both for helping ensure mieskie's suspension was subject to open and careful review, and for doing so without either softballing your concerns or resorting to personal attack.

Finally, can I say that it's comforting to have community-determined procedures in place that are followed. In short, that the for the unpleasant stuff we have some sort of rule of law.

On being a buffista... Well, if you're a lurker and you don't feel like you are "one of us" it's probably because you become part of us by participating. If you want us to know you, then tell us about you. For posters who don't feel like you are "one of us," it might take some time. The injokes, the nicknames, the references all come with time. If you don't get a backthumping response to your post, keep at it.

I'd like to repeat this. I've been posting here, at WX and at TT for maybe two years now. For the first year, probably longer, I really didn't feel like a Buffista. I felt welcome, I felt reasonably comfortable, and I enjoyed posting and reading, but I only posted in the show threads, and was too daunted to step into the nattery areas. (Plus, I was pretty much floored by the wit and humour of the Buffistas, and felt totally unable to keep up. In that first year I think I was COMMed maybe twice.)

Which is fine. The only official distinction here is the Stompy Feet (dang, first time that came out as Stop myFeet), and as noted that's primarily an administrative position. I feel like a Buffista now, but the only real change has been in my own outlook, not the way anyone else acts. (Except that I'm now marginally more likely to be asked about the mating habits of penguins.) It's an inclusive community; I never once felt I was being treated differently because of longevity, participation levels or degree of sociability.

Which is, at bottom, what this whole incident was about.