I saw that “User was banned for this post” and wondered what was so terrible about it that the guy got banned. I was laughing until I scrolled down a little and saw the mod-edit.

Consider all of the following to be one giant “IMO” (I tend to take it as read that it’s my opinion because I’m posting it, but some people need it spelled out for them) – I think people need to be allowed to talk like people whether they’re in RP or not, I for one pretty much avoid the entire RP half of the board because, from what I’ve seen of it, it’s a festering sewer of stupidity. Maybe it’d be more fun if I got into it, but it’s really not my scene.

That being the case, I want there to be somewhere where I can be less than serious. Going from experience on other forums, that place would be the ‘no particular topic’ forum (everywhere has one, here it’s Ayn Rands) or, where it fits the stated subject matter, the other general discussion areas. But then I see a post in ‘Playing With Ourselves’, that fit the format of the topic, that made me laugh, that got the user banned. Message seems to be that you put your serious face on for non-RP, but I don’t see why that should be the case.

RP is (supposed to be) acting like your clbum. In practice here it means trolling no matter what clbum you picked. Whatever. Either way, the RP/non-RP line isn’t serious stuff vs. non-serious stuff, it’s roleplaying vs. not roleplaying. The non-RP section is for acting like yourself, and when I’m being myself I don’t have a serious face on at all times.

So yeah… ban seemed heavy-handed and wrong, it sounds like it’s turned away someone who had been here a long time which is always a shame, and I think it’s important to remember that people who aren’t roleplaying will still want to have a laugh every so often. So long as it remains civil I don’t think it should be cause for concern.