What is reasonable to get abnned from a forum

**zlloyd1** · 01-21-2013, 03:36 AM

I just got notified that I was blocked from the NetBeans Forums for using inappropriate language in a post....

So, I inquired as to what I said that was that bad, and was told that I used non-permitted words in one of my posts. So, I asked for more clarity on that, and was given a list of flagged words that can get you banned.

The list was fairly common sense at first, words like sex, anal, Viagra, prostitute, so I was confused as I knew I had not used any vulgar language, but then it continued and I saw the word shoes on the list, SHOES?? Are you kidding me?? What is inappropriate about the word shoes??

My question was concerning a program I was writing for a retail store, and one of their departments was shoes.

If I had known I would get banned from the forum for it I would have used the word footwear to post, but how could I have possibly associated the word shoes with vulgar language??
In any case, I am now waiting for a response to the Email I sent the webmaster for that forum, but I am disgusted by such ANAL, I said it, retentive moderation of a forum supposedly there to help people learn.

**zlloyd1** · 01-21-2013, 03:39 AM

Banned* not abnned....

**pbrockway2** · 01-21-2013, 04:15 AM

Are you sure it wasn't an automated response? I ask because I just searched the NB forum for "shoes" and found millions of links to spam. Perhaps (rather inadvisably in my opinion they filter posts for the word, but even then *banning* seems weird.)

There are lots of posts containing the word. From "Bug 152375 – Ruby shoes support" to any number of the obvious typo "it shoes deployment error, Starting of Tomcat failed..." Interestingly, NetBeans Weekly Newsletter, Issue # 445 features an interview with someone about iCadSuite, software which "takes a flattened 2D geometry from a shoe design system...".

**zlloyd1** · 01-21-2013, 06:02 AM

Originally Posted by pbrockway2

Are you sure it wasn't an automated response? I ask because I just searched the NB forum for "shoes" and found millions of links to spam. Perhaps (rather inadvisably in my opinion they filter posts for the word, but even then *banning* seems weird.)

There are lots of posts containing the word. From "Bug 152375 – Ruby shoes support" to any number of the obvious typo "it shoes deployment error, Starting of Tomcat failed..." Interestingly, NetBeans Weekly Newsletter, Issue # 445 features an interview with someone about iCadSuite, software which "takes a flattened 2D geometry from a shoe design system...".

No, I am not sure that it was not some out of control script that is run on the page that banned me, I also did not even begin to think that shoes could be a word that would cause issues with spam. I suppose that would be a possible reasoning, but I did get a warning the first time I tried to submit my post, and then went back and searched through it for any vulgarity, did not see anything so I tried to post again, and then was informed that I was blocked from the forum. I then read the explanation provided, and realized that the word shoes was the culprit, which floored me as I could not for the life of me understand why shoes would be a bad word....

**DarrylBurke** · 01-21-2013, 08:11 AM

I've had a similar experience on another (not Java) forum. Contacted the moderator(s) via a link on the page, received an apology by email and my post was 'approved' but after this being repeated three times I was 'automatically' banned.

I decided I didn't want to be a member of a forum where even the moderators didn't know which word was at 'fault' but since anything I posted got blocked, I'm guessing it was my username, which was the same or very nearly the same as the one I use here (and on most forums).

db

**zlloyd1** · 01-21-2013, 10:16 AM

Thanks for the info, and that is a lot of what I was thinking truly. Why would they let automated programs decide what is allowed and not??

Don't they have moderators for these forums?? Like real people who can make reasonable judgement calls....
I know that I absolutely despise automated systems, because they are OFTEN flawed to the point where you cannot get simple things accomplished, and it frustrates me to death to be chastised by a machine that is obviously malfunctioning.