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Hello, this is Bavi_H posting using another account. I recently noticed my normal Bavi_H account was banned from the forum, but I think this must have been a mistake? Can anyone help get me un-banned from the forum?
It looks like I was banned sometime between April 10 afternoon US time (the last time I posted on the forum) and April 11 morning US time (the next time I logged in and noticed I was banned). Currently, when I log into the midi.org forum with my normal Bavi_H account and look at bottom of a message thread, in the usual spot to add a reply there is instead an orange bar that says "Sorry but you are not allowed to reply to this discussion because you already get banned by admin." [sic]
Moderation questions:
1. Do the moderators have a way to discuss things privately, to discuss good methods and practices to use when deciding to ban users and delete messages?
2. Do the moderators have the ability to undo a ban? If not, do the moderators have a way to contact an admin to undo a ban?
3. When someone is banned, what is the best way for the banned person to contact an moderator or admin for information about why they were banned or to appeal for the ban to be reversed? Here are contact methods I've tried so far:
• I went to the Contact Us link at the bottom of any midi.org page and submitted a message. I haven't gotten any response yet.
• I e-mailed the memberservices e-mail address mentioned in the Terms of Use linked at the bottom of any midi.org page. I immediately got a bounce message saying the e-mail address doesn't exist.
• I e-mailed the webmaster e-mail address mentioned in this old post. I immediately got a bounce message saying the e-mail address doesn't exist.
• I e-mailed the info e-mail address mentioned in the Terms of Use as the Copyright Infringement contact. Obviously, this isn't an appropriate contact method, since my problem has nothing to do with copyright infringement, but I was desperate. The e-mail didn't bounce, but I also haven't gotten any response yet.
Posted : 15/04/2023 3:55 am
Firstly, I am sorry that you are going through this. You have been a long time contributor to this forum and your involvement has been appreciated.
The "Contact Us" link is the only way I know of that forum members can use to contact the MMA. It may take a while for them to investigate and correct the issue. They are all volunteers and probably don't monitor that mailbox daily.
Unfortunately, there is not a moderator only section to this forum where moderators can discuss moderation issues.
As far as I know, moderators cannot unban, only admins can. I don't know who the admins are.
I'm hoping that this was a mistake and not a malicious act. It's possible a moderator was intending to ban a spammer but clicked on the wrong profile.
Posted : 15/04/2023 5:53 am
Check to whom the banning permissions are granted, I suspect - to everyone.
Posted : 15/04/2023 8:42 am
Hi Bavi_H,
So sorry to hear this has happened to you.
As a moderator I can assure you that it wasn't me who banned you. (At least I'm pretty confident it wasn't me.)
You've been around for a good amount of time and you are a very positive contributor to the forum.
And, 'no' we have no way of contacting each other, nor the Administrator.
It seems very strange as it's the only forum I moderate where such non-communication exits.
It would appear that the ability to ban belongs to many people here.
I have a feeling that the site admin is a person called Mike somebody, he occasionally answers a technical question here.
JohnG.
Posted : 15/04/2023 9:55 am
With any luck, the ban is only short term. The bans are able to be set from a duration of 1 to 180 days. I ban spammers for the maximum length of time, so hopefully it wasn't me 😉 But I am pretty sure it was not, I am careful when banning spammers. I generally check their profile first if there's a possibility it is a legit response. Plus, it's you, so there's that.
I don't know if everyone gets banning ability, but I hope not. It was bestowed upon me after being a member of the forum for a while, as well as the ability to delete the offending posts (unless it is the first post of a thread for some reason).
Hopefully you'll be back in in no time. Unfortunately, I do not have any info on a direct form of contact either, only a "make a post and hope they see it" approach.
Posted : 15/04/2023 10:00 am
I have been banned too.
And I've just verified that as new member, I got the user banning privilege too. I can delete replies and ban all users. Congratulations, midi.org!
Posted : 29/04/2023 7:19 am
[quotePost id=18439]I have been banned too.
And I've just verified that as new member, I got the user banning privilege too. I can delete replies and ban all users. Congratulations, midi.org!
[/quotePost]
Woof. Welp, that's a problem.
Posted : 29/04/2023 8:10 am
Hi,
We apologize for the issues to anyone who has been banned recently. This was not intentional of course and we are looking into the problem.
As MIDI.org has become more popular, we have been subjected to more and more malicious attacks. Although there is no excuse for the slow response on this issue, we were in the middle of the April NAMM show, putting on the MIDI@40 concert and the Lifetime Achievement awards.
We know that there are issues with both the forum and website especially in terms of security and it is a shame that people who have no interest in MIDI or music do have an interest in malicious and pointless attacks on the MIDI.org site.
Posted : 29/04/2023 8:21 am
Hi,
We were able to delete the bans for the people mentioned in this thread and also found the culprit and completed deleted their account.
Pedro and Bavi H, please let us know if you are unbanned here on the forum when you have a chance.
Thanks and again apologies for taking time to respond during NAMM and in the follow up after NAMM.
Yesterday we just finished loading a truck and taking stuff to UPS to return gear we had been loaned for the Lifetime Achievement Awards display.
Posted : 29/04/2023 8:56 am
Thanks, Athan. I'm just verifying now with this reply that I can publish again.
Posted : 29/04/2023 9:13 am
I am able to post again, thank you for your help.
If a ban like this happens in the future, what is the best way for the banned person to contact a moderator or admin for information about why they were banned or to appeal for the ban to be reversed?
Posted : 29/04/2023 3:46 pm
As far as I can see, what you did by creating a post saying you'd been banned is currently the only way.
Even as a moderator I have no way of getting in contact with either admin or other moderators.
This is the only forum I know, and I inhabit and moderate a few, where the moderators have no way of communicating nor of even knowing each other.
It would be good if the MMA improved this aspect.
JohnG.
Posted : 30/04/2023 1:36 am
Welcome back Bavi_H and Pedro. I'm glad this has finally been sorted out.
Posted : 30/04/2023 5:47 am
