Good point, Cliff. I've thought abuot reporting posts in the past, or returning banned users, but I never did because I figured you'd already know about it or you probably get dozens of complaints about the same thread, etc. already.

I appreciate the kind words ("too fair" and "too nice" are compliments in my book), but that isn't the only problem. The problem is that most of the banned members that get back, get back because I didn't "catch" them getting back. Like I've said before, I have a few things in place that help me determine if a new registration is likely a banned member re-registering.

This works pretty well - I would even say that I catch a banned member 4 out of 5 times. Problem of course is that if a banned member tries hard enough, he will eventually get back on.

For instance, "bookster" was banned and he got right back on. I did not catch that. None of the things I have in place raised a red flag. On the other hand, I did catch another member trying to register while his username wasn't banned yet (but very, very close).

Others I let back on if either some period of time has elapsed, or if they show some kind of remorse. "I'm Back" was let back on because it had been quite some time since he was banned (I think it was a few years). "The Punisher" was let back on because he (they) convinced me they would stay out of trouble this time and again because it had been a few years since he was banned.

Others got back on because I never noticed they re-registered. But it's not only my responsibility to catch them. It's yours (the members) as well. I often read these messages on the forum where people are complaining that I let a certain member back on, yet they have done nothing themselves to let me know they were back on. You want to know how many heads-ups I've received the past year from members warning me user "X" is in reality banned member "Y"? One. Yes, a single one.

I just banned the new username of "bookster" yesterday. Not because somebody told me this was in fact bookster, but because I read in a thread somewhere that somebody was complaining I had let him back on. So again, complaining I let him back on but not taking the trouble of emailing or PM me that bookster was in fact back on.

You know, it's easy to point the finger at me for the trouble fomerly banned members are causing. But there are only a very few people here that are actively helping me trying to keep this place clean. And with "helping", I'm not talking about mentioning something in one of the few thousand new messages that are posted here every day. I'm talking about warning me through email or PM if a thread gets out of hand, or if they have spotted a banned member with a new username. Apparantly, people not only expect me to read every single message here on the forum, they also expect me to do a background check of every member that registers. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to do that. Ever.

I know it's getting old, but I will say it again. PFF is mostly a self-moderating forum. That means it's your responsibility too to keep this place clean. There are over 10,000 members. PFF is being visited by more than 1000 unique visitors each and every day. At any given day, around 500 members post a message. Yet there's only ONE member that regularly warns me when he sees a thread (or member) getting out of hand.

It's like when an accident happens and none of the bystanders can be bothered to call 911, but everybody complains why it takes so long for the police and paramedics to get there.

I'm sure other people on here feel the same way I do, but like me they've been slow to speak up out of respect for you.

Let's see, what do all these guys have in common ? :

Black88GT
Bookster
donk316
fieroz34tdc
greg
Howard_Sacks
Lex
Mastermind
MstangsBware
The Punisher

I still don't understand completely why, when you know the damage these guys are doing, you don't just remove them. I don't get it, they are posting graffiti all over the side of this Bridge you've worked so hard to build & you're "too fair" and "too nice" to do anything about it. We vote them off, they beg you to get back on with promises to behave as soon as you let them back on they start badmouthing & abusing you. Like a Preacher, you refuse to raise your hand, you'll let them destroy the home you've built because you want to be the nice guy. Would you rather be a leader or a martyr?

I visit this forum everyday to see what's new in the Fiero world, I post what's new at my place on here before I even put it on my own web site. I love what you've built here. I hate it when I see you & your work being abused by those that would tear it down. I'm sure other people on here feel the same way I do, but like me they've been slow to speak up out of respect for you.

Archie