Question To The Mods

I've asked Ragnar repeatedly but so far he has refused to answer.

I know mods have discretion and can go where the CoC doesn't. I have no problem with that, but surely this question deserves a clear answer?

Can one member forbid another member from a thread just by asking that they leave that thread and not post there? Is that currently a CoC violation if one ignores such a request?

Maybe Ragnar feels an answer would become defacto CoC and doesn't want to tie himself down that way, but I think I deserve to know what powers members have, and when a behavior is a CoC violation. Since Ragnar won't tell me, I concluded maybe it's because he doesn't like me, which is fine, but I would still like to know. So could someone please find out for me?

Thanks guys.

I don't think it is a MUST but it is a SHOULD.

Consider the mafia games.  These are the most active and popular forum posts on the site but people who aren't playing do a remarkable job of staying out of the forum.  There's no rule in the COC that prevents non-players from trolling the forum but people generally respect the informal rule.  A handful of trolls could easily interfere with those games or resentful dead players could easily blow up a game with secret knowledge but this very seldom happens.  So, as a community we have certainly demonstrated a capacity to respect certain requests for forbearance.

Most of the forum posts I start don't really invite a lot of feedback but I can't think of a case where I'd ask somebody to stop posting.  The whole point of the forum is free exchange. 

Dr.Franklin has asked me not to accept debates that he creates and I have respected that.

Greyparrot has requested a safe space in the forums where his opinion is protected from any contradiction on my part.  I have generally respected the request although the objection is predicated on a false accusation of bullying.  Greyparrot still feels free to  address my remarks in forums and posts in forums that I've created while simultaneously demanding no response on my part.  Still, I wouldn't ask him not to contribute- I only wish he wouldn't work to confine my free expression. 

In most cases, I think it is bad form to dis-invite one particular contributor but in almost every case, I think the best response is to respect the request anyway.

Well, I do recall a time where the entire mafia team forfeited out of resentment for the mod adding a 1hr+ time extension.

flashbacks

*facepalm*

Following someone around like a lost dog which hasn't been potty trained, when they've repeatedly asked you to cease, is a CoC violation under the Targeted Harassment rule. While usually it is too minor to warrant intervention, enough of it can cross the line (such as with clearly "obsessive attempts to derail unrelated topics with impertinent grudges").

We apply a “reasonable person” to reported posts, which is particularly damning when the users in question literally just came off a restraining order and it's several threads.