It sounds like you're saying that we should accept bad behavior as long as the bad behaver is being who they are.
No, if they are just jerks or mean spirited... i don't think that warrants punishment. If they are being malicious then yes they should be warned and go through further consequences if they don't stop. I can give examples, but i don't want to through people under the bus. Mean spirited would just be someone unsympathetic to your views and think they're stupid. Malicious would be intended to harm you. Not just that the idea is stupid, but that you are intellectually handicapped extra to just your idea being stupid. It's attacking the person vs. attacking the substance of whatever they disagree with. When attacking the person you can get malicious. When attacking the substance you can only be mean-spirited. It's that's a delusional idea vs. you are delusional get help. And still then it only requires warning not to attack the person but if it continues, then i would think appropriate moderation is necessary.
But we most certainly shouldn't ban people just bc they are bitter people. Many times people fail empathy back. It's all me, me, i got offended b.s. But no one thinks maybe this person is in a personal hell and that's why they are bitter. Usually bitter people have their own problems. In any case, i don't think if someone is a jerk, that makes them worthy of getting banned. Of course with the top mentioned being considered.
It also strikes me as strange to define harassment as ignoring someone. Or did you mean harassment is when they aggressively respond to your posts without acknowledging any of your points or providing any counterarguments?
Your second sentence is correct and what i mean. Harassment should mean someone that goes around and literally harasses you without any substance to their responses. Now, i got a little up and arms about Gold bc i wouldn't be able to confidently say he didn't break this rule.. but the thing i've noticed about him is that he tries not to go overboard and it's usually the result of arguments or insults slung back at him. But, enough about him... i'm really done defending him which is sad... just bc he isn't one of my favorite people i'll just give up on it. Plus, from what it sounds like... he knew he was doing wrong.
In regards to what you are saying... i don't think it is harassment if someone decides to reply to you the most. Yeah... it could be bc they don't like you and your ideas. But so what? We're on here to be rebuked unless someone is delusional enough to think everyone is going to agree with them. Someone may like me less... and target my ideas. Good. The harder someone disagrees with me the more creative i have to get in explaining myself. I mean, people like Gold have actually made me better .. i can't think of anyone i agree with making me better. Etrnl kinda... but we both believe the same stuff... i don't learn that way.
And last point, when they said they told him not to talk to people on this forum... i just don't get that. What are people like him suppose to do? People that are generally skeptics and harsher in their rebuke... what are they suppose to do when the mods tell them they can't talk to anyone? You can't talk to A, b, c, d, e, f, user... you can only talk to Outplayz bc everyone else doesn't like you... i mean common, really? As long as the conversation is minimally substantive and it isn't just random rude remarks... we are all on a public forum and are choosing to put ideas, sometimes radical, on these forums... You're going to be criticized. I just see very little empathy for the side that is being reported on. It seems like mob rule to me right now. The crybabies all getting their way... that just makes zero sense to me. Life is hard, there are mean people in this world... stop hiding and step up and justify yourself and be confident in your ideas ...if it gets no where... instead of being offended, know it's the other person problem. Or, rework and grow yourself. You learn very little from agreeable people.