Reading this thread, I thought I'd share some insight from a situation earlier this year.
Back in January, Tim at that time had two formal warnings.
There was a situation which resulted in a further formal warning.
Luckily for Tim, on checking the dates when the exiting warnings had been given
(to see if it would result in a Ban) it turned out that one of the existing warnings had expired a few weeks earlier, so the net affect was Tim remained on two warnings.
That was a close call.
We discussed the situation with Tim and how we could ensure that we didn't end up in a similar situation again, risking a ban.
As a result, we agreed with Tim that he should give the Committee an early heads up if there were situations or issues here that concerned him which we could intervene in to avoid a situation which could have resulted in a ban.
Since that point, Tim has been in touch with us on a number of occasions and we have been able to resolve a number of issues behind the scenes without problems.
The serious issue and evidence that was brought to us most recently
(and it has to be said, by a number of members) was checked by Lauren and myself and when we approached Tim about what we had found he admitted what we had found has been said by himself.
The process by which any formal warning is given requires a careful verification and examination of the evidence, debate and then vote by the Committee, with any warning requiring a majority in favour.
In this case, it was serious enough to warrant a vote on a Formal Warning and the vote did result in an additional warning.
As a result of it being the third warning within 12 months, this resulted in an automatic Lifetime ban.
A ban is an exceptional step that we don't take lightly
- the rules and system of warnings are there to help steer people away from a Ban.
Usually problems here can be delt with initially with a friendly PM or quiet word, to get a formal warning you really need to have clearly crossed a line.
What we are aim to do with our Moderation and Rules is to create a community of MR2 enthusiasts who are able to share their knowledge and experience with one another
- and in turn, get more enjoyment from the great cars they own.
This means that at times, there are hard decisions that do need to be made.
Indeed, being a Moderator or Committee member does mean that you have to deal with situations that take a lot of time and effort and wouldn't win you any new friends.
Believe me, this decision wasn't made lightly, or without lengthy consideration.
Speaking personally
(and taking my IMOC hat off) I do see that Tim is a long time member who has contributed advice and keenly priced products over the years
- but
- to end up in the situation where you have picked up two warnings in a 12 month period does take some doing.
We did try to help but in the end it just didn't work work out.
](./images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall"){kind=small}
I am absolutely baffled by some of the comments in this thread.
