Originally Posted by
Dan Druff
It is funny that 75% of the respondents want him unbanned (with 58% voting to have no restrictions), yet I am getting snide remarks in this thread, regarding considering this.
The main reason desertrunner was noticed was because he was posting an insane number of times, including creating numerous threads. Some people assumed at the time (and still think) that this was an intentional act of ruining the forum. It wasn't. He really thought that he was bringing good material here. The truth was that some of the stuff he was posting (such as links to news articles) was interesting, but it was just too much. For example, you guys have seen that I will post links to news stories and then give my own take, but I am careful to select what I think the forum will enjoy, and I don't overdo it. desertrunner didn't have that filter, partially due to lack of familiarity here.
Then he was being repeatedly insulted by both legitimate critics and trolls, and the whole thing went off the rails.
I won't defend all of his behavior. I was very annoyed when he wouldn't listen to my requests to stop overposting, and to stop certain other behavior which was just worsening the situation. That's why I banned him, despite our personal friendship. Everyone needs to respect the forum and its operation, even friends. However, it still wasn't malicious -- it was just a lack of self-control at the time.
I felt that it might be time to give him another try because:
1) Most of the people he fought with most vigorously are gone anyway
2) There are a few right-wing troll types active on the forum, and nobody is particularly troubled by them (and I'm not talking about dwai, who has become beloved by most people here)
3) He has expressed a desire to come back
4) He has told me that he will take care this time to not cause problems
5) On Vegascasinotalk, he did not engage in the type of behavior he did on PFA, and therefore I haven't received a single complaint about him
6) This won't turn into another Sixtoedpete because I know him personally, and he's not like that at all. After 12 years, I think I can say I know the guy pretty well.
Right now I'm strongly leaning YES.