Hey guys!

Many of you know me as the mad lurker that always says what needs to be said, and this isn't going to be any different! I feel compelled to write this, not out of need; but anger. I have been made aware of a shocking new development in terms of what is and what is not allowed on this site.

To be banned, one must commit a serious infraction of the rules or TOS. I always understood a ban to be permanent, to be an actual punishment. I got this mad idea from the FAQ:

FAQ #610: What happens when someone is banned or suspended?
FAQ #221: I was banned, is there anything I can do?

Now, I don't really expect all of you to read these links... most people don't seem to bother. Other's seem so dim they don't know what the FAQ is... which is always a worry... but does explain some of the rather serious issues that are present on dA

From FAQ610:
"Account Ban: Indefinite
Indefinitely banned accounts will be blocked from all site interaction with the exception of accessing the Help Desk.
Visitors to an account which has been indefinitely banned will be greeted by a closed, unviewable userpage which displays a message that "This user is no longer a member of deviantART."
All submissions, prints and shop items, profile information, favorites, journals and profile information may be removed at the discretion of the administration.
Indefinitely banned users will display a ( ! ) symbol next to their name
Indefinitely banned Users will continue to have access to their account settings.
Indefinitely Banned users will be provided an explanation for the action (privately visible only) on their main account page.”

From FAQ221:
”You should not create, or use additional accounts during a ban or suspension as this is considered an attempt to avoid the punishment. The actions taken are targeted at the user of the account and not just the account itself and due to this fact any accounts associated with you as a user will also be suspended or banned. New accounts created during a ban or suspension may also have immediate action taken against them for the same reason.”

Now, this all seems fairly simple stuff, right? If you are banned, you have to sod off and never return. (Of course, I can understand that under-age deviants are allowed to return when they turn thirteen. This is fair enough)... I am talking about the abusive, thieving, idiotic 'tards that are banned for good reason. They should not be allowed back, and the rules seem to say the same.

Is this how it works now? No. Not these days folks! Take a look at this link here: [link] (it's tiny'd). This clearly states that if the ban was a while ago, they should get away with ban evasion.

This worries me, because it makes me question what this site stands for. I believe it stands for art, community spirit and goodwill. This was seen at the recent world tour... but, if the administration is now allowing those who defied the rules to the point of necessitating a ban back onto the site... well, things can only go downhill.

Let's work to keep this community the best it can be...