[elmore]

Only if you are logged in with cookies enabled, or if they are going to a great deal of trouble to track and ban by IP address (which I doubt).

That's not correct. I run a vbulletin site and host several other forums, invision, phpbb, yabbse etc. Everyone of them tracks IP's which btw is how banning works on most modern boards and I can also view thread/post history, poll voting history, viewing history and what you're doing on the site every moment you're on. In general however I only do this for suspicious/disruptive people. The technology is there though and on by default these days.

One word: Buckhead If you enroll using a different throw-away email address each time, and avoid a specific style, and don't give away personal info, they can't really tell much.

This really depends on the site. For instance on several sites I run I require some specific information. Yeah we may turn away a lot of potential members that way but I hate trolls and implementing this policy I've been able to avoid them.

Only if you keep cookies enabled after being banned.

If banning is done by IP or worse IP block and the owner has influence over other boards then yes this could affect your membership on other sites though this is most unlikely.

Just my .02 as a board owner and webmaster myself.

[Boundless]

> Everyone of them tracks IP's which btw is how banning
> works on most modern boards ...

Surprising. How does it handle dynamic IP addresses,
since the average user gets a new one on each dial-up,
and perhaps daily on DSL/Cable, from a large number pool?
Just blow off innocent bystanders who happen to get the
same banned IP or subnet?

Also, what about coming in thru a redirector?
Routinely ban known sites?