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Here's one more FReeper's story. He can't post it here himself, so he asked me to do it.

I've been monitoring FR, but I've been banned as well.
I was summarily banned. I got not so much as a notice of why, or the duration of my banishment. All my posts were removed. I can't send mail, or post to my locale. So I'm angry to say the least.
I see that you have been reinstated to address the tyranny of FR. Well I feel that tyranny all too acutely. It disgusts me the amount of vile anti-Freedom that has cropped up on FR. We have people calling for torture, secret police, and star chambers and I have been banned? I know I never advocated such tyrannical measures. Come to think of it, my banishment is torturous, was carried out by a secret squad, and involved a quick, unappealable judgement.
The only thing I have ever advocated is people trying to freely live their lives based on cooperation with others, not coercion. I would like to continue to post my thoughts and learn from others as I once was able to do. But I would not want this privilege if with it comes acceptance that I could find myself banished in the same manner again. The rule of law seems as absent from FR as it is in our country. I hope that both change for the better.
Sincerely,
amundsen

No need for me to add further commment. This speaks for itself.

Still at it, eh?

Come to think of it, my banishment is torturous, was carried out by a secret squad, and involved a quick, unappealable judgement.

Pshaw. This group of Z2, IHC, Arator, etc, seems to have the knack of being over-dramatic. The above post, while not made directly by Arator, just confirms that point. When "banishment" from a Internet discussion site is considered torture, that nicely sums up the cognitive facilties of those making or forwarding such tripe.

Guys... how many times was A+Bert banned? How many times was he reinstated? He was vulgar and rude and often posted racist posts in a fit of rage, yet he often made appeal, and was given posting priveleges back.

The difference is, he didn't go to other sites and badmouth FR. He probably just quietly lobbied, apologized to Jim, maybe even got a letter of recommendation from another poster.

Look, I understand pride, and you guys seem like proud men. And when you say "Come to think of it, my banishment is torturous, was carried out by a secret squad, and involved a quick, unappealable judgement" I fully understand your point, but just don't agree that it's so harsh or so mysterious. I've never been banned (I have been warned, though) and I have not hit the abuse button, but crap happens. Sometimes you say the wrong things, and sometimes they are read on the wrong day. The difference is how you handle it from that point on. The fact that A+Bert got so many chances to come back only proves that it's not insufferable, and it's not necessarily permanent. You folks should be commended for not taking up new screen names and defending your beliefs and your principles, but as I am sure you know, there is sometimes a price to pay for that.

So that post does indeed speak for itself... but it probably speaks different things to me than to you. To me it basically says that you did not get enough cheese with your whine. You handled the situation poorly from the get go and can't see it. I wish the site could be more free, and tolerate internal dissent better (just ignore it) but it's not my call to make. At this point it seems like you know what to expect, and you have to make up your minds whether you will take it or leave it.