Banning

It can be very tempting to simply ban problem members, but it's easy for them to join again. Permanently moderating them instead means you at least still know who they are.

Sometimes moderators feel banning is the only option, but unless they're an obvious spammer, it's worth checking with co-moderators for a second opinion first. Questions worth asking yourself:

• Does the member have a valid reason for joining lots of communities?
• Could their account have been hacked?
• Is there another side to this story?

Be prepared for a banned member to join again. Often you can spot them when they rejoin:

• They ask for the same or similar items.
• They use similar language, e.g. the same sign-off.
• Their new email address is often similar to their old one.

There's no sure-fire way of knowing for certain if a new member is who you think they are. IP addresses change on many web-based email accounts, and some broadband users share IP addresses. If you want to check IP addresses, you can use:

• https://whatismyipaddress.com/ip-lookup
• http://www.geobytes.com/IpLocator.htm?Getlocation

If you decide to ban a member

• Go to ModTools > Members > Approved.
• Find the member by putting their name in the search box.
• Click the magnifying glass button.
• Click the Ban button.
• A confirmation window opens asking "Are you sure you want to ban this member?" Make your decision.

Unbanning

You can see a list of banned members from Members > Approved. There's a small Unban link there (with a confirmation step).

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