...help a fella out. :D

While hardly a newb to the moderating scene, I haven't given out a lot infractions because I really don't believe in them unless they're absolutely necessary; giving out infractions at the drop of the hat just breeds unnecessary animosity, IMO.

However, if I do decide to give one out, ;) perhaps someone could explain this screen shot:

http://i21.tinypic.com/34rzy2o.jpg

What is the difference between the two "give infraction" buttons?

As far as I can tell (having given out loads of infractions during the last previous SG spam attacks) nothing.

I've never seen any difference. Perhaps there's two for convenience?

I figure it's the same as there is on some shopping websites, where there's a "complete my transaction now!" button halfway down, which they want you to click, and then another one at the bottom after they try to flitter past how much you're going to be paying in delivery charges.

In other words, I've no fucking idea but the consumption of Coffee has forced me to do communication. Sorry.

That's sort of what I thought. What about this "automatic ban" area? Just a chart for our reference, I assume?

If your infraction end up banning the user, you MUST fill out a ban reason.

Yeah I'm a bit confused about this now also. Has it changed?
I infracted Misfit today, I only wanted to give him an infraction as he repeatedly posts in the wrong forum, but it seems the options were to either ban him, or ban him with a comment.

:S

I shant use the infraction system if it means I'm having to ban posters who are normally okay. I thought infractions were good as warnings.

^Yes, I like the idea of being able to fire a warning shot over the bow without actually sinking the member. I used to hand out a lot of neg-rep for this reason, which is why I am so sorry to see the rep system go.

As it is, I very rarely infract anyone--the last time, someone posted an image so egregiously obscene that I could have been banned myself from the public comp at the library for having it on-screen. The offender had been infracted numerous times previously, so mine was the one that got him booted. Good riddance, I say.

The original infraction point values were better, and so were the amount of points it took to get a ban. It was a 3 strike rule for the most common 'breaking of the rules' - they were offenses, but not serious enough for a ban.
Then when jeff changed the point values and such, we got this problem of not being able to give a 'warning infraction' (say for spam, defacing - cause most people would stop after getting one), and now its difficult to judge weather or not an infraction is worth giving because it will cause an instant ban.
Personally I'd like to see this changed back - some people don't deserve to be banned, they just need that warning that, hey, what you're doing isn't acceptable, and it'll happen again if you keep going.

Edit - And I know that a large number of the regulars feel this way too - these 'new' (cause its not actually that new) infraction point values have caused a number of problems between regulars and mod 'relations'.

For what it's worth, I completely agree with kate. We definitely need a "warning system", be it the actual warnings of before, or infractions worth less points, or even reputation again.

The insta-ban is too much power for my feeble body.

I agree with both of you, but looking at it from the other side, it can also be handy.
If there's some acolyte outright spamming the entirety of Totse, it's really usefull to be able to outright ban that poster rather than ask a supermod to do it and have to wait a while.

Both options should be available, a warning system as the two hot chicks above me said and a instant ban option.

Mods shouldn't have the power to autoban users, these "new" infractions were created for the sole purpose of dealing with the spammers and script kiddies 5-6 months ago; there is no need for them to still be in place.

I agree with Kate and Jive. However, I don't think the new infractions should be eliminated; I think they should be there in case such a need arises that spawned them in the first place. Perhaps a 2 or 3 level infraction for spam ranging from 3 to 10 points or something like that.

And I certainly wish we had the option to warn - or the Rep system back.

I agree pretty much with what Kate and others said. Reform, I say!

To draw on what others have said, the best thing for us is really to have plenty of options to pick from, from harmless warning upwards.

-deus-

Mostly Harmless