Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

Not only this, but:

People may see it as a situation where we're banning noobs but not longstanders based on preferential treatment, but the reality of the matter is that noobs are easier to ban without affecting the overall community because they haven't invested anything into that community that would be missed.

Jans and all the other mods know EXACTLY how much we debated behind the scenes regarding Polama/Sansa/whatever because we knew the trouble she was causing but we also knew her value to many in the community. In the long run, we all decided that it was best for the community at large to make the decision we made after many slaps on the wrist. There were a lot of times before that point where a few mods advocated her removal far before it actually happened, but our approach was to give her a chance and finally do something when it became apparent that those chances were being taken for granted.

It's the same thing with any other longstander. Context has to be taken into account. Chances have to be given and the person has to fully show that they are unwilling to compromise before I, and dare I say much of the mod team, are willing to just cut them out. I think it's more wise to approach a longstanding contributor, in whatever way that is, differently than someone who just showed up on the doorstep a week ago. Not because it's preferential treatment, but because decisions you make regarding people that have formed relationships with many in a community is going to have a big enough effect for you to probably need to make sure you're doing what's best.

This isn't to say that the more friends you have here and the more you're around and creating content, the more immune to banning you are. CaptainCaveman, Sansa, and others proved that isn't the case at all. But I think a responsible moderator is not going to see longstanders and noobs as the same variables in the equation. It might be easier, but I don't think it takes into consideration what actually makes the site work.

Basically, try to help before trying to rid. Point systems in lieu of judgment puts the onus solely on the member, but point systems can't think. You could easily troll the hell out of this site just by waiting for your points to expire. What then... now we defer to moderator judgement? Why not let us judge in the first place?