In our continuing efforts to do what serves the greatest benefit to our lovely and grateful community here at MTGSalvation, I would like to make an announcement.
Many long-time users, very much dedicated to this site, the community, and most of all, the needs of that community, have voiced concerns over bannings over these past months and years. Far more than we want to count have been very high-profile, very highly-criticized bannings. Some of the bannings dealt with members who have contributed a great amount to the community. Other bannings were issued to individuals who, although constructive in most activities, were disruptive enough to earn the infractions to warrant a warning. And still others were issued to members who did nothing but constantly create trouble, and drama.
Regardless, we have kept our promise of listening to the community. We greatly appreciate the constructive thoughts of all of our users, and encourage them to continue to offer such constructive comments that have resulted in changes to improve MTGSalvation for the better.
I'm pleased to announce, as representative of the MTGSalvation staff, that even beyond the [url=http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/announcement.php?f=13&a=226]forum rules[/url] being revised, that there is another change that we feel will improve this site for the better.
Three members, after careful consideration by the staff, have been selected for unbanning: ButteBlues, sleeping_villain, and titanium dragon.
As noted above, several times, we feel that these changes are for the better of the site. Each of these members have contributed greatly to the community. While they surely have also impacted the site negatively through various actions, as can be shown via their infraction histories, they have also been some of the site's more significant contributors - even as far back as the "Second Birth" of MTGSalvation (if you will) on Jan. 1, 2005.
In the past, when people have been banned, it has always been site policy that such individuals will not be unbanned without proper reason. Sadly, every member we had let back into the site inevitably made the same mistakes time and time again, resulting in the reinstating of their bans. Still, we do not feel that unbanning a user should be an item of great taboo on MTGSalvation. Often times, I found myself, regardless of the pleas of our members and individuals we truly feel deserve a second change, saying nothing more than "I wish there was something I could do." But... if the users who shape and drive our community feel that people do deserve a second chance, then why is it that even the staff feels powerless to make a change? We decided to act, based on our own judgements regarding several banned users, as well as the feedback provided by our users, instead of wishing.
[b]However, the policy of not unbanning users is not changing.[/b]
These three individuals, through consideration of their merit, are being allowed back as a special exception. But, we also understand that their negative impacts upon this community and this site in the past cannot be ignored. As such, the condition for their return is the agreement to one rule: [i]Should any individual let back receive ONE infraction within six (6) months, their ban will be reinstated[/i].
Additionally, the MTGSalvation staff will make it a matter of high precedence to assure that any member of the staff does not give these users special treatment in order to help them avoid being returned to a 'Banned' status. Similarly, we will also make sure that no staff member gives special treatment such that the member is unfairly re-banned.
We understand that this announcement will be a shock to many of you - whether for good reasons or bad. We only ask, however, that you continue to trust our judgment in such matters because the decisions we make are all, inevitably, made in order to better serve and better benefit you - the community that has made MTGSalvation what it is today.
On behalf of the other Administrators, and the rest of the MTGSalvation staff,
Many thanks,
Urzassedatives