Hosts can be changed too. Perhaps we should stop setting bans altogether, then.
Call that slippery slope if you will?
While it's true that idents are not particularly difficult to change on most systems, not everyone knows how to change their ident, nor is everyone inclined towards spending their time evading bans. Most channel operators will set reasonably narrow bans and then widen them as needed, which is exactly as it should be.
Looks like you're talking about the difference betweel level 2 and level 4 bans. Leave level 3 bans out of it.
To follow on from that, sometimes bans need to be placed that affect a large number of users; for example bans set against botnets or ban evaders. The removal of such bans is not an invitation for the offender to rejoin, but rather to allow legitimate users to join who would otherwise have been unable. Your script is was a disservice to those people, as well as the channel in general.
You brought up another topic - bans that affect more than 1 person. I have not yet encountered that problem with Efnet #mIRC. I do have some sort of flood and repeat protection. Apparently, in past experience, every ban targetted affected 1 or 2 person. I don't think I'm capable of letting an entire botnet know they're unbanned, especially since the channel becomes well protected during mass joins.
Channels, particularly help channels, have a level of responsibility to their users. Would you suggest that we did not ban users who sent $decode() worms to our visitors?
No.
Helping in private is generally not permitted to ensure that the help given is infact helpful, and not malicious. Again, this is as it should be.
That's a very interesting reason you provided since it takes what bad things
can happen as a result of why it is. I can come up with other equally excuses, such that I have pm'd other users for help and they did not try to backdoor me or any sort - should I report to the ops that someone is responding to me in pm? Althought what I meant is that I do the /whois follow and then assist them (particularly for cases where they need help with a bot and script for their channel). The best way I found to help someone with a channel bot or channel script is to join their channel.
-Neal.
To conclude: Your opinions, beliefs, complaints and criticisms are both irrelevant and largely nonsensical. Enjoy your ban, I have a feeling it will be in place for quite some time.
Anyways, I certainly can be up for a conversation of what
can happen, althought I particularly find more importance on what does happen and what has happened.
That's kind of like, he
can be an idiot, so he should be banned. But I differentiate between what happens and what possibilities can happen, despite maybe being interested of what can happen in theory. But I consider them to be separate things.
