Why is it that banned users are banned from even reading the forums? I understand banning users from posting, but I don't see any harm in allowing banned users to merely read the boards.
Why is it that banned users are banned from even reading the forums? I understand banning users from posting, but I don't see any harm in allowing banned users to merely read the boards.
I think it should depend on the type of offense. For example, if someone is banned for multiple signature violations, then they shouldn't be banned from reading. Spammers, on the other hand, should be banned from the entire site because they can still cause trouble if they can read (harvest users' e-mails, etc).
I don't think that they really can ban users from reading the boards. You probably need to clear your cookies to do it though. There are quite a few banned users that still lurk all over