I feel like the level of moderation and censorship on Answerbag is hurting the amazing community that exists here. I think that, sometimes, the most important question of all fails to be asked. "Does the punishment really fit the crime"? I could go on and on. But I'd be in the Penalty Box by the weekend.

What is a penalty box and the sentence?

What I really don't understand is why can't everybody live and let live? If you don't like someone stay away from them! I take care of 105 students in grade school, AB puts them to shame.....with petty remarks, and their little stabs with a downrate.....whoooooooo CARES?????????And everyone thinks the other one "might" be a sock puppet. Some might be, what about the ones who are innocent and are accused??..HUH??...This all needs to stop! The people who just want to talk, and have fun, and ask questions, maybe need some help, are giving the trouble makers wayyyyyy to much credit! They aren't doing this to us, WE ARE!!!! Don't play the game! Game OVER!

The site owners are free to hand out the penalties they see fit. It is their site and there is a 'Terms of Usage'. If people don't abide by the terms, the staff can decide on the length of penalty that is handed out. I do trust the staff and their reasoning.

Perhaps your right. I have read the answers and comments and I think an upgrade of crime and punishment could be used. I am not sure how to go about getting something like that started without having a personal discussion with the owners. emails and chat has it place but when making big changes it takes person to person discussion.

Thanks for the question. I wonder if I am in a penalty box. Are there notifications made or does it just happen. And WHAT happens?

First: I hope we're not dragging old laundry out here. Second: How Joel and Rich handle things which may, in their judgement, require putting someone in a Penalty Box is NOT up for discussion with the likes of us. There are no hard and fast rules set forth for it, nor are there any regulations similar to a legal code which put forth the maximum and/or minimum sentences. They run this site. They see what happens behind the scenes that you and I are not privy too. They have access to server documentation on who is on when and what they are doing. They collect all the feedback, emails, and comments concerning a given 'infraction'. This site is Joel's. He and Rich run it as they see fit, to the best of their abilities and with the best interests of the members in mind. I have to trust them on that because I have no choice in the matter, outside what I may do via feedback and what-not. If they did NOT act with the best interest of the members, then the site will go down the tube rapidly. And I don't see that happening. Third: The sentences on AB can NEVER be as harsh as real life prison sentences. One day in prison is FAR worse than being PB's for life on AB. Prison is REAL. The Penalty Box is NOT. There is no real effect on your ability to put food on the table, get your kids ready for school, or your pay check. You don't have to wear prison orange coveralls or shirts with big, red "PB" letters on it. You pay no fines, don't get your drivers license suspended, or points on your driving record which would cause your car insurance to go up. In my opinion, if things have escalated to the point where Joel and Rich must take such drastic actions, then the other means which they have used up to that point have obviously NOT worked with the individual and harsher means are then warranted. How harsh is enough? That's up to Joel and Rich.

I think AB takes itself too seriously sometimes, especially recently. Life ban? Puh-LEASE!!

I don't feel as though, based on everything I'm aware of with the penalty box, all sentences have been fair. Real prison, however, is much worse than being blocked from a site for a few days.

Hmmm, don't think anybody is the "bitch" in the AB PB. The food is better and the accommodations are luxurious. No Death Row either. It's a shame that some of the sentences have had to be "harsh", but when ample warnings are given and the situation does not improve, what to do? I have seen cases where the person is continually boxed for months at a time and comes out with the same bad attitude. I think others are more capable of learning their lesson and not doing that. It depends on the circumstances and each individual case, but it's not something the staff enjoys doing. It is the LAST resort.

I think that the comparison of the PB with real life is not possible. There is no way to compare being in jail with being in the PB. You can always go to another website. That being said, rules are not enforced equally here. I have come to know that favoritism is applied. I do not know why or the parameters used for this. Some people who answer this question are using a specific example. I am not. I am stating what I have observed over time. I am saddened to have come to this realization because I was hoping that AB would be better than that.

Well, different actions do require different consequences. Having said that, I am fresh out of the box. I don't really even know why. I have some knowledge of it but am unsure of what rule I broke. AB should provide a clear explanation as to why the person is in the box.

Well, being banned from this site until 2056 or whatever (wise asses) wouldn't bother me enough to get all that upset about while on the other hand going to actual jail until then would upset me greatly.

I think that most of the top answers have really stated it very well, but I would like to add one additional way to look at a lifetime ban from AB. That has to do with time and trouble. This website is run by very few people. It doesn't really need many people, if everyone acted like grown ups, not like children, and didn't hide behind their anonymity, with both a main account and with multiple accounts. SO I think that lifetime bans come about when the Staff have just had it from all sides and just don't have the time to deal with it anymore. Instead of always having to PB someone for a few days or weeks, and then getting emails from both sides about it, then even more whining, they decide to just end it. It's just one member and they don't need those headaches anymore. It just may be simpler and quicker for them that way, and new members come in and don't know what happened and the site continues as it always has. No member here is indispensable, we all just carry on, whether it's through banning or death, sadly. Somehow, even through outrage and sadness, we go on here, just like real life. Things disappoint us but we get over it and do the best we can.