Though SI reserves the right to ban anyone from the forums for any reason at any time, we’re not eager to do that. Banning usually occurs only when a member has made it clear that he or she is not going to behave in a way that is compatible with the purpose and spirit of the site. That usually means they’ve violated the Comment Policy in a serious way or have shown a pattern of skirting the edges of the rules. Occasionally a member finds a way to avoid flagrant rule violations yet still be a constant headache for the Moderating team. That can also result in banning. The decision to ban or not ban is usually made collaboratively by the moderating team.