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In the U.S. at least, due process is considered a right that is so important that it is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.

Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individual person from it. When a government harms a person without following the exact course of the law, this constitutes a due process violation, which offends the rule of law.

-Wikipedia

It is important that the Stack Exchange network ensure that there is a due process for appealing all moderator actions on every Stack Exchange site. The federal powers of the SEN reign supreme over the individuals statehoods of the individual SE sites. The SEN must enable due process to appeal the unfair timed bans on individual SE sites because an appeal is not possible when a person is banned. There is no way for a banned user to post a meta question or to request an appeal in any way on the site that banned him.

Due Process is not something limited to huge governments, nations, or courtrooms. It is what is simply the standardization of a system of conflict resolution. This standardization helps to prevent abuse by individuals entrusted with authority.

You have heard the saying 'power corrupts--absolute power corrupts absolutely.' People who enjoy abusing other people tend to seek out positions of authority. No, we cannot legislate morality, but in the immortal words of Martin Luther King, “Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless.”

The utility of internal organizational systems of conflict resolution, or “due process,” rests on the formulation of specific objectives and values, a high degree of decision-maker independence, balanced formality of procedures, and matching types of conflict with means of resolution.

Please incorporate this new feature. Do it for MLK. Do it for the dream.

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  • Couldn't you just appeal a per-site ban by asking about it here? Like you just did?
    – murgatroid99
    Jun 9, 2015 at 21:14
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    Just use the "contact us" link in the footer, that's the appeal process
    – Mad Scientist
    Jun 9, 2015 at 21:15
  • Maybe a better approach is to prevent you get banned so you keep the option to interact with the community and its moderators.
    – rene
    Jun 9, 2015 at 21:18
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    It is important to remember that the Stack Exchange network is not a country, nor are individual sites states, nor are individual users citizens. The Federal/State/Citizen analogy is quite useful at times, but stretched too far it becomes ridiculous.
    – Shog9
    Jun 9, 2015 at 21:19
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    Don't take this the wrong way, but you can't simply cite laws everywhere on the Internet.
    – HDE 226868
    Jun 9, 2015 at 21:20
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    Also (I add, having researched this a bit)... If you find yourself making the writings of gruff old engineers look like the cooings of preschool teachers in comparison to your own, you should probably stop and have a long, long think about the direction your life is headed in before you write another word.
    – Shog9
    Jun 9, 2015 at 21:33
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    @user322404 Shog9's email is in his profile.
    – user259867
    Jun 9, 2015 at 21:37
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    There's a moderator still waiting for a reply from you; I wouldn't want to get in the way of that. I strongly recommend you put more thought and perhaps self-reflection into your next reply than you did into your previous; you have 30 days, take your time and make it count.
    – Shog9
    Jun 9, 2015 at 21:38
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    Step 1: Learn to take criticism. Step 2: Follow the policies inherent in SE, especially the one about being nice. Step 3: Don't automatically assume you're right, especially when you're a relative newcomer to a group. Follow those rules, and you'll get a pretty decent reception. Arguing with established users won't.
    – fbueckert
    Jun 9, 2015 at 22:44
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    The only people above the moderators' heads are those at SE, so that's the only way to appeal. As mentioned, there are contact links. What are you wanting people to say about the broader issue? A vague post about the importance of due process seems unlikely to start any real discussion about it. If you have suggestions about making that process clearer or better, maybe that would be a better starting point?
    – Cascabel
    Jun 9, 2015 at 23:11
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    @user322404 serious question - do you have a convincing argument to influence our thoughts on this proposal? I read your post, it is not convincing at all.
    – user289879
    Jun 10, 2015 at 0:01
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    Frankly, trying to be funny and saying, "Do it for MLK. Do it for the dream." (and quoting him) isn't clever. It's more than a little bit rude, and, quite frankly, comparing your actions to those of Dr. King is probably deserving of a suspension.
    – HDE 226868
    Jun 10, 2015 at 2:08
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    I'll say this and then stop: Comparing a time when you were annoyed with another person on the Internet to a time when people were non-violently fighting for the right to live in peace with others is not an apt comparison.
    – HDE 226868
    Jun 10, 2015 at 2:15
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    It's the same everywhere, you want respect for you and for your ideas - you have to earn it.
    – user289879
    Jun 10, 2015 at 6:51
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    @santiago Careful - everyone here is entitled to respect, and so are their posts. That doesn't mean they can't be told they're wrong, but the last thing we need is to endorse or encourage disrespect.
    – Cascabel
    Jun 10, 2015 at 14:42

1 Answer 1

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This feature exists. You post on the meta of the site on which you have a problem. If the problem is network wide, you post here. You include enough details for everyone to grasp the issue, and you hang around and respond to comments and answers. It works remarkably well.

Sometimes users come to understand why a moderator action was taken. Sometimes a moderator action is reversed. Sometimes something else happens, but generally all participants leave both happier and wiser.

Since you have been suspended on Electronics for rule violations, I presume you got a message from a moderator telling you about the suspension. If you believe you didn't break any rules and should be unsuspended, Electronics Meta is the best place to raise that issue. If that's impossible, you might get an explanation here. Think of it less as an appeal to a court (this isn't a country or a government) and more of a request for understanding about what you did and what you should not do again.

Since the comment thread is now a giant mess (I honestly thought there was a bug in the comment notifier due to the numbers it was reporting every few minutes) let me provide some advice about how to take an appeal to meta.

First, you do not have to respond to every comment. Even if it is wrong. If you think someone is lying, or taunting you, or is someone else in disguise, it is possible for you to think that but not share the thought with others. You answering each comment with a rebuttal doesn't actually cause other people to dismiss the first comment or take up your cause as someone who's being picked on. It is more likely to make people think you are misinterpreting what you are being told.

Second, to stay focused on the broader issue (what can I do if a moderator is being rude to me, and then suspends me for saying he's being rude to me) you yourself should stay focused on that issue. Don't tell people they're lying, or bullying, or whatever. Restrict your interactions to those about your specific topic -- moderator behaviour, and the difficulty of appealing a suspension when your suspended-rep prevents you posting on a per site meta. When you wander from that into calling people trolls, corrupt, bullies, puppets and so on, you are not sticking to your actual topic. I really recommend that you do because I think that could be a good thing.

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  • 6
    @RobertLongson the meta user is probably a more interesting link and the drama surrounding the activity there.
    – user213963
    Jun 9, 2015 at 21:28
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    Such a detailed patient answer from a moderator trying to explain site mores and norms, and why things went south, and it's just dismissed with "this answer is offensive." Some people are very hard to help.
    – Kate Gregory
    Jun 9, 2015 at 21:37
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    You can't ask to be unsuspended on a per site meta as you won't have the 5 rep required to post there. That's probably a good thing given his previous meta posts though as the chances that he'd make things worse by doing that seem rather high.
    – Robert Longson
    Jun 9, 2015 at 21:42
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    I am speaking to the broader issue. When things aren't going well, you go to meta, and if you're lucky, people explain it to you. That's my answer and as you can see may meta people think it's right. But I am stumbling at the next part, which is that you learn from the answers you get on the meta. Whether per site or here. Now you've escalated from calling those who interact with you "trolling" (being mean for the cruel fun of it) to "corrupt" (deliberately doing the wrong thing for personal gain). You don't give me the impression of being here to learn or understand at all.
    – Kate Gregory
    Jun 9, 2015 at 22:26
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    @user322404 There are ways to discuss mod actions. You can post on the site meta, or on MSE if it's a multi-site issue. You can find a mod in chat and ask them, if they're available to talk about it. For an appeal to higher authority, you can email the community team (one of whom also saw this question, reviewed the suspension, and seems to have agreed with it. Just because it didn't get your suspension reversed, doesn't mean they aren't willing to listen to complaints. "Due process" doesn't mean "I win every argument."
    – cpast
    Jun 9, 2015 at 23:09
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    @user322404 You may notice that I (like cpast) mentioned appealing to the community team. If a moderator is truly taunting, bullying, and antagonizing, include examples of it in your appeal. I don't want there to be bad mods out there any more than you do. However, please forgive me if I am somewhat skeptical of your claims; in this very discussion you've accused someone of taunting you when he made a reasonable comment, and I have seen similar things happen more times than I can remember.
    – Cascabel
    Jun 9, 2015 at 23:24
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    @user322404 I think I was pretty specific: someone said something reasonable to you, and you responded with hostile accusations. If you want people to stop making this about you, then you might consider being more courteous to others; as it is, it's very easy for people to see why you might have gotten suspended, and why due process isn't going to help you. (I also left a comment on the question half an hour ago about a better way to ask about this kind of thing.)
    – Cascabel
    Jun 9, 2015 at 23:39
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    @user322404 Who said anything about kissing boots? What you do have to do, though, is be nice. Which you very clearly are not, not with your personal attacks (and for some, rather offensive comments). Until you are actually receptive to criticism, and you don't attack those trying to help, you will continue to receive a very rough reception.
    – fbueckert
    Jun 9, 2015 at 23:45
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    @user322404 You're trying to join a community. A community with norms, standards, and rules. There is no hubris here, just a re-iteration of the requirements to actually be a member here. If you want to continue to with your personal attacks, you are free to do so. And we are free to flag, and, eventually, see you suspended here, too. As for the broader issue, you've already been told what it is. You refusing to accept it doesn't change the fact that you know what it is.
    – fbueckert
    Jun 9, 2015 at 23:49
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    @user322404 Being defensive is one thing. Being hostile and attacking those criticizing your posts is something very different. You are displaying the latter. I'd recommend taking a deep breath, and walking away. You're too close to this. Come back when you're calmer. You were doing well here, and then you started misinterpreting moderator actions as bullying and taunting. And, I re-iterate, I'm not a puppet account. You not believing me is irrelevant.
    – fbueckert
    Jun 10, 2015 at 0:09
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    What I am seeing here from @user322404 is "Waaaaah! I did not get my own way" tantrum, with all the associated strawmen, ad hominems, personal attacks... failing to realise that these tactics will not work - SE will stay the same success story.
    – user289879
    Jun 10, 2015 at 0:10
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    @user322404 No one here is trying to bait you. People are saying "You are not being nice, please stop". Once you do, we can go back to our regular programming.
    – Kareen
    Jun 10, 2015 at 0:19
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    @user322404 Please don't use suggested edits to try to change someone else's opinion.
    – HDE 226868
    Jun 10, 2015 at 2:05
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    @Santiago I have 14 Reversals - on Meta they are far easier than on any other site. Every one of them is a little sad though - someone who just totally doesn't get it and can't be helped though many are trying.
    – Kate Gregory
    Jun 10, 2015 at 11:59
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    This is going nowhere; I'm sticking a fork in it. Thanks for trying to help, Kate.
    – Shog9
    Jun 10, 2015 at 15:19

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