This sort of thing has happened a few times now...

"Hey, did you see? User X was boxed!"
"User X? Why?"
"I donno... Maybe he... " (wild speculation ensues. waffles are blamed.)

It's generally quite easy to notice when a user gets thrown in The Penalty Box. You see the tell-tale 1 when viewing questions they've asked or answers they've provided. You visit their profile page. You see that big red message. And you're curious...

The Streisand effect is an Internet phenomenon where an attempt to censor or remove a piece of information backfires, causing the information to be widely publicized.

This isn't good. It turns what should be a subtle "cool-down" period into a big public spectacle. And for what?

Worse yet, speculation leads to unease. Was the suspension really justified? Where's the evidence? What's the definition of "jerk"?

Enough with the pointless, poisonous secrecy! I propose that moderators be instructed to attach a public comment to the account of anyone put in The Box. It need not be a detailed account of the user's transgressions, merely a terse summary of what finally caused them to be suspended - just enough to let us know that there is some valid reason behind it.