Again, and I really need to make this perfectly clear - Ben was not banned nor asked to leave. He was cautioned regarding his actions - a warning - and that was it. Which was exactly how I dealt with PinkFloyd. I won't ban a person if I feel they have made an honest mistake and have a low chance of doing it again.
It's unfortunate Ben decided to leave, but that's his choice. It's also unfortunate he elected to make a post on the forums about it, rather than discuss it with me. But I think Madhouse sums up exactly my thoughts very nicely.
As for Pink's multiple smileys - he was simply experimenting with the site's capabilities, unaware that his actions would dramatically slow down the ability for everyone to view the post. True, it shouldn't have been done in the first place, but once it was brought to his attention, he immediately deleted them all. Lesson learned. The perception was that he did it maliciously, which isn't the case.
One other lesson PFR learned was to never let his emotions rule his actions. Sending PM's when upset only makes matters worse. True, he sent an inappropriate PM, but he realized his mistake and apologized. Not only that, but he showed restraint by not replying to Ben's nasty PM in the same manner.
Anyway, just as with PinkFloyd, Ben is welcome to stay now that the air has cleared. The choice is up to him.
