Warnings & Bans

The Bell Tree's rules exist to maintain a welcoming, safe, fair, and enjoyable environment. Moderators issue warnings and temporary bans to help members understand and correct rule-breaking behavior. Enforcement is handled at the discretion of the moderation team and takes into account context, intent, severity, and prior violations. In cases of severe or highly repeated violations, a member may be banned from the community indefinitely.

Warnings

Warnings are official notices explaining how a member's content or behavior violated a rule. They are intended to help the member understand the violation and avoid repeating it in the future. Starting in 2026, warnings on The Bell Tree will accrue points based on the type and severity of the violation. After a set period of time, the warning and its points expire. If a member’s total active points reach certain thresholds, the system will automatically issue a temporary ban for a specified number of days:

• Behavior or content that may be dangerous to another individual or the community:
  Examples: threats, harassment, bullying, doxxing, encouraging harm
  10-20 points (expires after 12 months), immediate ban for severe cases
• Behavior or content that is disrespectful to another individual or the community:
  Examples: personal attacks, hostility
  5-10 points (expires after 12 months)
• Behavior or content that can give an unfair advantage over others in the community:
  Examples: creating alternate accounts, attempting to cheat in events
  2-10 points (expires after 12 months)
• Behavior or content that may be disruptive to the community:
  Examples: spamming, repeated low-effort posting
  2-5 points (expires after 3 months)
• Minor noncompliance with the rules or guidelines:
  Examples: low-quality posts, posting in the wrong board
  Content removed with a notification, no formal warning issued

To view your full warning history, click the Warnings tab on your profile. This list is visible only to you and forum moderators.

Please note that the warning point system is newly implemented on The Bell Tree, so we may modify the number of points, expiration dates, and thresholds as we find the best balance. For the first year, bans may also be manually issued based on warnings that were received before the point system was implemented.

Bans

Temporary bans are issued automatically by the forum's warning system when a member's total number of active points crosses a threshold:

• 10 warning points: 2-day ban
• 20 warning points: 1-week ban
• 30 warning points: 3-week ban
• 40 warning points: 3-month ban

Moderators may also issue temporary bans in severe cases or when rule violations are repeated after multiple automatic bans. Newly registered accounts that break rules immediately after joining may be banned without first accumulating warning points. For established members, bans lasting longer than a few days are discussed and agreed upon by the staff to ensure fairness and consistency.

Indefinite Bans

Members who repeatedly break the rules, cause serious disruption, or engage in harmful behavior may be permanently banned at the discretion of the moderation team. No member is exempt from the rules, regardless of their tenure or status in the community. Indefinite bans may result from a single severe violation or repeated rule-breaking over time, with decisions made carefully and collectively by all active members of the staff to ensure that the ban is warranted.

Newly registered accounts that are clearly created to target the community or individual members will be permanently banned as quickly as possible.

Appealing a Warning or Ban

Any moderation action at The Bell Tree can be appealed, including warnings, temporary bans, and indefinite bans. To discuss or appeal a warning you received, post a thread in the private Contact the Staff board. To discuss or appeal a ban, email us at tbt@belltreeforums.com.

When an appeal is received, the staff will review it together to determine whether the action was appropriate. Our goal is to work with members so they can remain part of the community, as long as they are willing to follow the rules and take moderator guidance seriously. Warnings and bans are meant to help members learn from mistakes and improve their participation, not to exclude people without reason.

Appeals are most likely to be successful when a member acknowledges the issue, accepts responsibility, and shows a genuine effort to avoid repeating it. When discussing a warning or ban, staff may also offer guidance on how to avoid future penalties. In cases where the staff team agrees that an action was issued in error or was overly severe, it may be reduced or overturned.