I run an online photography group. Rules are basic. Photos must have been taken in the UK and must be your own work. Anyone that breaks the rules gets a warning and then a ban if the continue breaking the rules.
So a guy joins and submits his photo. It’s a picture of a market in India. Lovely pic but not suitable for the group so I delete it (but before I had chance lots of group members had told him off in the comments) and I sent him a message saying that although the pic was nice, it wasn’t taken in the UK so had to be removed.
Next day he submitted another picture, a scene of rural India. Again, lovely pic but not the UK! By the time I’d seen it a row had erupted where people had told him off, he replied saying he did “live” in the UK so hadn’t broken the rules. Someone explained that it wasn’t about where you lived, it’s about where the pic was taken. The guy seemed genuinely confused so I took the pic down and sent him a message explaining why.
Next day he submits a picture of Tower Bridge. Someone else recognised it as a published photo (not his own work) and another argument started. He argued that it was his picture as it was on his computer. Someone said it was a Microsoft screen saver thing, again he didn’t seem to understand what was meant by “your own work”. I took it down and sent him yet another message explaining the rules in detail.
This morning he posted a picture of a river in India!! Everyone was kicking off saying the admin was shit, they were leaving the group and the whole thing was a joke. I took the pic down and banned him, explaining to the group what I’d done. Most were supportive but a couple were outraged and said he’d been discriminated against because of a language barrier. Now I feel guilty but what else was I meant to do? I’d messaged him numerous times and other members were complaining and leaving the group.
Was I out of order?