I was banned for a week for linking to a Mr Menno video. They didn't even do the 3 strikes thing, just straight to a ban. This is the exchange I had with the moderators (MN in italics, me in bold):
We're getting in touch to let you know that we've deleted one of your posts - we felt this part broke our recently updated Talk Guidelines [BANNED WORDS]. This type of comment is just honestly over the line of what we think is acceptable, so we've temporarily suspended your ability to post. This is not something we do lightly but we do need to apply the rules set out in our guidelines.If you're happy to adhere to our Talk Guidelines from now on, do please let us know and we'll reinstate your ability to post in a week.
I confirm I will adhere to your Guidelines, and I am sorry for the content of the post you have referenced, which I accept crossed the line. However, for the record, I do wish you would make it clearer what is or is not acceptable discourse. You zapped the entire thread (which I started), and it is not clear why. The content of the link was entirely factual, albeit in a jovial song form deliberately designed to be juxtaposed with the seriousness of the matter. The following posts (from me, apart from the one acknowledged) were a discussion citing respected sources. One poster was being inflammatory, and I assume you deleted the thread at their behest. Why was this?
Also, I thought you had a 3 strikes policy. I can appreciate that the post you have cited constitutes 1 strike, but how has that leapt to a suspension? Please can you clarify your policy on this.
We went straight to a suspension here because to be honest we thought the content of the opening post and the content of the post that we deleted, taken together warranted us getting your attention (and we have had to issue strikes on your account before).
It's never going to be acceptable on Mumsnet to post a 'jovial song' about top surgery - it's just something that's never going to be OK. It's really important to us that this massively difficult topic is addressed with respect and empathy on both sides. Comments and content that address trans people's experience as though it were inherently comical are just not on.
Similarly, [XXXXXX] is massively controversial and while we may allow discussion of it in genuinely thoughtful terms, it's pretty much always going to break our rules if it's an assertion that [XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]
Are those guidelines something you can get on board with?
I have already said I am prepared to adhere to your talk guidelines. I just want to understand them, because they are not clear.
Your 3 strikes policy is this:
We’ll be introducing a three strikes system whereby users deleted more than three times in any rolling six week period will have their membership automatically suspended and we’ll then take a view as to whether they will have membership reinstated.
I have previously been deleted once on [DATE], more than 6 weeks ago. So what you have applied is a policy that does not appear in your talk guidelines, unless I am missing something. Rather it is an ad hoc decision. Which, in fairness, you ought to articulate may happen if people take the time to contribute to your site.
Did you watch the video, and are you aware of who Mr Menno is? He is a gay man trying to defend other gay men, lesbians and children. The top surgery video was not an attack on trans people at all and was not a criticism of their experiences. It was an attack on plastic surgeons who glibly refer to breast removal as something that is no big deal, who themselves treat it as something amusing, and who make it out to be a reversible process - telling girls they can always get new breasts if they change their minds. Is Mumsnet saying that plastic surgeons or any other providers of such services to trans people are beyond criticism? Again, given the subject matter of many of the FWR discussions, this should be articulated clearly as a policy.
Thank you in advance for the further clarifications.
[A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER] Did you receive my email from Wednesday? Will you be responding to my clarification requests and/or restoring my account.
We don't have much more to add to our previous email (appended below).
Please do let us know if you agree to abide by the Talk guidelines and we'll unlock your account on [DATE].
Yes, you have my confirmation