Account Restrictions

Bans, Suspensions and Warnings What to do if warned or suspended, and what not to do to avoid being banned

Warnings

What is a warning?

A warning means that your account currently has reduced rights; namely, the tracker will allow you to upload but not download. While warned, your account is under the following restrictions:

• Unable to download torrents using the tracker

Apart from the above-stated restrictions, your account still has all the access privileges it used to have. For instance, you can still seed series that you have downloaded completely (download status 100%).

Why was I warned?

Warnings are given for various reasons:

• You went below the cutoff ratio

We impose a minimum ratio on all accounts, to ensure that users do not only leech and never seed back. You enjoy a good speed when downloading because other users are seeding to you; likewise you should seed to others to ensure that they get good speeds as well. The minimum ratio rule ensures that users contribute to the benefits that they enjoy.

• Ratio warnings are set by the Borg. We will not manually remove this warning for any reason, as doing so is futile anyway; the Borg will just reinstate the warning.
• Note that the minimum ratio rule applies to your overall ratio (total downloaded divided by total uploaded), and not to your individual torrent ratios (downloaded divided by uploaded on a single torrent).

• You broke a site rule

Warnings are given for breaking certain site rules, to discourage users from breaking these rules. The length of the warning varies depending on severity.

OK, so now what?

If your warning is a ratio warning:

• An evaluation time is scheduled (usually 1 week ahead). Your ratio is reviewed on evaluation day, and if your overall ratio is higher than the warning cutoff ratio, the warning will be lifted. If your ratio is not high enough a new evaluation time will be scheduled (another week ahead).
• Suggestion: Seed more. If you have nothing to seed, find some way to fix your ratio.

If your warning was given for breaking a site rule:

• The warning will be removed at the end of the warning period.
• Warnings stay if your ratio is below the minimum cutoff ratio.

So, what minimum ratio should I maintain to avoid being warned/get out of a warning?

We do not disclose the cutoff ratio because this figure is subject to change. The only sure ratio to avoid getting warned is a ratio equal to or larger than 1.0.

If you got warned because of a bad ratio (or if you you think you got warned because of a bad ratio) - the only way to get rid of the warning is by uploading more (and maybe downloading less). The most obvious way to do so is by seeding, but you may also use the bonus system (see: What are bonus torrents?). A third option is donating; the why and how is explained on the donation page.

Suspensions

What is an account suspension?

An account suspension is when a user's account is disabled, causing the user to be unable to log in to his site account. The user's forum account remains accessible (unless the user has been banned on the forum too). Other sections of BakaBT, such as the Blog and Wiki, remain accessible as well.

Why was my account disabled?

In most cases, your account has been suspended for one or more of the following reasons:

• Multi-accounting

We have a one-account-per-user-per-lifetime rule. Attempts to create more than one account will result in account suspensions. Only the oldest account belonging to you will be left enabled.

• Logging on at the computer of another BakaBT user

You are advised not to log on to your BakaBT account at the computer of another BakaBT user. Doing so will likely result in the system identifying you as a multi-account user.

See also: "Can I login from different computers?" and "Can my friend/family member use an account on the same computer as me?"

• Using a forbidden Bittorrent client

Some Bittorrent clients intentionally send fake data to our trackers. The use of these clients on our tracker is forbidden, accounts caught using these clients will be disabled until they switch torrent clients.

• Attempting to trick the tracker into thinking you've uploaded more than you actually have/bypassing account restrictions

Attempts to fake torrent transfer statistics or bypass account restrictions will likely result in a ban. Warnings may or may not be given prior to an account ban. If you are lucky, it may result in only a suspension.

Ok, so what can I do to have my account reenabled?

• Multiaccounting

Nothing. Your oldest account has been left enabled, so use it. If your oldest account has been mistakenly disabled, drop a help request on our IRC channel.

• Logging on at another BakaBT user's computer

Drop a help request on our IRC channel. We understand that this sometimes happens inadvertently and may give one or two chances for reenabling accounts, but do it too often and we may decide not to.

Suggestion: Log in to your BakaBT account only on your own computer.

• Using a forbidden Bittorrent client

Change to one of the recommended Bittorrent clients, start downloading/seeding something with it, then drop us a help request on the IRC channel.

• Attempting to trick the tracker into thinking you've uploaded more than you actually have/bypassing account restrictions

No fix. If your IP has not been banned, wait about 6 months for your old account(s) to be pruned, then make a new one. We will not transfer the statistics of your old account over to your new one, no matter how good/bad those statistics may be.

More on Multi-accounting

Which account would you not disable?

Always the oldest account, except in special circumstances that we dictate (don't even ask, we'll decide if it's special enough). So stick with your oldest account.

Awww, can't I keep my newest account?

No. if you leave a mess, clean up after yourself.

Pretty please?

No.

There's really no way for me to get my newer account re-enabled?

Yes, there is. Wait for the old account to be pruned, then look for us on #bakabt-support again and tell us. We'll then re-enable your oldest existing account.

Bans

It is unlikely that you will be able to view this Wiki page once you are actually banned, so treat this as fair warning.

What is a ban?

A ban is when your IP or IP range is entered into our blocklist, preventing you from accessing any page or service on BakaBT.

For what reasons might I be banned?

• Attempting to trick the tracker into thinking you've uploaded more than you actually have/bypassing account restrictions

Attempts to fake torrent transfer statistics or bypass account restrictions will likely result in a ban. Warnings may or may not be given prior to an account ban. If you are lucky, it may result in only a suspension.

• Being a continual annoyance on the forums, to the point where a staff decision is made to ban

Self-explanatory.

What can I do to have my account unbanned?

Nothing. We may clear our banlists once in a blue moon, check back in a year to see if we have done so.

Forum Bans

The above information refers to warnings/suspensions/bans on your tracker account. your forum account is not directly linked to it, so account restrictions on your tracker account do not apply to your forum account.

There are generally two types of forum account restrictions:

Posting restrictions

Also known as a posting ban. You may log in to read forum posts, but may not reply or make new posts, or threads.

Typically given for flaming or insulting other members, making useless threads, trolling in help&support threads, etc.

Login restrictions

Also known as a full ban. you may not log in to the forum at all.

Typically given for insulting the mod that replied to your help thread or gave you a posting ban, for repeated flaming/insulting/useless-posting, or for other similar reasons.

Restriction period

Restriction periods vary, from about a week for minor offences, to infinity (permanent ban) for major offences. The length of the ban is usually not announced, so check back in a week or two and see if it has been lifted. If it has not, chances are it may be a one-month ban (not given often) or a permanent ban (especially if you piss certain mods off).

What can I do to have my account unbanned?

Nothing. If it's a temporary ban, wait it out. If it's a permanent ban, we may clear our banlists once in a blue moon, check back in a year to see if we have done so. Alternatively you can choose to write a 1000 word essay explaining what you did wrong, how you learned your lesson and why you won't do it ever again. Doing so might soften the hearths of the stone cold moderators and result in shortening or removing a ban on your forum account.