Why am I in the Penalty Box when I just joined (sorry posting here, temp. non-citizen can't post where it's needed) [closed]

Question

I wanted to join the Statistics Stack Exchange, so I did join the community, but as soon as I did, I was put in the penalty box there. Of course, once in the penalty box, I'm a non-citizen and can't even ask the Meta there what's going on. Since I have put in the most work here, I hope that posting here is not a problem. Having only 1 point is very constraining!

I have been experimenting with keeping JavaScript off by default. Many of the web sites that I go to are just searches for information, and I get the info without all the flashing lights, in-your-face email sign-ups, and other internet trash. So perhaps there is a subtle bug having to do with that.

Otherwise, I have a general complaint with the process of being put in the penalty box without being shown exactly why I am in the penalty box. Maybe there is, after all, some valid reason. But all I'm told is that I'm in the box.

Also, there should be some button that you can press that says that I think this happened accidentally, and that I should not be in the penalty box. To not do this assumes that our web site programmers are perfect, and being a Senior Developer of many years now, I am daily confronted with just how imperfect I am, and how limited is the capacity of my own grey matter (as renowned Dijkstra is famous for explaining).

The "Penalty Box by Mistake" button only makes sense if the user is given a reason why they are in the box. Either the reason makes sense to them or it doesn't.

But it definitely doesn't make sense that I am automatically penalty-boxed as soon as I join a community.

I don't want you to just fix what's wrong with my account. Let's make this place a better place to play and work! Thanks.

To see my Penalty-Boxed account you can click here and see that I have only 1 point (I should have 101 points): https://stats.stackexchange.com/users/362318/microservicesonddd.

Thank you for your time, understanding, and all the work you do for StackExchange!

Answer 1

As commented, there is nothing we can do directly here. Each SE site has its own mods and even as a mod here, I cannot see any details over there.

I have contacted the mods over there and they are currently investigating.

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Update:

The suspension has kindly been removed by the mods over there. No sign of a bug, but I'm not going to disclose more details publicly.

They have asked me to pass on a recommendation that you change your passwords on your SE account and your email.

If you have more questions, please ask over there, not here.

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Regarding your wider point:

I have a general complaint with the process of being put in the penalty box without being shown exactly why I am in the penalty box. Maybe there is, after all, some valid reason. But all I'm told is that I'm in the box.

I appreciate your concern, however there is some history in your case. Usually there would have been a prior message.

Also, there should be some button that you can press that says that I think this happened accidentally, and that I should not be in the penalty box.

There are only a tiny number of situations like yours. From what I understand, a specific series of manual actions happened in the past, (which usually don't happen unless the account is a spammer) leading to your situation today.

it definitely doesn't make sense that I am automatically penalty-boxed as soon as I join a community.

I understand it doesn't make sense to you, but there was a reason and it was functioning as designed.

Getting "Penalty Box by Mistake" functionality added to the site, just for those tiny number of situations, will be so far down the SE priorities list that I doubt it would happen.

The slower-but-preferred way to address your situation, would have been for you to use the contact form at the bottom of the page on the Stats site. Your workaround of asking here caused some extra work, but it was probably a quicker resolution than using the contact form.