Regarding bans

...that's not the point. Your punishment for punching someone would be invariably worse if you're the aggressor. The law may be that "your life must be in danger" but most sensible judges won't put you away if you were only defending yourself (judge judy being one of the exceptions, haha. (Also punishment would be completely circumstantial. Of course you'd probably end up with a lawsuit if you busted someones tooth or something in retaliation.)) And I never claimed that "firing-back" was defensive, but it was the result of repeated aggravation, just as it would be if someone snapped at you in real life for being obnoxious. Being annoyed at someone and saying something as mild as "you're dumb" shouldn't be weighed the same as a malicious attack.

I think you missed the point that the situations themselves are just not comparable. Being jumped in an alley is nothing at all like an online argument with someone. There's no need to swing at all, so anyone swinging is equally guilty and equally the aggressor. "He provoked me" isn't applicable when you have ample time to think before you react and know the consequences.

For the record I actually did do this on IRC and Fiel completely dismissed it.

Report feature = More mods to see, better chance of one of them caring and/or having time to look.