I was banned without any notification

Question

So my colleague and I both participate regularly on Workplace and we sometimes discuss a particular question/answer prior to posting.

Last week I was banned without any notice but my colleague received a message to say my account was falsified. I’ve had a stack overflow account with the same username for over 5 years which has also now been deleted.

How can I get my account back? Also he lost 120 rep for the things I had engaged with on his account, which isn’t a lot really? So what are the triggers for being booted off?

Also how do I go about getting my questions and answers back. If my friend had falsified this account he wouldn’t have posted questions and answers on it as it wouldn’t affect his rep. The thing is my friend had introduced me to workplace, which is a good thing as it helps to build the community and get more people asking questions and answering which helps others.

I have built my account back up but I had some answers and stuff on the old account which Id like.

I’ve contacted support two times now, and not received a response.

Answer 1

This situation has now been resolved, or is in the process of being resolved. I too raised a ticket to management on this matter, and I too had to wait a while.

I was the moderator who took the initial action here because the close activity between these two accounts was indicative of Sockpuppetry. We use a variety of tools and techniques to diagnose this behaviour, and most of the time it bears out.

On this occasion, I got it wrong, and I apologise for any harm caused to both accounts. We're human, we get things wrong, and even when we discuss things among each other, we sometimes get caught in confirmation bias. However, when we do get things wrong, we do seek to get them corrected.

Most of the time, though, we get things right.

Answer 2

How can I get my account back?

You would start by sending your request to Stack Exchange using the Contact form. I would advise providing as much detail as possible explaining why the other account shouldn't be deleted. Stack Exchange usually needs substantial evidence to override a moderator action, so "Help! Moderator deleted my account. I want it back." is most certainly not going to help. "My colleague and I discuss at work before posting on the site." is also not likely to help.

Also he lost 120 rep for the things I had engaged with on his account, which isn’t a lot really?

Your coworker should raise his concerns from his own account. It would be inappropriate for us to comment on a user when we do not know if he actually wants that discussion. If his account has also been deleted, then he should use the aforesaid Contact form.

What are the triggers for being booted off?

For obvious reasons, we won't disclose those.

How do I go about getting my questions and answers back?

You would have to use the Contact form for this as well. Moderators have no way to verify that you own the deleted account, so we cannot disclose anything associated with that account to you.

I’ve contacted support two times now, and not received a response.

While that can be frustrating, there isn't much you can do now other than continue to wait. Especially in cases where you are appealing a moderator action, this is expected to take longer. See more details here.