Unsure why my account got the ban hammer....

[spiritoutcast]

So, yesterday I wanted to make my profile less bland, as it had no customization on it, so I decided to upload a profile picture I created a while back that I normally use for my social. It's a swirly cat-sun icon I made, as well as put a little personal quote talking how tacocat backwards is tacocat, yatta yatta yatta, and a little link to some of my YT in the "My website" spot. Afterwards I got off the internet my computer for the day, hoping that when I woke up today everything would've loaded up and updated. (Also the account's username is SundownEditing)

Instead, when I woke up today, I get three messages.
-The first was how my avatar was rejected, I am still unsure of the reason (I can't seem to find the guidelines page on avatars sadly, and the message didn't contain a reason, it just told me "Your custom avatar has been rejected by the Tom's Guide moderation team. Please be sure to comply with the Rules of Conduct and guidelines for uploading custom avatars to the site. Thanks!"
-The second was about my username, saying how it was self-advertising and that it seems to be of my "business" or "worse, someone else's" Here's what that one said- "Your username appears to be an advertisement for your business or, worse still, someone else's business. Your account is going to closed and ask you to open another without any advertising hints.
We see a lot of people being paid for Search Engine Optimisation when they use a name of a company or a product and get paid by the number of clicks on that name when shown up in Google statistics."
-The third states that my account was banned for "Potential SEO or self-advertising. PM sent (I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding this one or not but I have not sent anyone a PM anywhere NEAR recently, let alone tried to advertise some sort of company or business...) This is the message- "Your account at Tom's Hardware has been banned by Saga Lout.
The following are the details of your ban -
"Forbid sending PMs" In Until 1/31/18 10:23 PM"Forbid sending PMs"In Until 1/31/18 10:23 PM"Forbid sending PMs" In Until 1/31/18 10:23 PM Reason for the Ban: Potential SEO or self-advertising. PM sent Please be sure to review the reason you were banned, and double-check the Tom's Hardware Rules of Conduct and Terms of Use."

So, I'm confused.... I'm sorry if I had created a profile picture and having a name strikingly similar to some business last year that I don't even know of or thought existed, and was therefore banned or was the link I put to my YouTube not supposed to be a certain format or whatever the reason is, but could someone better explain this to me because I am extremely lost in utter confusion....

 

[ex_bubblehead]

The moderator in question has been contacted and will make an appearance as soon as he's able.

 

[Saga Lout]

I acted on the basis of the username you chose was likely to be used for Search Engine Optimisation purposes to advertise in Tom's which is against our rules.

It's the same action I've taken of many of these names that pop up on a weekly basis.

If you feel aggrieved over this, I will link this post in a PM to one of the paid staff who run the Forum and who supervise the Moderation Team. They will explain in more detail and give your complaint a fair hearing and reinstate your other username if they find I got it wrong.

Please respond here or in a PM to me with your thoughts.

 

[spiritoutcast]

I acted on the basis of the username you chose was likely to be used for Search Engine Optimisation purposes to advertise in Tom's which is against our rules.

It's the same action I've taken of many of these names that pop up on a weekly basis.

If you feel aggrieved over this, I will link this post in a PM to one of the paid staff who run the Forum and who supervise the Moderation Team. They will explain in more detail and give your complaint a fair hearing and reinstate your other username if they find I got it wrong.

Please respond here or in a PM to me with your thoughts.

I would very much like for a supervising staff to look at this. I have no intentions of SEO and advertising purposes, nor did I think simply putting in a username such as the one I put would be any form of advertising whatsoever. "SundownEditing" is not a business or some sort of site I gain any sort of currency whatsoever for, it is simply my username on social media and the "editing" part of it is simply for the purpose of letting people know "Hey, I like making music videos." which, is a hobby that I even have copyright disclaimers for enstating that "Non-profit tips the balance of this fair use". So please, I would very much like for this to be looked over again by other staff. Thank you.

 

[Saga Lout]

I shall written to the appropriate people by a PM linking this thread. Friday afternoons may be busy in the New York offices but you will definitely hear from them.

 

[Jsimenhoff]

Hey there,

I lifted your ban. It seems there was a bit of confusion on our end.

Joshua Simenhoff
Assistant community Manager

 

[spiritoutcast]

Hey there,

I lifted your ban. It seems there was a bit of confusion on our end.

Joshua Simenhoff
Assistant community Manager

Alright, thanks. Will I be able to change my avatar/pfp to the one I was previously trying to put it as before the ban?

 

[Saga Lout]

Feel free to put it up again and it should be accepted this time.