What do the "In Time-Out", "Banned" and "Guest" user titles mean? [obsolete]

Note: This FAQ is obsolete. These user titles are not currently in use.

In Time-Out means a user's account has been temporarily suspended for breaking forum rules, as a warning not to repeat it. They know the reason and the length of the time-out because it's shown when they try to access the forums. They will not be able to post or reply to Private Messages until the suspension ends.

Banned means a user's account was permanently canceled for breaking forum rules. They know the reason because they know what they've posted recently and a one-line message from the moderators is shown when they try to access the forums. Bans are issued when major rules are broken or rules are broken repeatedly, because it's a detriment of other users. Reinstatement after a ban can come only from administrators or the site owner, if they have reason to expect you will no longer break rules. Even a successful reinstatement may involve a mandatory delay.

Guest means that the user's account has been canceled, usually at the user's request. For example, users who take a job with Apple usually need to cancel their forum memberships. They can apply for reinstatement if and when the reason for cancelation ends.