Originally Posted by
Matt
Users tend to share IP addresses, based on their ISP.
Some users misbehave. They get banned. They sign up with another account (demonstrated their inability to take responsibility for their own actions, but that's another issue). Rinse and repeat this a few times.
Eventually, we decide that an IP ban is what is needed to keep the problem user away. So we implement that.
We do not like doing that, as there's a possibility that others will get caught up in it.
That's what appears to have happened here, judging by your recount.