Banhammer
Encyclopedia
The term banhammer began as a satirical term for the power wielded by an administrator to ban or block users of internet forums, wikis, online games, or other internet media. The term is often used as a nickname for the actual anti-cheating software in video games that performs the banning action. The banhammer was actualized into a physical object in 2009.
from the service, either by deleting the guilty party's account or suspending it for a period of time. In extreme cases, the person's IP address
may be blocked from the server to prevent them from simply creating another account, sometimes indefinitely; however, this particular action is rarely taken, as most Internet Service Providers allocate dynamic IPs to their customers which can change from time to time. These actions are usually invoked for such offenses as violating the website's Terms of Service
, trolling
, promoting prejudice
, disrespect of moderators, or promoting illegal
acts.
and Halo 3
video game for the Xbox
console. A patch released in July 2005 -- required for future online play -- scanned the user's hard drive and summarily restricted him or her from joining Xbox Live
without possibility of appeal or leniency if it was determined that his or her copy had been mod
ded. News site Slashdot
began using the term at that point and has subsequently applied it to multiple instances of similar housecleaning occurring on World of Warcraft
.
In other games such as Blizzard
's StarCraft
, the host has a hammer icon
next to his or her name and is able to boot people from the chat along with the ability to ban people from the channel for a specified time period. The banhammer has even made an appearance in the RPG The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
, where it can be found on the corpse of an NPC
.
Overview
Punishment is usually a form of banBan (law)
A ban is, generally, any decree that prohibits something.Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some see this as a negative act and others see it as maintaining the "status quo"...
from the service, either by deleting the guilty party's account or suspending it for a period of time. In extreme cases, the person's IP address
IP address
An Internet Protocol address is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing...
may be blocked from the server to prevent them from simply creating another account, sometimes indefinitely; however, this particular action is rarely taken, as most Internet Service Providers allocate dynamic IPs to their customers which can change from time to time. These actions are usually invoked for such offenses as violating the website's Terms of Service
Terms of Service
Terms of service are rules which one must agree to abide by in order to use a service. Unless in violation of consumer protection laws, such terms are usually legally binding...
, trolling
Troll (Internet)
In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response...
, promoting prejudice
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
, disrespect of moderators, or promoting illegal
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
acts.
Gaming usage
Its concept has since expanded into more mainstream venues, such as Bungie's Halo 2Halo 2
Halo 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved...
and Halo 3
Halo 3
Halo 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie for the Xbox 360 console. The third installment in the Halo franchise, the game concludes the story arc begun in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2...
video game for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
console. A patch released in July 2005 -- required for future online play -- scanned the user's hard drive and summarily restricted him or her from joining Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
without possibility of appeal or leniency if it was determined that his or her copy had been mod
Mod
- General :* Honour Moderations, a first set of examinations at Oxford University* Maximum operating depth, in scuba diving, the depth at which a gas mix exceeds safe limits* Ministry of Defence, the part of a government responsible for matters of military defence...
ded. News site Slashdot
Slashdot
Slashdot is a technology-related news website owned by Geeknet, Inc. The site, which bills itself as "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters", features user-submitted and ‑evaluated current affairs news stories about science- and technology-related topics. Each story has a comments section...
began using the term at that point and has subsequently applied it to multiple instances of similar housecleaning occurring on World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
.
In other games such as Blizzard
Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded on February 8, 1991 under the name Silicon & Synapse by three graduates of UCLA, Michael Morhaime, Allen Adham and Frank Pearce and currently owned by French company Activision Blizzard...
's StarCraft
StarCraft
StarCraft is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first game of the StarCraft series was released for Microsoft Windows on 31 March 1998. With more than 11 million copies sold worldwide as of February 2009, it is one of the best-selling...
, the host has a hammer icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
next to his or her name and is able to boot people from the chat along with the ability to ban people from the channel for a specified time period. The banhammer has even made an appearance in the RPG The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, often simply referred to as Morrowind, is a single-player computer role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and published by Bethesda Softworks and Ubisoft. It is the third installment in The Elder Scrolls series of games, following The Elder Scrolls...
, where it can be found on the corpse of an NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
.