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We seem to have adopted the Red Queen's Rule:
whoever executes someone first settles the case.
In situations which can be resolved immediately by the taking of affirmative action [i.e. block, delete, protect, alter user rights] but not by the declining to, a resolution is more likely to arise from the decision of an impulsive administrator than from that of a meditative one or from a community discussion. As a result, such resolutions will disproportionately consist of affirmative administrative actions rather than lenient or time-intensive [i.e. exoneration, warnings, sanctions, private mediation, waiting periods, wider discussion] outcomes, and as a consequence have a predilection to being poorly thought out and unduly harsh.
Moral of the story: don't jump to conclusions, or allow others to, lest premature and unduly harsh outcomes prevail. Caveat: this analysis is less applicable in situations which are clear-cut or time-sensitive.