Ok. Might be a little stringent but I am surprised DV does not have any kind User Agreement whatsoever, not even an 'Enter at your own risk', before you go into the forums.
Unless things have changed, isn't there a warning before you make any post on DV stating that certain things are out of bounds? It may not go far enough for some people, but it's not like there is no guidance at all for what's acceptable.
As far as a "user agreement", that seems more appropriate for a board with registration.
I have mixed feelings about the whole "harassment" issue. I've seen posters persistently harassed by f*cktards because they couldn't deal with rejection. These are genuine stalker type situations where a poster becomes obsessed with the object of their desires and the obsession changes from unwatned effection to hatred. TUX is a prime example. SG is another. In those cases banning makes sense. But in other cases, a user makes enemies by stirring shit and provoking people, and then when they find themselves the victim of karma, they demand protection from the mods.
This is where the whole thing becomes incredibly subjective. If you crack down on all persistent grief, you remove the element of karma. Someone may feel free to make enemies, secure in the knowledge that they will be protected from the lingering effects of their own asshattery. A couple of great examples spring to mind but I will just leave it at that.
