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I don't think it's fair to compare everyone to ChiBitCTy or other unbanned users. Users can contribute to the forum in different ways. Is markiz73's ban "net negative" for the forum? Possibly. Worth a try to appeal it I think.
There's been no policy change. redsn0w wasn't permanently banned due to several factors which made me think that permabanning him would be a net negative for the forum. Nobody is banned strictly because of "the rules"; it's always handled case-by-case, but almost always, plagiarists deserve to be permabanned.
If you think that a ban should be ended, make your case in a new topic from a "good for the forum as a whole" perspective.