efialtis is an experienced member promoting his business on Bitcointalk. The level of professionalism expected of such a user is higher than someone who's just "hanging around".
So all the good ones do for years for the forum doesn't get them any respect from the moderators but instead, the moderators develop personal motives against them and expect the member to not make even a single mistake. You know how this all looks right now? You had a grudge against him and as soon as you got the chance, you put the hammer down.
The ban isn't permanent, this isn't a small mistake nor is this the first time the user has shown ignorance of the forum's rules.
Of course, this is not a small mistake, this is a bigger scandal than Mt Gox, how about a legal case against him because he tried to give users 10 dollars for free? You sound ridiculous and arrogant. Sorry but I am just telling you what I feel after reading all this.
I love the fact that you are able to explain your actions but sometimes you are too early to press the ban button.
Were I to ignore all the users who ran altcoin giveaways and "didn't know" it was prohibited, we might as well strike the "no altcoin giveaways" rule out of the rule book since most people who break the rules do so because they didn't do their due diligence before posting on the boards.
No but at least ignore people who you very well know didn't intend to do any harm. If Theymos wanted bots who can ban people without understanding the emotions, he could have hired much cheaper and less educated people. You are hired for a moderator's position because you are expected to react with emotions rather than read the rules and press the ban button.