Well, it is what it is. What strikes me as very odd is the severity of the ban. It sounds like we can't mention any mixer names even in casual/news/discussion context. Like if next year I wanted to say that some xyzmixer is sketchy AF and should be avoided, looks like I can be banned under the new rules.
I doubt it will be this much; warning about using x mixer isn't exactly the same as "pointing someone" to use it.
If saying "google xyz" is not allowed, I don't see how saying "xyz" in any context would be allowed, unless we think that everyone here is an idiot and wouldn't know you can google things if not specifically told to do so.
Like "hey I found this website xyz, is this legit", happens sometimes on this forum. If this is allowed, it's a loophole that will get abused.
Keep in mind that this is not just about services that are called "xyzmixer" but also sites that are "
not primarily a mixer but has a mixer function". This puts a lot of burden on the user having to know if some site they link to or mention might have a mixer function.
This is really the biggest problem because the forum might turn into a place for those being good at acrobatics in legal rhetoric. If two people mean exactly the same and one can get banned and the other can't, aren't we going the wrong way then? Because I think this is what all of this will result in.
Do we get warnings before we get banned? Will everyone be treated the same? Who decides who gets banned for imprecise/dumb/unintended "illegal" wording? And what is even illegal wording because that is again the issue. It will all be about the wording.
For instance, I like to use swapspace.co. Now I have never checked whether they have the word "mixer" somewhere on their website. They don't ask for KYC and I have used it in the past because sometimes it is quick and simple and not too expensive to get some USDT (for example). They also offer BTC->XMR. You can use them to mix coins not in the form of BTC to BTC, but you could use two steps and go from BTC->USDT->BTC.
The worst thing would be that someone really unintentionally uses some wrong wording and finds themselves banned the next morning. I am also wondering whether someone with 5000 merit would be treated the same as someone with 500 merit.
If we go this way, we should have some transparent process and something like a jury because if this is nontransparent and an account can be nuked with one click because not every single word was thoroughly reconsidered five times before the message was sent, it would be really bad. There could be delicate topics and many slippery slope decisions along this way.
The thing is that someone asking for a good and reliable mixer is still not the same as someone asking for a reliable heroin source or for someone who sells automatic machine guns without questions asked. It would totally make sense to ask a community that knows what's going on in the mixing business where to find a reliable service with good experience and lower counterparty risk.
So is Reddit also going to announce free speech restrictions? maybe I don't know enough about Reddit, but they should have probably been taken down before Bitcointalk. You can find all kinds of shit there.