If the comment was the reference to a banned member, was the action actually inappropriate?
If the banning of the member alluded to was inappropriate, there is a time, place, and tact to address that. If the process does not allow for that, then you work towards changing the process. If the governing body doesn't allow for that, then why the heck would you make a comment that could derail a discussion regarding how that governing body is elected?
> If the comment was the reference to a banned member, was the action actually inappropriate?
Yes
> why the heck would you make a comment that could derail a discussion.
Banning the poster derailed the discussion even more. So much so, it made it to front page of HN.
I am not arguing they shouldn't have banned Guido because of who he is; I am arguing banning anyone should have a pretty high threshold, and when it happens it should be done with extreme transparency. Asking to wait for a member to join the discussion later about a relevant topic shouldn't come anywhere near that threshold.
