[Nicol Bolas]

Nobody is permabanned for using a soundboard. People are permabanned for multiple stacking offenses over the course of time. If you are using a soundboard consistently after multiple warnings, you will be banned to escalate the issue. This continues until the problem is resolved. Micspam is and always will be against the rules. 

When no one in the server is complaining, I don't see how that can be considered micspam.

Just because everyone in the server is fine with it at the time does not invalidate the rule. The rules don't just apply when people complain. Not everyone wants to hear people screaming in their mic, singing, playing earrape, or spamming the same soundboard clip every 2 seconds. This is how nearly every TTT server operates and I see absolutely no reason to change it at this time. Timed mutes & gags are currently being tested but they will also not change the current rules on micspam. 

So what you mean to say is staff gets to conveniently choose when to use their "discretion" and when to lay out the "rules are rules" card.

So when you, Nicol, got on the server and killed Burb with !explode, because that has happened, you made sure to properly deal out your own punishment right? Just because Burb was okay with it, and the rest of the server was okay with it, it doesn't invalidate the rules. The rules don't just apply with people complain.

That is not what I am saying at all, not sure where you're getting that from. Staff are given their rank to enforce the rules for the betterment of the server. You say staff are "conveniently" able to choose to use their discretion. Yeah. That's why they are staff and normal players are not. They are trusted to use their judgement to ensure the server is running smoothly. Not every new player wants to join a server and get their ears blasted by someone yelling at max volume. What a small group of regular players finds funny and fine is not always the majority server opinion. I doubt you're running polls every time someone micspams and ensuring it's a unanimous agreement, but I'm getting off topic. 

The rules have been written in a way to allow the game to flow smoothly. They have evolved overtime to their current state based on community feedback. I do appreciate the suggestion even if I do not agree with it at this time. At the end of the day, nobody is being banned for using a soundboard once. If they are, feel free to let me know as that is not proper procedure. Anyone being banned from micspam is banned due to multiple past offenses stacking. Bans are used as a final measure of punishment. 

I'm going to ignore the second part of this post because it's not relevant at all and not even a parallel to this discussion in the slightest (micspamming =/= killing someone with consent) and is more of an ad hominem but thanks.