Banning would be best if the feature allowed multiple choices for the 'level' or degrees of the ban.  From no document editing rights, to no speaking in the forums or making comments,... all the way to 'cannot enter this project'.

The messaging can be "access to this feature has been restricted.  Please contact project manager or website administration via message or email." or something similar.  Any "you are banned" type message is just too likely to inflame any matters, and might result in users leaving the website altogether... and this kind of community is just too small that.  This isn't WotC forums with thousands and thousands of participants after all.

This is the reason I'm a little concerned about banning.  Forums are forums.  If someone is being inflamatory, you can censor them if you're the project manager.  If you're concerned about  certain people getting into your documents, you can always make your document edits member-only and set your project's membership to "managed membership" and just decline that person's membership request (or better  yet, keep it in your inbox without ever answering it.  This will keep their "Request Membership" button disabled.

I know you'd like a banning feature... but I'm not convinced I want that yet.  I'll give this feature thought. 

I think the point is that currently, once a person is "in", then they are always in (unless I am missing something).  I think Corjay is concerned over individuals who might become problematic after getting membership... and I believe he is just being proactively concerned about it.  One could deal with problematic individuals after the fact by going through you (Bill), but I believe that would cause more troubled feelings than just sending the individual a cordial notice that his participation in a project is no longer necessary.

I don't have a real problem with the issue either way, but was trying to chime in with further consideration for the feature request, further refining the idea. 

Membership isn't permanent - you can go to your project's front page and click the "EDIT" link in the lower-right-hand corner.  On that page, you can set permissions and select users (multiple select with ctrl+click) as members yourself.  Yes, as a project manager, you can sign people up even without their permission... but of course they can opt out really easily.

But I didn't make any permissions in the Forums on purpose, nor did I make a ban list for the projects (though I do have a ban list site-wide).  I was trying to encourage open collaboration and teamwork.  But you're right... some level of access control needs to be made, though I'm okay with delaying it for a later feature if I don't get the time to set it up and test it now.

Quite simply, I'll add another userlist just like the Member list.  It'll just be a Ban list.  I'll prevent users from posting content, though not reading it, everywhere on that project (comments, etc.).  But I don't want to make them unable to view content... do I?  That would just piss people off and make them want to do bad stuff to the site. 

There is now a "Banned Users" feature implemented. If you manage a project, go to your project's frontpage and click "Edit" in the bottom links. On that page (in the same place where you can select various access control settings) you can add users to your "Banned" list by control+clicking people one at a time.

A banned user can't view anything having anything to do with your project. He gets a polite message that looks like this.  I tested it but it could use additional testing.  Please let me know if you experience any problems with this feature.