What gets me is that posters antagonize Derka even in the fucking Rick Barnes thread. Almost a decade after his firing. If ever there was a place on the internet to let Derka cook, it's there. Instead, some purposely seek him out to prod him, then act indignant when he "Derkas it up". No shit, Sherlock. It's the RICK BARNES thread. Derka is INCREDIBLY easy to avoid with almost zero effort. Unlike the trolls, he sticks to a small handful of threads. But it's clear that some take pleasure in the drama that Derka creates.
You don't have to like him; you don't have to sympathize with him; it's not your responsibility as an anonymous message board poster to look after his mental health or make him better
...but how big of a piece of shit do you have to be to actively try to make him worse, so you can point and laugh?
That said, I understand the predicament that it puts the mods in having someone who takes his standing and treatment within the community so deeply personally. Deriving self worth from the internet is a dangerous game, so, if this ban is permanent, I sincerely hope a lot of good comes out of it in the long run.