Matrix-doc: [Feature Request] Add the ability to ban users for a fixed time period.

[MilkManzJourDaddy]

This is seen on IRC, often handled by a network Services Bot.

It gives room Admin's/Mod's/Custom_PL's another tool, to be more fair and impartial when issuing a ban is deemed necessary, but but where such ban might be subject to appeal, or issued to temporarily resolve an inadvertant glitch where a client is flooding the room.

For an example; with, more or less, an IRC "services" bot, "X"; See:

/msg X ban <#channel> <nick!*@* | *!*userid@host> [duration] [Level] [reason]
https://cservice.undernet.org/docs/xcmds.txt
([sic] "[leve]" probably should be "[level]", which, as used, means the PL required to over-ride,
chosen by the issuer, up to their own PL.)

[MilkManzJourDaddy]

It has been argued that a community written 'bot could handle this feature.

A question is whether it would be easier for one who is a coder of the Matrix Protocol to merge this, or write a 'bot to handle such functions.

But, the " 'bot" approach goes away from the Matrix "Kitchen Sink" philosophy, and migrates towards a "Historical XEP" philosophy. And it causes divergence from the core protocol. If implemented, where different 'bots respond to varying command issuance, in different ways; this seems to have potential for causing grief. Such a use-case can be compared to the various IRCds (or other names for IRC servers), and how they handle things differently.

Some know the history of IRC, and that it was originally one big network. We would not like to see Matrix split, as was IRC.

Generally, where community projects reflect functionality which supplements Matrix, it should be considered for merging. But it can always be an option configuration/setting, defaulting on, or off, in HSs or rooms, depending upon applicability.

But, banning for a fixed duration has been done in IRC, and seems like it could be a useful tool to issue a temporary ban, and not a "permaban".