I run Blue Dwarf, and I try my best not to ban anyone unless they make very clear that they simply have no intention of following our small set of simple rules rules (https://bluedwarf.top/cackle/rules-of-conduct.html). And, I make sure they have had plenty of warnings and short-term bannings before making it permanent. So far, I have not had to permanently ban anyone (except one spammer who tried to take the site down with an attack from over 2000 IP addresses). The ability of moderators to take this approach if they choose is one of the many advantages of joining a small social media site where everyone can get to know everyone else.