scam [skæm] Slang
n
a scheme for gain; a swindle
It'd just put us at the same level as the person who is pardoning. Plus, it undermines the entire pardon system. When someone is pardoned, we assume they're changed. If they only pay back because they might get unbanned, then do they really deserve to be pardoned? And if the person does pay back as a result of this scheme pulled by staff to trick him into paying back, then that also undermines the system in a different sense: the staff can't just deny his pardon. He paid the people back, and they said he could get unbanned! Then there's going to be outrage, and another stupid thread like this.
The current system, without mandatory "shh, pretend he can get pardoned so he pays people back," is terrific because:
1) The person knows he may or may not be banned, even after he pays
2) If the person pays, we know (almost) certainly he was not guaranteed a pardon for paying back and did it on his own accord
3) If the person doesn't pay, he's not deserving of a pardon, because he's not willing to correct his wrongs with the results of still being banned
You're putting the priority of the pardon above the victims being repaid. This is money that the pardoner STOLE from other people. Who cares if he is tricked into repaying it. It was never his in the first place. You're worried about how it's unfair to the pardoner? Why does the person who stole $1000+ from our members deserve to know the outcome of their pardon before repaying their debts? The only person that benefits from that is the person making the pardon.
Nobody is gaining anything. For one party to gain, another party needs to take a loss as well. The stolen money never belonged to them in the first place, so they can't take a loss. The money going to the victims was stolen from them in the first place, so they GAIN nothing. They simply are back on even ground.
As for assuming people have changed, this is an online forum. A pardon is nothing more than text uploaded to the server. You want to see if people really changed? Let them prove it through actions. They can repay victims before expecting to even get their pardon looked at. I can tell you that if Weasel truly did go to the effort to repay all his debts, it would certainly change everyone's views about him. But for him to apply for a pardon while owing out over $1000 is just ridiculous.
Furthermore, no one says that you will be unbanned once you repay your victims. It is simply a requirement to have your case heard for being unbanned. This truly separates the real from the bullshit. If you want to have the staff rule on your pardon, all debts must = 0. Honestly, you're supposed to be a smart guy, this is pretty basic stuff.
"You're not eligible for a pardon while you still owe people money." and locking the thread would be the correct response.
To further elaborate.
"The staff has found that you currently owe debts to other users. We will not rule on a pardon until you have repaid all debts on record to the users affected. If the affected users are no longer reachable, our staff will assist you in getting in touch with them. If you require a list of your owing debts, post here and our staff will assist you."
In Weasel's case, he has a daunting amount of people to which he owes money. We would need to provide him with a list of his debts. For $1000+, you can't expect them to pay it all back at once. Start by asking him to make a $100-200 payment towards the debt. Once he has made an initial payment, he has amply more reason to continue paying. Money should be disbursed fairly amongst victims. The staff member in charge of disbursing the money could take 5-10% of the total for the time / effort (deducted from the victims).