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Amy the Copywriter

How I Got Banned from Quora

In the world of online forums, the people are represented by two separate but equally important groups: the platforms, who host discussions; and the moderators, who prosecute the offenders. This is one story.

The Law and Order TV title card from the start of the show with a cartoon version of the scales of justice and a gavel and the words “DUN DUN” with music notes.

Who even wants to be on Quora, really?

I mean, Quora is usually where I end up when I misclick during a Google search.

It’s arguably Reddit… but worse. (And that’s saying something.)

I mean, some of you probably didn’t even remember it existed until you read this headline.

Or is all this just sour grapes?

How it Started

I like answering questions.

Big philosophical questions. Am I the asshole? questions. “How do I…” marketing questions.

All my cup of tea.

So I made both a Reddit and a Quora account for funsies in August.

Quora and Reddit logos wearing cartoon suits like lawyers.

Maybe to procrastinate a little. Maybe to pay it forward with my vast copywriting knowledge and 120 wpm typing skills.

I answered around 20 questions over 3 months… then…

The Incident

BAM.

An email from “Quora Moderation” saying: Quora Moderation banned you from Quora because it has been linked to multiple violations of Quora’s spam policies.

The banhammer. November 5.

What. Did. I. Do?

Do I need a lawyer?

The Evidence

I present The People’s Exhibit 1-4, your honor.

Here are the 4 answers I gave just before that fateful day.

A collage of four posts on Quora written by Amy the Copywriter: Word Wizard, Copywriter Strategist, People Decoder. Each is an answer to a question asked like “What core values and vision drive the brand’s identity?” and “How do I build a brand around my online course?” “How can a new brand stand out in a competitive market?” “How would you go about starting a brand new catering business form scratch?” Each answer is at least 5 sentences long, specific, and no links.

Did you see it, Watson? The grievous terms of service violation?

I didn’t at first.

(And yes, you’re both the judge and my trusty sidekick Watson in this story. Try to keep up.)

The Audacity

I appealed on November 5th.

I was AI-ed. (Allegedly.)

The scales of justice with a LONG string of emails from Quora moderation on one side. They’re AI-like replies saying “Thank you for writing in. We are currently reviewing your request and we should be back in touch as soon as we’re done.”

Their terms of service make sense:

-Don’t spam (I didn’t)
-Don’t post links (I didn’t)

Tony Soprano meme that says “I didn’t do nothing” with a cartoon hand on a cartoon bible.

(But I really didn’t!)

I don’t even really care about Quora… and now I’m being buried in a flurry of AI replies?

Sense of justice activated.

Vegeta Super Saiyan form wearing a cartoon lawyer suit and holding a cartoon briefcase.

Now I’m everyone’s problem. (And an unBlog is born.)

A Theory of the Crime

The first (and only) clue came from Reddit.

It was a regular Tuesday morning — I was minding my own business.

Happily typing a response to someone getting upset… that someone else might be upset… by feedback they asked for on the subreddit…

An answer Amy was typing on Reddit: Part of being an entrepreneur (human) is learning to filter feedback. I agree that when someone asks for help, you help them. I also agree that I shouldn’t be putting more effort into my replay than the OP put into their question. (As you may see from time to time—”

And, again, BAM. I got this error:

A red line of text showing an error on Reddit: “AI-generated or AI-polished content is not allowed. Please write it yourself.”
The nervous monkey puppet GIF but in still frames. He looks left. He looks right and is wearing a cartoon police uniform with a Quora Q badge.

I… WAS… writing it myself. In that VERY moment.

What unearthly CAPTCHA did I fail? Were my vibes “giving AI,” as the kids (probably don’t) say? 

Is this how I find out I’m Robocop?!

Then it hit me.

The now infamous em dash —

Testimony from an OG

If it pleases the court: hide and watch me.

I TYPE OUT MY EM DASHES. I press Alt+0151. It feels like playing piano and it sings out of my fingertips.

Because I’ve BEEN using the em dash — it makes longer thoughts easier to read. The luxurious space of it. A little breath of fresh air for your screen-weary eyeballs.

A fish from the Sponge Bob show in the backseat of a car hugging a body pillow tightly. A cartoon version of Amy is sketched on the fish and the pillow says “em dash.” The caption reads: You will never understand our love.

Hyphen – could never.

Period. Too common.

Comma, please.

That em dash — it just feels right.

But now… using it means I’m AI? 

I, a human, have to change how I type because some clowns made AI that stole functional punctuation?!

Is THAT why Quora banned me?

Two of the Quora replies shown earlier. Reply one: “How do I build a brand around my online course?” Amy’s answer: Hire a copywriter/strategist to work with you on Brand Guidelines. Or make them yourself (but creating your own brand is WAY harder than it looks — you’re often too close to it). Figure out how you like to show up (spaces/frequencies/type of content), then start showing up. See what works and what doesn’t. Talk to your ideal clients. What do they want? Where are they when they want to hear your message? Reply two: “How can a new brand stand out in a competitive market?” By having clear messaging. What they do, why, how, and why someone should care. Know the target audience, speak their language, address their pain points. Be consistent. Show up. All markets are competitive (because people only have so much attention). Grabbing attention and being memorable AND having someone go out of their way to take an ACTION. That’s huge. Think about brands that stand out to you — what are they doing. Think about successful brands — what did they do when they started? Then, do something. It’ll either work or it won’t and you can learn from either outcome. There’s no blanket process because all brands and audiences are different. And what works changes over time too! On this image in cartoon styel the em dashes are circled in green. There's one in one reply and two in another.

Dear god.

A screenshot of a scene from Scream with Drew Barrymore on the phone crying. A cartoon version of an AI chat robot in the background holding a knife and wearing the Scream mask.

The moderation is coming from inside the house.

Order in the Court

Quora unbanned me on November 25th — it took 17 days.

An email from Quora Moderation: “Quora Moderation restored your privileges on Quora for this reason: Re-reviewed and overturned.” Cartoon trumpets and confetti.

They never explained what crime I committed.

They told me to not do it again. Whatever it was.

And I’ll try?

But…

Allegedly, in my humble opinion, AI stole my em dash and then put me in Quora jail.

A screenshot of a courtroom on the show Animaniacs. Yakko is the lawyer pointing at the judge. Drawn over the image are cartoon AI chat bots replacing the judge and jury. Yakko has a lightning bolt shooting from his pointing finger.

Then AI gloated in autoreply for half a month.

You Can Pry — From My Cold, Dead Hands

Clients don’t want to use it anymore? No problem. It’s their brand voice.

Reddit won’t let me? Fine.

But you can bet your bottom dollar I’m using it here.

It’s how I write and AI copied me.

A picture of a green hill with a brown path leading up it. The caption says “This seems like a nice hill to die on” and a cartoon version of Amy is at the top with arms spread wide. Anime action lines spread across the image indicating shining, fast, action.

AI used the em dash so crappily and SO frequently that it became a “tell.” 

And if the only way you can tell if something is AI or not is an em dash… boy howdy, we have bigger problems.

Keep Fighting the Good Fight

AI is a nuanced conversation for another time, but at its core… it’s a tool.

Just like a pen, a defibrillator, or a nuclear bomb.

In some spaces, AI is seen as low effort.

And no one wants to be seen as low effort (while, often, simultaneously trying to put in as little effort as possible).

But this overcorrection needs some human oversight. 
One em dash does not low effort make.

I put in EXCESSIVE effort. It’s a rabbit-hole, recovering perfectionism problem.

That attention to detail really benefits my clients. 

It’s the polar opposite of an unexplained Quora auto-ban and an AI non-answer at the end.

So follow me on Quora, I guess? Or never use Quora again.

You be the judge, jury, and executioner.

I rest my case.

The classic Better Call Saul image of Saul facing away from the camera but looking back. All black and white but his jacket is bright red. Amy’s head is doodled to replace Saul’s.

Words About Stuff by Amy the Copywriter | Art by RAD Studio