The point is, is that is is unfair to allow positive comments about X but yet not allow legit criticism of X.
But it’s not unfair. The reasoning why they don’t want active users to criticize banned users is because said banned users can’t personally rebut to defend themselves. It’s not a blanket rule against criticism in general or against people in general. It is with regard to specific people for specific reasons.
And SW was not telling me off. He was giving fair warning in advance of anything actionable that we might say, while trying to be civil and friendly about it.
To brand it as “X” suggests that all negative criticism is created equal, that their reasons are unimportant, and that allowing non-negative conversation makes them hypocrites, which is not true. Therefore, attacking “criticism of ‘X’” instead of specifically criticism of banned users is a strawman.