Is there a change in name-color? Is there something listed on their profile? Are we just supposed to one day realize "Huh, I haven't seen _____ around for a while. I wonder what happened?"
Unless an offense is pretty heinous, or part of the community ban list, we'd prefer to not make it public. For some, it would just add to the punishment in a meaningless way, and for others, they'd get far to much enjoyment out of the public spectacle. It's not intended to be a circus. It's used initially as a warning, and if the user in question can't behave like a responsible forum member, then they aren't welcome on the forums any more.
