A little more explanation from past incident : viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14918&start=20
Like in real life, there are statute and common law. Why does common law exist? Because interpretation is necessary. You can't simply have a rule for every situation. This is how real life deals with justice and injustice, and we have taken the same stance here.
Precedence:
Pcloud, you can delete it. It offers you no benefit besides visual. You will not be banned. Use common sense here.
Icestorm, you can't delete it. It offers a real advantage. Players in the past who have deleted it were banned temporarily.
Editing sprite files for easy full double ex and larger drop sprites? Real advantage to user and disadvantage to victim. Players banned permanently.
This sets a precedence for future cases. Removal of visual effects? In similar Pcloud situation, it won't be bannable. If visual removal benefits are deemed greater, there may be a ban. Advantages similar to icestorm? Temp ban. Higher? we'll decide if that occurs. Editing sprite files? So far all cases involve 2 types of sprite editing that both involve a user having advantages and victims. They were permanently banned (granted the exception from the last mass ban). If future cases show different sprite editing that also involves a user having advantages and victims, they will most likely be permanently banned.
Now, if you want to take the rule strictly as some has done. Deletion =/= modification, strictly speaking. If you want to classify deletion of files, it'll fit more under bug than modification (Bug with client for dealing with non existent files). Please dont tell us to not be bias...by being bias. We will handle this based on previous set precedence based on the type of benefits received from the editing.