Wikipedia talk:Blocking policy

Blocking a mentor

Growth Team have a feature which allows users to sign up as "mentors", for one-on-one support for (half of) new editors.

Sometimes, the mentor gets blocked. Could a bit be added to the blocking policy to check Special:ManageMentors when blocking an established user, and update their mentorship status accordingly? This will prevent new editors being assigned to them.

This seems not contentious, but may not be commonplace enough to warrant a line in policy. Folly Mox (talk) 02:40, 7 November 2023 (UTC)

I think it'd be better to have a script or bot do it. Admins already have to juggle a lot of things when blocking someone. – Joe (talk) 05:02, 7 November 2023 (UTC)

Please name the bot User:Dementor. Levivich (talk) 00:50, 8 November 2023 (UTC)

I agree with Joe that this should fall in the "nice to do" rather than "must do" for an admin and that a script (including twinkle) and/or Bot feels like a better solution. Best, Barkeep49 (talk) 21:11, 14 November 2023 (UTC)

Adding guidance on Special Circumstances Blocks

Based on Arbcom's announcement regarding "private information" and associated blocks, this page should be updated to include information on how Checkusers can make blocks based off of private information. If there's no objection, I'm planning on adding a sentence to the WP:BLOCKEVIDENCE section in a few days so this is clearly documented. Moneytrees🏝️(Talk) 20:37, 14 November 2023 (UTC)

Add section on permitted activity while blocked

I was going to respond to an indeffed user's comment on their Talk page in order to inform them that their planned activity going forward while blocked is not permitted by policy, and that they were restricted to using their Talk page to appealing their block, or asking questions that would clarify conditions of their block or preparing an appeal, and I came here to find the section to link that would back me up on that, but I couldn't find it on this page. I'm sure I've seen many admins say something to that effect, even threatening removal of TPA if they don't comply, but is this mere convention, or did I just miss it?

Here is the user comment from Grandmaster Huon (talk · contribs):^[noping]

Thus I am no longer interested in substantially editing and now desire to take the role of a consultant and coordinator in this project within my talk page.

User GH also named Oshwah in that edit, so echoing that here with a ping.

My main concern now, is not so much how to respond to GH (although someone should) but rather whether I just imagined the whole thing about permitted activity while blocked. Either way, I would like to propose a new section 7 for the policy page, to be named "Permitted activity while blocked" which would cover the general conditions of what a blocked user with TPA may/should and should not be doing on their TP.

I realize this will vary according to the severity, circumstances, and so on, but some general guidance could be placed there, and in particular, should clarify my OP question about whether they are permitted to do anything clearly unrelated to their block. (Note that GH's stated "new role" could be viewed as other than proxying, to the extent that 'consultant' means they are not initiating or requesting anybody to do anything, and just waiting for people to come to him with questions, and doling out advice, or "coordinating" project activity. I don't see any reading of the current text at WP:PROXYING that would rule out that role.) Thanks, Mathglot (talk) 21:25, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

I've been brainstorming this, and here are some of the things that I think are convention in this regard, as 'permitted' (it should maybe also have a 'not permitted' section):

== Permitted activity while blocked ==

Here are the ways a blocked user may legitimately use their Talk page while blocked:

• Respond to questions asked of them by an admin.
• Ask relevant questions about the conditions of their block.
• Prepare an WP:APPEAL of their block, and add it to the page.
• Ask relevant questions about how to appeal their block.
• Ask an admin or someone else to post replies to questions or comments directed to them (or about them?) at an ANI thread (or other boards?) about them (or about others, if they are mentioned?) on their behalf.
• Respond (in a limited fashion?) to valid notices placed on their page unrelated to their block ('Thanks, sorry I can't respond at the Afd page right now, but...')

Still thinking... Mathglot (talk) 21:41, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

You know the problem with lists in policies is that people take them literally, and you'll get some enthusiastic user requesting dozens of unnecessary, often wasteful, TPA revocations for something you've never considered. It would be better, if you're to pursue this, to keep it entirely general with perhaps only a few mood words setting guidance for admins. I do sympathise with the original problem here, though I also think it's probably going to go nowhere. How do you consult if you're blocked? -- zzuuzz ^(talk) 21:59, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Yeah, there's always some game-playing nit-picker looking for some tiny loophole, but nothing will ever stop them no matter what one does or doesn't say, it's in their nature (said the scorpion). I think rather it's about what is best as a whole, and whether it's worth avoiding adding a list just to try and avoid the annoying game players, at the expense of the legitimately confused blocked editors who have nothing to go on because they've never been blocked before and came here and found nothing.

Also, one other thing: the list could include a warning that violations will be dealt with by admins, and annoying nit-pickers may find a new kind of boomerang smacking them if they intervene, and they'd best butt out, or find themselves reading the list as it applies to them, personally.

Found one more possible item for the list:

• Create a new section on their Talk page, to respond briefly to a ping at a remote page, in order to politely inform the pinging user that they cannot respond right now due to the block (or pinging them from a new comment in their existing block section).

Thanks, Mathglot (talk) 22:33, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

"Total ban" in lead

Please see a related discussion at WT:BAN#"Total" ban. --Tryptofish (talk) 22:45, 25 December 2023 (UTC)

Add a section about block length

There should be a section that shows how long you can be blocked for certain violations. RowanJ LP (talk) 17:04, 11 April 2024 (UTC)

Duration of blocks is extensively covered in the article. --Yamla (talk) 17:15, 11 April 2024 (UTC)

Use of user talk page while blocked

At Wikipedia:Administrative action review#Indefinite TPA revocation for “proxying while blocked” (permalink) there was discussion about what it is acceptable for a blocked user to post on their user talk page. Many people state it should only be for querying, clarifying or appealing the block, admins have revoked talk page access to enforce this, although it was pointed out that the does not appear in policy - some opining that a bit of leeway should be given, others that almost anything should go. Indeed policy is currently largely silent on the matter:

Prevent this user from editing their own talk page while blocked, if checked, will prevent the blocked user from editing their own user talk page (and hence, the ability for them to create unblock requests) during the duration of their block. This option is not checked by default, and typically should not be checked; editing of the user's talk page should be disabled only in cases of continued abuse of their user talk page, or when the user has engaged in serious threats, accusations, or attempts at outing that must be prevented from re-occurring. The protection policy has further details in cases where other users are repeatedly causing disruption to the user talk pages of blocked users.

Based on the linked AARV discussion I think it would be beneficial to expand on this so it more closely matches actual practice. My first draft of an alternative is presented below for discussion (not voting). Green text is unchanged, underlined text is new, unmkarked text has had minor rephrasing but is unchanged in meaning:

Prevent this user from editing their own talk page while blocked, if checked, will prevent the blocked user from editing their own user talk page (and hence, the ability for them to create unblock requests) during the duration of their block. This option is not checked by default, and typically should not be checked without a specific reason.

The purpose of allowing a blocked user to edit their talk page is solely to allow them to query, appeal or seek clarification regarding their block. Limited use of the talk page for other purposes may be tolerated, especially for productive comments shortly after a block is made, but this is not a right and access may be removed by an administrator at their discretion.

Talk page access should be disabled if the user abuses that access, which includes but is not limited to:

• Posting serious threats and/or accusations
• Posting material that (attempts) to out other editors or other material that needs to be oversighted
• Posting material that violates the biographies of living people policy
• Spamming
• Posting excessive and/or frivilous unblock requests
• Continuing (or attempting to conitinue) disputes, discussions and/or other behaviour that led to their block
• Extensive and/or prolonged use of the page for purposes unrelated to discussing or appealing their block.

Editors whose talk page access has been removed can appeal via the Unblock Ticket Request System.

The protection policy has further details in cases where other usersIncluding sock puppets of blocked users.</ref> are repeatedly causing disruption to the user talk pages of blocked users.

I don't intend the list in the "should be disabled" section to bind admins but rather to be guidance around which discretion can be exercised. I'm not sure that comes across in the wording but I've not thought of anything better. Thryduulf (talk) 08:59, 25 April 2024 (UTC)

References

Thryduulf (talk) 08:59, 25 April 2024 (UTC)

Notifying the participants of the AARV discussion @XMcan, Doug Weller, Pppery, Licks-rocks, Pawnkingthree, Black Kite, TarnishedPath, Yamla, Dennis Brown, Serial Number 54129, Bishonen, Levivich, Isaacl, NebY, Newimpartial, KoA, North8000, Queen of Hearts, ActivelyDisinterested, Awesome Aasim, Extraordinary Writ, Phil Bridger, and Joyous!: and @Firefangledfeathers: who expressed a desire to contribute to this discussion. Thryduulf (talk) 09:06, 25 April 2024 (UTC)