WiKirby:Block policy
WiKirby strives to be a friendly place where editors are not being booted from the site for the most minor infractions. Editors should not fear being censured for making mistakes or being unsure about this or that policy. However, there are a few things editors should definitely avoid doing. The following is WiKirby's block policy.
Danger levels
The following blockable actions are placed into tiers based on severity. The first tier is called "Five-strike offenses", meaning that five such infractions will get a user blocked. The second - "Three-strike offenses" - are those that will get an editor booted for three such infractions, and are equivalent to two five-strikers. The last category is for "One-strike offenses" which will immediately get an editor blocked on the first infraction. Whenever an infraction that does not result in a block is committed, an administrator+ will note it on the infractor's talk page. Blocks will also be specifically noted barring certain severe offenses. Strikes can also be taken off a user, but only after a sufficient amount of time without further issues as determined by administrators.
Five-strike offenses
- Repeatedly failing to properly follow talk page etiquette after being informed of the rules.
- Uploading files that break the policy after being informed of the rules.
- Removing significant content from articles without good reason.
- Excessively sloppy content in articles after being informed of the writing policy.
- Manipulating articles without following proper procedure and being warned first.
- Undoing or reverting an edit more than once without discussion.
Three-strike offenses
- Avoidably failing to follow specific policies regarding article content after being informed of the specific policy.
- Violating policies relating to "adult" content in article text. (can be upgraded to one-strike offense if severe enough)
- Plagiarism; posting individual authors' original content without their permission.
- Ignoring directions from administrators+.
- Mild disrespectful behavior and unproductive arguing.
- Impersonating wiki staff. (can be upgraded to one-strike offense if severe enough)
One-strike offenses
- Vandalizing pages with malicious intent.
- Spamming links to external sites or advertising on any page.
- Linking to pirated content.
- Harassing other users or severe disrespectful behavior.
- Unacceptable username.
- Attempting to circumvent a block with another account.
All one-strike offenses will result in immediate permanent block and removal of the offending user's presence from the wiki (unless an exception is made by the adjudicator).
Disclaimer
It is important to note that this system is not an absolute policy, and administrators can deviate from it to a degree depending on circumstances. Severe deviations are discouraged, however.
Appeals
If a user is blocked for any offense that is not a one-striker, the user will be allowed to appeal their block on their talk page, and it will be considered by staff. Blocks that can be appealed are not indefinite, and even if the user is unsuccessful in reducing their time, they will still be allowed back with no hard feelings from staff after the allotted block time. Blocks that can be appealed typically last either a day, three days, or a week depending on severity. Users who return from a block may also have left-over strikes on their record which will only go away after continued good behavior.
Repeat blocks will always be longer than the first block, until a maximum length of one month per block is reached. Permanent blocks are still possible for one-strike offenses.
Etiquette
When dealing with blockable offenses, all affected parties are expected to remain civil at all times. If a user spots a blockable offense being enacted by another user, the spotting user should immediately report it to an Administrator+. The spotting user should not under any circumstances confront the offending user, or demand that any user be blocked. The spotting user is expected only to report what is happening, and allow the staff to take appropriate action from there.
