Thomas Dalton wrote:
It's difficult to summarise for a block summary.
Just adding "on top of everything else" to the end would have helped. Anything to make it clear that it wasn't a block purely for asking a question.
I'm afraid that adding those words would only beg the questions. Most people don't know about these blocks until there is a big public fuss. It is often a simple matter of not editing in the same subjects. Responses like, "He has a history of such behaviour," may indeed be true, but in an environment where mistrust is widespread such an answer appears evasive. I never heard of Cla68 until the current dispute arose, and I don't want to spend a day of research figuring out what the dispute was all about. Such disputes are first presented to the list in reasonable terms, often by respected members of the community. Defensive responses are counterproductive; they only build sympathy for the person against whom action has been taken, and cement the view that he is the victim.
If the person is as bad as the blockers make him out to be, he will provide plenty of opportunities to build a solid case without the need to impose impulsive penalties.
Ec