Ilmari Karonen wrote:
Ray Saintonge wrote:
As a rule of thumb suspensions of privileges that exceed 24-hours should be considered punitive. When there are dangerous uncertainties about things that are happening 24 hours will be enough time to investigate. If after a best effort this still isn't enough one extend the time 24 hours at a time.
I'd say that depends. An indefinite block of a vandalism-only account, made on the basis that "nothing good has ever come from this user, and most likely nothing ever will", is not punitive but preventative.
I suppose it's a bit of both. In most cases this is not the type of block to be reverted except in cases of insanity. There could be cases of shared IPs. There could be a reasonable explanation of newbie error. There could be a lack of adequate warning.
Where the blocker may have needed to act quickly in the middle of multiple vandal attacks, the reverter may have taken the time to investigate a single case more thoroughly. The reverter at least owes an explantion when he acts, but the presumption should be that he is acting in good faith. Reverters who make a habit of seriously unsound reverts will soon be known by the entire community.
Ec