Harry Smith wrote:
The blocked IP list in wikipedia is inaccurate.
The dates listed for blocks to expire are incorrect.
Meaning that they are not tied to the block mechanism.
An admin can block an IP address for a period of time
beyond the expiry date listed on the blocked IP page.
I am not familiar with the mechanism. Does the block
page allow one to enter periods of time beyond a
single day (seems to be the default)?
Yes.
Can one block for a period of time different then the
comment indicates?
If a block is entered into the block log, then it will expire when it
says it does.
Can one extend blocks without updating the comment.
Blocks can be extended by unblocking and then reblocking with a
different expiry time. This operation is logged. Autoblock entries are
automatically extended whenever the associated user accesses the site.
Autoblock entries are the ones claiming to block "#2345" or something
similar, they correspond to blocks of the IP addresses used by blocked
users. They are not entered into the block log.
-- Tim Starling