[WikiEN-l] Blocking for inappropriate usernames

[XaosFluX]

This policy may need some review, but as an admin I've {{usernameblock}}'ed 
on sight new accounts such as "Another wiki cheese-ology vandal".  Users 
declaring their intenet to vandalize the project in their username should be 
clear enough.  The same goes with known patterns of users needing to create 
accunts for future page move vandalism (e.g. "Wikipedia is Communinsm on 
WH33LZ!").  The RFC process can be slow and does always have an actionable 
resolution to it.

xaosflux


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Bennett" <stevage at gmail.com>
To: "English Wikipedia" <wikien-l at wikipedia.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 12:06 PM
Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] Blocking for inappropriate usernames


> On 3/5/06, Ryan Delaney <ryan.delaney at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Really, I don't think there is any need for policy justification of 
>> dealing
>> with vandals. People have been dealing with them in this way for a long 
>> time
>> and there has never been a problem with it. I have to suggest that you
>> consider whether the apparent need for policy justification of blocking
>> inappropriate usernames is a solution to a problem that actually exists, 
>> or
>> whether it is its own problem. The perjorative term in this case is 
>> "process
>> fetishism".
>
> As it stands, a vandal could legitimately claim that process wasn't
> followed. Sure, they wouldn't necessarily get far - but wouldn't it be
> better to actually document standard practice?
>
>> To put it simply, I view this as a common-sense situation. We don't need
>> rules when common sense does the job just fine.
>
>>Well, I wasn't actually proposing creating new rules - simply
> documenting existing ones.
>> There's no need to involve policy in this anywhere. Policy makes people
>> think that they only have to follow the rulebook, rather than use their
>> common sense and talk things out. The rulebook is good for some things, 
>> but
>> it's not good here. We need to have more trust in ourselves and each 
>> other
>> to do the right thing when the time comes, I think.
>
> Speaking as a pleb, policy also serves to reassure people that admins
> do follow some kind of rulebook, rather than simply making it up as
> they go along. I'm not sure that admins regularly blocking people for
> an undocumented reason is a good thing. However, as it is not a
> disastrous thing, either, I'll let it go.
>
> Steve
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