[Foundation-l] Fwd: Wikimedia-wide global blocking mechanism?

[Birgitte SB]

--- Andrew Gray <shimgray at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 31/01/2008, Birgitte SB <birgitte_sb at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> 
> > This is the key problem.  I think that unless we
> are
> > capable of notifing all wikis of about the
> workings of
> > this process in a language they are proficient
> taking
> > blocks Wikimedia wide will cause a lot of harm. 
> Of
> > course an opt-in system would be very workable.
> 
> Would logging it in the local block-log system be an
> acceptable method
> of notification?

I was more thinking first about a notification that
this ability even *exists* before addressing
notification individual blocks. However regarding
individual blocks what language are you proposing the
local log entry be written in?  

The only reasonable way to do this is to have the log
entries be a consistent pre-arranged formula that
links to a local page explaining the system in the
local language.  The best way to ensure that all this
is set-up is to use an opt-in system that requires
these things be set-up before blocks .

Anything else means some wiki(s) will wake up one day
to realize there are inexplicable blocks in place. 
Likely with logs entries they cannot read.  And very
likely when they start making inquiries no one will be
able to explain what has happened to them own language
leading to further misunderstandings.  

Seriously make a system to handle these blocks and
require every wiki wishing to join the system file a
bug and things will go much more smoothly.  If the
stewards find they are doing tedious manual blocks on
a certain wiki, they can encourage the that wiki to
file the bug.

Birgitte SB


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