[Wikipedia-l] Suspend user of IP (sourceforge feature request that needs policy discussion)

[Daniel Mayer]

LDC wrote on sourceforge:
>After having my user: page vandalized repeatedly today, 
>I'm convinced that user pages should only be editable by 
>the logged on user. Furthor, there should be a submit 
>form to submit IP addresses of users who abuse the 
>system. Perhaps with a "1 hour suspension" which 
>takes effect immediately so that an admin has time to 
>investigate and take permanant action. 

I'm ambivalent about whether or not user: should only be editable by 
logged-in users and would oppose this only if it were difficult to implement 
or could break anything (there are /far/ more important things to do). But 
really, this is kinda anti-wiki, no? As it is me thinks too many pages are 
not editable by too many people. I know, I know, this is done for practical 
reasons but I suggest we re-implement something like "trusted user"status on 
a 30 day/30 edit (or whatever) basis so that 'old hands' could edit protected 
pages, move articles and their histories and do any other non-meta sysop 
functions.   
 
I see no need to block users like Zoe or Jheijmans or Enchanter etc. from 
editing the Main Page, copyediting and condensing policy pages (which is 
/badly/ needed for some of them BTW) or administratively moving articles. 
These users and many others have more than enough experience with our 
policies, naming conventions and such to be trusted to do semi-sensitive work 
like that. Heck,  Zoe and Jheijmans already meet the requirements for being 
sysops; they are trusted members of the community, and they contribute to 
policy discussion (although trusted, I don't remember Enchanter contributing 
to this list on a regular basis -- I may be wrong...).  
 
However, we should be careful to not have many scores of sysop accounts -- 
there simply would be too much potential for random internet thugs coming in 
and guessing some ancient, no longer contributing sysop's password and really 
doing some harm. BTW, the contributor status of sysops should be checked once 
in a while anyway and those that have not contributed in some time (more than 
x months) should be non-punitively demoted to user and a note placed on their 
page telling them to ask another sysop or better yet the list to re-promote 
them after/if they return.        
 
Furthermore, non logged-in users contribute a hell of a lot to the project 
and I don't fault them for being anonymous (its their /right/). Why single 
them out by allowing /any/ logged-in user the ability to block them for any 
period of time (even totally green users that set-up their accounts 5 minutes 
before)? I forsee much abuse with that feature. In addition, I constantly 
read comments on talk pages of logged-in users chiding non-logged-in users to 
"sign-up" in a tone that implies that it is some type of sin not to be 
signed-up!  
 
Yes I am probably guilty of this too but only with those that were majorly 
annoying me and chatting a lot on talk pages (hopefully this is all in my 
past now). BTW, please correct me whenever I am being too harsh on the 
'pedia. 

I reserve that right here though :->  
 
--mav