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Wikipedia:Update/1/Enforcement policy changes, January 2010 to June 2010

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Enforcement policy changes, June 2010





  • Wikipedia:Sock puppetry
    • In the introduction, removed: "(see WP:CLEANSTART)"
    • In WP:SOCK#Inappropriate uses of alternate accounts, removed: "Making a clean start with a new account, but then engaging in disputes with editors your old account was in dispute with; or turning up at pages you used to edit with the old account while denying any connection to it—this is particularly inappropriate if the article or edits are contentious."
    • In WP:SOCK#Legitimate uses, removed: [A clean start is permitted only if there are no bans, blocks or active sanctions in place against your old account,] " and so long as no active deception is involved, particularly on pages that the old account used to edit. That is, you should not turn up on a page you edited as User:A to continue the same editing pattern, this time as User:B—particularly while denying any connection to User:A, or if the edits or subject matter are contentious. You should also not, as User:B, engage in disputes you engaged in as User:A—whether they are disputes about articles, project-space issues, or other editors—without making clear that you are the same person."



May 2010



  • Wikipedia:Blocking policy
    • In WP:BLOCK#Unblocking, added: "There is no limit to the number of unblock requests that a user may issue. However, disruptive use of the unblock template may prompt an administrator to remove the blocked user's ability to edit their talk page. In this case, a block may still be appealed by emailing unblock-en-l@lists.wikimedia.org or contacting the ban appeals subcommittee."
    • In WP:BLOCK#Education and warnings, added: "However, if an editor is clearly not editing in good faith, then they should be blocked immediately."
    • In WP:BLOCK#Indefinite blocks, removed: "If a user is blocked indefinitely, he or she is considered a banned user until an administrator unblocks the user."
    • In WP:BLOCK#Setting block options, added: [Autoblock] "will prevent contributors from contributing on the IP address that the blocked user was using, and ...". Added: [prevent account creation] "will prevent accounts from being created by the account; if autoblock is enabled, it will also prevent accounts form being created on the IP address that the blocked user was using."





April 2010

March 2010

  • Wikipedia:Administrators
    • In WP:ADMIN#Uninvolved admins, changed: "Administrators are not considered to be 'involved' with a given editor if the only interaction has been to warn that editor against further actions which are against policy or community norms, discussion and explanation of the warning likewise do not cause an administrator to become 'involved' or have a conflict of interest with regards to future blocks of the warned editor." to: "Warnings, calm and reasonable discussion and explanation of those warnings, advice about communal norms, and suggestions on possible wordings and approaches, do not make an administrator 'involved'." Added: "A user seeking administrator or uninvolved user help in a matter may use the {{uninvolved|type|details}} template to request admin assistance. Requests will appear in Category:Requests for uninvolved help until removed."




  • Wikipedia:Harassment
    • In WP:Harassment#Dealing with harassment, added: "(Do not open a discussion about 'outing' on behalf of a third party without the victim's permission, unless the relevant page revisions have already been oversighted. It is important not to make violations of privacy more severe.)"



  • Wikipedia:Sock puppetry
    • After editing project space, changed: "Undisclosed alternative accounts should not be used to edit in project space ("Wikipedia:" pages) or project talk space, including in any vote or dispute resolution. The only usual exception is where a specific discussion is closely connected to a content matter (broadly interpreted) and the alternate account already has a clear connection with the discussion because of its mainspace contributions. In any case users are expected to take especial care not to accidentally "avoid scrutiny" in project space." to: "Undisclosed alternative accounts should not edit policies, guidelines, or their talk pages; comment in Arbitration proceedings; or vote in requests for adminship, deletion debates, or elections."
    • Under the WP:CLEANSTART shortcut, added: "You are not obliged to reveal previous accounts; however, it is strongly recommended that you inform ArbCom (in strictest confidence if you wish) of the existence of a previous account or accounts prior to seeking out adminship or similar functionary positions. Failure to do so may be considered deceptive, and as such be poorly received by the Wikipedia community."


February 2010





  • Wikipedia:Sock puppetry
    • In the introduction, added: [Editors who use more than one account are advised to provide links between them on the user pages (see below).] "They can also redirect the user and user talk pages of that account to their main account."
    • In WP:SOCK#Inappropriate uses of alternate accounts, made changes to the "Editing project space" paragraph. Added: [Contributions to the same page with] "clearly linked" [legitimate alternate accounts is not forbidden ...]



January 2010

  • Wikipedia:Administrators
    • WP:ADMIN#No big deal was renamed to WP:ADMIN#History and rewritten.
    • In WP:ADMIN#Becoming an administrator, removed: [... only one account of a given person may have administrative tools] "The sole exceptions are by agreement of Arbcom or the community."
    • In WP:ADMIN#Uninvolved admins, changed: [An admin ... whose actions on an article are minor, obvious, and do not speak to bias, is] "usually not prevented from acting on the article, user, or dispute" to: "not prevented from acting on the article, user, or dispute, either in an administrative role or in an editorial role"




  • Wikipedia:Harassment
    • In WP:Harassment#What harassment is not, added: "However, there is an endemic problem on Wikipedia which gives "harassment" a much broader and inaccurate meaning which encompasses, in some cases, merely editing the same page as another user."
    • In WP:Harassment#Posting of personal information, added: "If an editor has previously posted their own personal information but later redacted it, their wishes should be respected, though reference to self-disclosed information is not outing."



  • Wikipedia:Sock puppetry
    • In WP:SOCK#Inappropriate uses of alternate accounts, added: "Deceptively seeking positions of community trust. You may not run for positions of community trust without disclosing the fact that you have previously edited under another account. When applying for adminship, it is expected that you will disclose past accounts openly, or to the bureaucrats if the accounts must be kept private."
    • In WP:SOCK#Legitimate uses of alternate accounts, added: "Compromised accounts: If you have lost the password to an existing Wikipedia account, or you know or fear that someone else has obtained or guessed the password, you may well want to create a new account with a clean password. In such a case, you should post a note on the user page of each account indicating that they are alternate accounts for the same person, and you may well wish to ask an admin to block the old compromised account. You may want to consider using WP:Committed identity in advance to help deal with this rare situation should it arise later."
    • Under the WP:CLEANSTART anchor, added: [This is permitted only if there are no bans, blocks] "or active sanctions" [in place against your old account]