User:Alan012/shortblock

'''Something I'm working on. I suggest not discussing it here in user-space unless you're particularly keen to do so; I'll move it to an appropriate place for proposed policy in due course.'''

Supporting technical changes

 * Access rights to be created in the software called "shortblock" and "shortprotect", which enable a user to issue blocks / page protections of up to ten minutes in duration, excluding blocks on IP ranges and autoblocks. Blocks and page protections are to appear in the corresponding logs in a way that clearly identifies the acting user as non-admin.


 * Administrators to be given the technical ability to give or revoke these access rights to/from any user.


 * Administrators to be given the ability to place a comment in the block log regarding a shortblock which has expired without being unblocked.


 * Users to be given a means to see at a glance whether recent logged-in edits to a page are by autoconfirmed users.

Use of shortblock/shortprotect access

 * Shortblock and/or shortprotect are only to be used in cases of rapidly repeated, very recent, simple vandalism. (define "rapidly repeated", "very recent")


 * Blocks only to be made following appropriate warnings, as per blocking policy.


 * Shortprotect only to be used where vandalism which meets the above criteria is from multiple users. It is also only to be used for semi-protection, except where multiple of these vandalising users are autoconfirmed.


 * All shortblock and shortprotect use to be immediately followed by a report to WP:ANI by the acting user. It is understood that failure to do this may occasionally be caused by going unexpectedly offline, but it is not acceptable to perform any other on-wiki action before making the report.

Granting / revoking of shortblock/shortprotect access

 * Granting of shortblock/shortprotect access must be discussed via an equivalent of RFA. It is up to the community to decide on appropriate thresholds for acceptance, but these are likely to be somewhat lower than for adminship.  A possible guideline is that it should only be given to established users with a track record in fighting vandalism, no significant history of disruption, and evidence of familiarity with relevant policy.  These discussions may be closed by either admins or bureaucrats.


 * Revoking of shortblock/shortprotect access should normally be via consensus in the same forum.


 * Any administrator is empowered to revoke shortblock/shortprotect access "on-sight" in emergency cases, defined as any case where a shortblock/shortprotect action has been taken recently and the target user/page was unquestionably not associated with any very recent vandalism.

Misuse of rights

 * Access to be removed by admin, as above. However actions which would be merely punitive, such as blocking the acting user, should be performed only under the direction of the Arbcom.


 * In the event of an inappropriate shortblock, an admin should unblock, but if it is already expired then an admin should put a comment in the user's block log clearing the target user of wrongdoing.


 * Use of tools in content dispute to be treated as egregious violation of policy.


 * Granting or revoking of these rights by admins without consensus in non-emergency situations to be treated as abuse of admin tools.